HARRISBURG, May 6 – PA House lawmakers today passed legislation authored by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., that would extend Medicaid coverage to doula services in the state. Under Cephas’ bill ( H.B. 1608 ), Medicaid would reimburse certified doulas for providing childbirth education and support services, including physical and emotional support, during pregnancy, labor and delivery and up to one year postpartum. “Research has shown that doula support leads to improved birth outcomes, including reduced rates of cesarean sections, shorter labor durations and higher rates of breastfeeding initiation. By providing continuous support throughout and after pregnancy, doulas contribute to safer and more positive birth experiences for families," Cephas said. "Lack of health coverage for these services in Medicaid leads to a vast disparity in care for women who are already statistically at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, with Black birthing people at the highest risk of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity compared to other racial and ethnic groups. This legislation would give these parents a proven network of support needed to produce better mental and physical health outcomes during their birthing journey. I appreciate that my House colleagues understood the wisdom of providing this to moms who receive their health care under Medicaid.” The bill also would establish a Doula Read more

Amid continued calls for increased police accountability and transparency, the Pennsylvania State Police announced that it has issued body cameras to all troopers in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties. Read more

HARRISBURG, May 1 – State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., applauded the Pennsylvania State Police’s announcement that all troopers assigned to Troop K, which covers the southeastern counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware, are now outfitted for body-worn cameras and their patrol vehicles have been equipped with mobile video recorders. “The key to positive police-community relations is transparency, which body cameras greatly help provide. Folks will get a real-time look at the policies and procedures officers must follow when making an arrest and would also see the full footage of specific police encounters, removing uncertainty of what happened and who is in the wrong,” Kinsey said. Kinsey has introduced a bill in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to direct law enforcement agencies using body-worn cameras to develop official policies governing when cameras are activated and disabled, accessing the recordings, retention of recordings and redaction of recordings. “As we begin to see the state police’s body-worn camera initiative take place across the commonwealth, it’s time for the legislature to move my legislation so that police departments using these cameras can set defined guidelines and policies for how they’re used.” Kinsey’s bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee and currently awaits a committee vote. According Read more

Pennsylvania State Police troopers who serve the Philadelphia area have been outfitted with body-worn camera -- and their vehicles have been equipped with mobile video recorders -- officials with the state police announced on Monday. Read more

HARRISBURG, April 29 – The Philadelphia House Delegation today applauded the Pennsylvania State Police for following up on their promise to expand the use of body cameras to the officers in Troop K serving the Philadelphia region. During a public hearing with the House Appropriations Committee on the 2024-25 state budget in early March, State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris assured the committee that resources would be expedited to Southeastern PA for body camera recordings to be implemented on all officers. “Transparency is critical in officer-involved incidents. The cameras now worn by Troop K and used in their vehicles will assist in that transparency and create accountability in the unfortunate use of force,” said delegation chairwoman Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila. “This is about protecting our communities and protecting officers, giving everyone a little more peace of mind when issues arise.” House Majority Appropriations Committee Chairman Jordan Harris, D-Phila, recounted the pledge to expedite body cameras by PSP leadership during the committee’s public hearings on the state budget. “On March 4, 2024, the Appropriations Committee met with the Pennsylvania State Police for their budget hearing. This hearing immediately followed high-profile incidents with the PSP in our region; Commissioner Paris assured me and the committee that they would expedite resources to have Read more

PHILADELPHIA, April 29 – The Philadelphia House Delegation today applauded the awarding of more than $3.5 million in competitive grants from t he School Safety and Security Committee, under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, to schools across the city for safety and security support for students and staff. The largest grant was nearly 1.8 million to the School District of Philadelphia, with six other awards spread across city charter schools. “When our young people attend school, they, along with staff at the school, deserve to be in a safe environment that is conducive for learning and educating,” delegation Chair Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., said. “We applaud PCCD and Governor Shapiro for investing these needed dollars to ensure schools across Philadelphia have resources for improved security, and for students and staff to be able to access the resources they need to address their personal well-being, all of which can help lead to better results in the classroom.” The following schools in Philadelphia were also awarded a competitive school safety and security grant: Belmont Charter School $193,002 Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School $312,200 Esperanza Academy Charter School $353,611 Inquiry Charter School $317,005 Maritime Academy Charter School $92,225 Overbrook School for Blind (Approved Private Read more

State Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware, today announced that $77,529,900 in state funding has been awarded to the Philadelphia Water Department for construction of a new wastewater treatment facility in South Philadelphia to reduce ammonia discharged to the Delaware River and the reduced flow of inadequately treated sewage to the city's waterways. Read more

PHILADELPHIA, April 18 – On Thursday, Philadelphia City Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the state legislature to pass Solar for Schools , a bill introduced by state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila. Solar for Schools would create a grant program using a combination of state money and federal Inflation Reduction Act funds to help Pennsylvania public schools install solar panels. The bill is touted by education, labor, environmental, and faith-based organizations thanks to its potential to save schools money on high energy costs, create union jobs, and boost Pennsylvania’s production of renewable energy. “I was thrilled to introduce a resolution in City Council calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to adopt state Representative Elizabeth Fielder’s Solar for Schools Act,” said Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, At-Large. “Not only is this legislation a win for the education and environmental communities, but it would be a victory for skilled labor as well. We have a unique opportunity to provide Pennsylvanians, especially our young people, with a pathway to a family sustaining and supporting career opportunity. I am hopeful that the Pennsylvania Senate will pass this legislation and help us achieve these goals and much more.” Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), chair of City Council's Committee on the Environment, said: "Today, City Read more

HARRISBURG, April 17 – State Reps. Roni Green and Tarik Khan, both D-Phila., were joined by a bipartisan group of their legislative colleagues, public safety telecommunicators and advocates at the state Capitol today to celebrate “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” and discuss how the legislature can work to help Pennsylvania’s telecommunicators and 911 dispatchers. The telecommunicators and advocates who were present included Jack Morgan III, 911 operator from Allegheny County; Sara Slote, dispatch manager, Lancaster County 911; Bill Perkins, state constable; Garrett Rienhardt, recipient of life-saving care; Tyler Griffith, dispatcher; AFSCME members; and Gordon Zimmet, Local 1637 president. At the news conference, the legislators discussed a resolution (H.R. 377), introduced by Green that recognizes the week of April 14-20 “Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” in Pennsylvania. The resolution was adopted by the House later in the day. “911 dispatchers are the point of first contact between the caller and first responders. The speed and efficiency with which they work saves lives. They parse through heaps of information in very chaotic situations and support callers during what is often one of the most difficult moments of their lives,” Green said. “It’s time for the commonwealth to give back to 911 dispatchers the kind of support they give us. My daughter worked Read more