PA Senate Republicans
Pennsylvania Senate Republicans believe that the best way to make our Commonwealth stronger is to promote economic growth, invest in core government functions like public safety and protect and preserve community and natural resources. We want to ensure that all state residents have access to available, affordable health care and an education system that gives every Pennsylvanian an opportunity to reach their potential. We believe that can be done without excess spending and taxation, by making government more efficient, transparent and accountable to state taxpayers. As the Party of Action, we encourage reform and innovation, not bigger government and more regulations.
We want a future for Pennsylvania where hard work leads to better jobs, and where citizens feel confident about the direction of their state government.
Economy
Enacted a state budget that includes no tax increases and limited spending, and continues PA Senate Republicans’ commitment to fiscally responsible budgeting that has led to a stronger economy.
Doubled funding of the Pennsylvania First Program, which offers grants and loans to support business expansion and job growth.
Delivered additional funding to Pennsylvania’s best career and technical schools to help prepare young people and other job-seekers for quality, family-sustaining jobs.
Increased support of New Choices/New Options, which helps job-seekers get the resources they need to obtain a job and be successful in the workforce.
Bolstered Pennsylvania’s number-one industry by passing a sweeping Farming First package.
Community
Passed comprehensive measures to take on Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis.
Provided security grants to faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations to boost and passed other crucial public safety measures.
Approved a sweeping crime victims package, including a comprehensive bill of rights in for survivors of sexual assault, limiting the number of times that victims of sexually violent crimes are forced to testify at parole hearings, allowing victims to be present at more criminal proceeding, and more.
Passed criminal justice reforms to reduce incarceration and cut costs to taxpayers, streamline the placement of offenders in drug treatment programs, and more.
Strengthened support for children and families by reducing the risk of child hot car deaths, increasing the number of “safe havens” for newborns, promote adoption, protect seniors, and more.
Acted to make online training more readily available to emergency responders, required a review all contracts associated with the crucial Pennsylvania Statewide Radio Network, and more.
Education
Increased the amount of tax credits available for scholarship organizations under the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.
Provided $60 million for the School Safety and Security Grant Program, adds new school safety measures, and helps schools purchase telepresence equipment to support homebound students.
Gave school districts the option to implement flexible instructional days in the event of an emergency school closure.
Created the Public Higher Education Funding Commission.
Expanded the availability of job training programs, protected students against improper Private Licensed School closures.
Passed legislation to allow students to apply personal finance credits towards to satisfying graduation requirements.
Health Care
Acted to expand the use of telemedicine in Pennsylvania as a way to overcome barriers to quality patient care created by distance and reduce the costs of those services.
Strengthened guidelines in schools for CPR training in grades nine through 12.
Created an authority to operate a state-based health insurance exchange for Affordable Care Act individual market plans.
Acted to give full practice authority to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses-Certified Nurse Practitioners.
Strengthened penalties for assaults against health care practitioners and technicians.
Environment
Allowed citizens to make a voluntary $3 contribution on driver’s license applications to fund programs that use trees to help filter pollutants from waterways.
Voted to restrict the use of firefighting foams containing added PFAS for training, while allowing continued use against real-world fires.
Acted to institute a nutrient procurement program to help Pennsylvania meet the federal Chesapeake Bay mandate by incentivizing nitrogen pollution reduction.