HARRISBURG, Aug. 25 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat, the only elected physician serving in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly, has issued the following statement after two individuals from Lancaster County died in measles-associated cases : “My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families of these two individuals who have died of measles, the first time in Pennsylvania in 35 years,” Venkat said. “Measles is a serious, highly infections and vaccine-preventable illness, and we are facing a worsening outbreak in our Commonwealth.” Venkat encourages all Pennsylvanians who have not received the measles vaccine to do so, for the safety of themselves and their communities. “Please speak with your physician and receive the measles vaccine if eligible and have not done so,” Venkat said. “The vaccine is safe and the only effective way to prevent you, your family and your community from suffering from measles. “Sadly, vaccine policy has become political. Every elected official and those who aspire to lead our communities and Commonwealth should make clear where they stand on immunizations and how to end the growing measles outbreak in Pennsylvania.” Elected in 2022, Venkat is the first physician to serve in the General Assembly in 60 years. He completed his medical education at Yale University and his emergency medicine residency at the University of Read more
HARRISBURG, Aug. 24 – To recognize the extraordinary sacrifices of military servicemembers, state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Charity Grimm Krupa have announced their intention to introduce bipartisan legislation that would expand tuition assistance for the children of those members of the military who were certified 100% disabled due to combat, killed-in-action or died as a result of injuries in the line-of-service, awarded the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart, held as a prisoner-of-war, or declared missing-in-action. Current law, which has not been updated for nearly 40 years, allows the children of veterans with extraordinary service records to receive $500 in tuition assistance for higher education per semester. This new proposal would triple that support to $1,500 per semester and cover gaps in eligibility for federal or state tuition assistance. “Our military servicemembers and their families have made some of the most difficult sacrifices anyone can,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “This legislation will help ease the financial burden on military families and expand access to education while also recognizing the service and sacrifice that protect our freedoms.” Grimm Krupa has a rich family history of military service. Her father served in the Army, and two of her brothers served in the armed forces -- the Army and the Marine Corps, respectively. “Freedom has never been free, and the Read more
Fighting for vaccine access; My upcoming shred event; Newly proposed local PRT routes; Honoring our local firefighters – and more! Read more
Soergel Orchards receives new grant funding; Local students win KD Quiz Championship; Celebrating our local Indian-American community – and more! Read more
FRANKLIN PARK, Aug. 12 – Soergel Orchards, a family-owned homestead, market and orchard based in Franklin Park with farms across Allegheny and Butler counties, will receive a $24,584 state grant with support from state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, and state Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Allegheny. The funds will allow Soergel Orchards to purchase an agricultural drone. Common uses for drones in agriculture include mapping and surveying, crop monitoring, water management, and precision application of fertilizer and pesticides. “I am always proud to support our local farmers and ensure they have the resources they need,” Venkat said. “This is especially true for Soergel Orchards, which has been a staple of the North Hills for over 170 years and still finds new ways to develop and innovate their work. I look forward to seeing how this funding backs their work for our community.” This project is one of 97 recently announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture through its first-in-the-nation Agricultural Innovation Grant Program , which helps agricultural businesses implement innovative technology to improve efficiency, increase production, protect soil and water resources, and generate clean, renewable energy. Read more
Taking part in National Night Out; Opportunities for former residents to return to Pittsburgh; Local grants accepting applications – and more! Read more
Read my Fall 2026 print newsletter here! Read more
Pushing for responsible AI implementation; My upcoming shred event; Highlighting our local parks; New grant opportunities available – and more! Read more
Supporting our local public education; Working with nationwide AAPI leaders; Making some “Good Trouble”; New economic development grants – and more! Read more
New grants for our community; Supporting our retired public servants; Explore our state parks – and more! Read more
McCANDLESS, July 16 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, today announced $2.35 million in grant funding from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to support two projects in the Town of McCandless – one aiding local youth recreation and the other benefiting first responders. North Allegheny School District will receive $1.25 million to renovate the school’s aquatics center, including upgrades to extend the life of the existing diving and teaching pool, the creation of a separate diving well, and expansion of spectator and locker areas. “North Allegheny’s aquatics center helps keep many of our local students and community members active and healthy,” Venkat said. “The swimming and diving teams at North Allegheny are frequent WPIAL champions, with the girls having 18 consecutive titles and the boys winning back-to-back PIAA state championships this year. “Athletics are crucial for many of our students, and these funds will go a long way to help our student-athletes achieve these regional and state victories.” The other local grant in this announcement will award $1.1 million to the Allegheny Police and Fire Academy to support electrical work, replacing the academy’s existing generator and installing a new, larger generator to better support the entire building and its role as an emergency operations center. “Our first responders help keep Read more
Celebrating Independence Day; Getting out in Hampton; How to stay cool this summer – and more! Read more
Happy Independence Day; Birthright citizenship upheld; Local students compete in Washington; Franklin Park wants to hear from you – and more! Read more
Welcoming my interns to Harrisburg; Two of my bills passed by the House; FAFSA deadline rapidly approaching – and more! Read more
HARRISBURG, June 23 – The Pennsylvania House has unanimously passed two bipartisan bills introduced by state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Kristin Marcell that would eliminate administrative burdens to make it easier for physician assistants to receive their licenses. In hospitals, PAs are often overseen by both allopathic and osteopathic physicians. Current law requires PAs to be licensed by both boards that oversee these occupations, the State Board of Medicine and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine. House Bills 75 and 76 would eliminate this redundancy and allow PAs to work under the supervision of either type of doctor, regardless of licensing board. “As an emergency physician, I have worked hand-in-hand with physician assistants for my entire career. The work they do is absolutely crucial to the delivery of high-quality healthcare,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “This legislation will eliminate an unnecessary barrier for PAs to continue doing this lifesaving work. I am thankful to Rep. Marcell for her collaboration on this legislation and to my other colleagues for the overwhelming support for these bills.” “These bills remove unnecessary red tape and make it easier for physician assistants and physicians to work together in caring for patients," said Marcell, R-Bucks. "I am grateful to Rep. Venkat for his partnership on this effort and pleased to see the House come together in support of Read more
Meeting with local youth leaders; Supporting our regional fine arts; Check updates to PRT routes – and more! Read more
HARRISBURG, June 18 – As federal officials continue to threaten public health, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Tarik Khan and Bridget Kosierowski, all healthcare professionals, have announced their intention to introduce legislation that would require insurers to continue to cover previously recommended forms of preventive care and allow the Pennsylvania Department of Health to update those recommendations based on the best scientific evidence informed by healthcare professional organizations. The proposed legislation would require insurers in Pennsylvania to cover all forms of preventive services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Health Resources and Services Administration as of Jan. 1, 2025. These three agencies have seen significant leadership changes since that time, raising concerns over their independence and scientific credibility. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers must cover preventive medical care services recommended by these federal bodies without patient financial responsibility. With the federal changes in these critical entities, Venkat said the validity of their recommendations is very much in question, threatening the insurance coverage of preventive medical care for all Pennsylvanians. “As a physician-legislator, I have seen how access to evidence-based preventive medical care is under attack,” said Venkat, Read more
Working to make healthcare affordable; Learning more about nuclear energy; House Fellowship program now accepting applications – and more! Read more
House passes my homeowner protection bill; Welcoming guests to Harrisburg; McCandless Birthday 5K coming up – and more! Read more
HARRISBURG, June 2 – The Pennsylvania State House has passed bipartisan legislation, 190-11, in favor of regulating shared equity agreements, a novel home lending product, according to the bill’s co-prime sponsors, state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Lindsay Powell , both D-Allegheny, and Tim Twardzik , R-Schuylkill. Shared Appreciation Agreements are contracts in which a homeowner receives funds in exchange for granting a third party a future interest in the appreciation, equity, or value of their home. The legislation, H.B. 2120 , would add Shared Equity Agreements to current laws that provide statutory safeguards for other home-secured financial products, such as residential mortgages. “For most Pennsylvanians, their home is their most valuable asset,” Venkat said. “Homeowners may enter into these agreements believing they are making a beneficial decision for their family’s future, but when marketing is unfair or deceptive, they could face significant financial hardship down the road. “Given the importance of homes and their value to so many Pennsylvanians, we must expeditiously bring shared equity agreements into a regulatory framework similar to that of mortgages so that Pennsylvanians can be assured of transparency and protection against predatory lending practices in these products.” The legislation would require shared equity agreements to meet disclosure requirements, Read more
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