Ready for a New Term; Tigers Take Title; State Police Survey; Test Your Home for Radon

Ready for a New Term; Tigers Take Title; State Police Survey; Test Your Home for Radon – and More!

Rep. Arvind Venkat January 10, 2025 | 3:25 PM

Energized to Start the New Term

On Tuesday, I took the oath of office to begin a new term working for you. I am deeply honored to continue representing our wonderful communities of McCandless, Franklin Park, Ohio Township, Kilbuck, Emsworth, Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, and western Hampton Township. If you’re interested, you can watch the swearing-in ceremony here.

As an emergency physician and state legislator, I remain focused on how we can improve the health and well-being of our communities. This week, together with several bipartisan colleagues, I introduced bills to:

Alleviate the devastating burden of medical debt on some families by establishing the Pennsylvania Medical Debt Relief Program, which would discharge the medical debt of residents who are at or below 400% of federal poverty guidelines (H.B. 79).
Eliminate red tape in the licensing process for physician assistants to ensure that they are more widely available for patient care (H.B. 75 and H.B. 76). Read more here.
Authorize Pennsylvania to join the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact to address the growing demand for these services and reduce unnecessary delays in providing care (H.B. 80). Read more here.
Address the risk of triggering food allergies in restaurants (H.B. 77).
Eliminate unfair fees for paper statements charged by financial institutions like banks and credit card companies (H.B. 81).

Stay tuned for updates on these bills and others in my upcoming e-newsletters.

I’m also looking forward to resuming my committee work and have been appointed by House Speaker Joanna McClinton to the committees below. It’s going to be a busy and productive year!

Farm Show Never Fails to Impress

Earlier this week, I joined bipartisan colleagues and my staff at the amazing Pennsylvania Farm Show, which continues to remind us of why the Commonwealth is an agricultural powerhouse. Thank you to the PA Department of Agriculture, PennAg Industries Association, and all the proud PA farmers who feed our community and enhance our prosperity.

Congrats to the Tigers!

Congratulations to the North Allegheny Tigers! North Allegheny is the WPIAL Class 3A Competitive Spirit Large Varsity Champion and also finished as the overall Class 3A runner-up! Visit WPIAL on Facebook here to read more! Good luck in the upcoming PIAA Championships!

Pennsylvania State Police Seeking Feedback
as Part of Accreditation Process

The PSP is seeking your input as part of its efforts to achieve accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Please visit this page to take the survey by Jan. 25. You can read more here.

It’s a Good Time to Test Your Home for Radon

The state Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging all residents to test their homes for radon during Radon Action Month. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and about 40% of PA homes have levels above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter).

The best time to test is during the colder months, when homes and buildings are closed, and radon is most likely to be trapped and build up to higher levels.

Test kits are available for $20-$30 from home improvement stores and Pennsylvania-certified radon laboratories. The public is encouraged to call DEP’s Radon Division at 717-783-3594, or the Radon Hotline at 800-237-2366, for help interpreting their test results and getting advice on any needed follow-up action.

Seniors: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Going on

Now Through March 31

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is reminding seniors that the annual Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is going on now through March 31. During this time, beneficiaries with a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to a different plan or to original Medicare.

Free Medicare benefits counseling is available through the Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight. You can read more about PA-MEDI here.

In other health insurance news, if you need private health insurance, please note that open enrollment in Pennie – the state’s health insurance marketplace – is going on now through Jan. 15. Visit this page to learn more.

More Veterans Now Eligible for Free Birth and Death Certificates

The Department of Health announced that more veterans and their families are now eligible for free birth and death certificates. A new law expands the fee waiver to include veterans discharged or released from service under all conditions other than dishonorable. You can read more here.

Students and Families – Check Out These Financial Aid Webinars

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency has produced a series of webinars to help students and their families navigate the financial aid application process. Visit this page to see the full list and register.

The Shapiro administration announced that it is providing over $1.6 million in grant funding to help more Pennsylvania parents meet their higher-education goals. The Pennsylvania Department of Education invites eligible post-secondary institutions to apply for Parent Pathways grants up to $150,000 to support parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding, and wrap-around services. You can read more here.

You can also find the latest state grant openings at this page.

Don’t Miss the PA CareerLink Pittsburgh Job Fair Jan. 22

Visit this page for more information.

Working for You Here at Home

Serving our community takes a coordinated effort, and my talented staff is always working to give their best. Last week, we took time to plan how we can best serve our community in the year ahead. If you have ideas or suggestions, please call my office at 412-348-8028 or email me at RepVenkat@pahouse.net.

On a related note, if you need assistance with any state-related matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.