General Fund Budget Bill Partially Approved –

The Senate returned to legislative Session on August 3rd to “sign” the General Fund bill (HB611), with Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward previously stating, “I understand the importance of getting the General Appropriations Budget to the governor before the school year begins, as well as the funding to organizations. Pennsylvanians are counting on us to finish this process and we will by calling the Senate back before the end of August to sign HB 611. It will be sent to the Governor allowing Treasurer Stacy Garrity to disperse the monies where it is needed in a timely manner.”

After signing the legislation, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman said, “I would certainly hope that our friends on the other side of the building, even though they are currently tied at 101 to 101, would promptly return and pass the remaining pieces of the budget that we need before we fully implement the initiatives of HB 611.” Pittman indicated the work remaining includes the code bills, but also noted it has been several weeks since he spoke with House Majority Leader, Matthew Bradford. 
 
Governor Josh Shapiro quickly signed the legislation but line item vetoed a controversial “school voucher” scholarship program that was the impetus of the impasse.  According to information from the Governor’s office, the remaining approved funding includes some of the following items of interest:
 

• Investments in Community & Economic Development -
  • A $20 million investment to fund the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program to invest in small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth and provide sustainable support.
  • $112 million to improve our parks and forests and create a new Office of Outdoor Recreation to help connect our natural resources and parks with local businesses and put Pennsylvania on the map as a leader in outdoor recreation.
  • A $50 million investment in the Whole-Home Repairs program to take the burden off the shoulders of those living paycheck to paycheck while ensuring they can afford to maintain their homes.
  • A $13 million investment to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale and help the Commonwealth become a leader in economic development, innovation, and job creation.
  • A $2 million investment in the Municipal Assistance Program to help the local, municipal, and county governments that are on the frontlines of supporting their communities and a $1.25 million increase for the Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP) to help local governments create long-term plans for financial success.
  • A $1 million increase in investment for the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, which connects Pennsylvania’s universities with businesses to spur innovation and job creation here in the Commonwealth.
• Increasing Access to Apprenticeships & Vocational and Technical Education
  • A $23.5 million investment in workforce training and vo-tech programs.
  • A $6 million investment in apprenticeship and pre-apprentice programming that will lead to family-sustaining wages.
  • $3.5 million in funding for the Schools-to-Work Program through the Department of Labor & Industry to develop and expand career pathways for high school students via partnerships between schools, employers, organizations, and the Commonwealth. 

• Cutting Red Tape and Improving the Commonwealth’s Licensing and Permitting Processes
  • $2.9 million to create the Office of Transformation and Opportunity, a one-stop-shop for businesses looking to grow and contribute to aggressively reignite Pennsylvania’s economy.
  • $6.4 million to modernize and speed up permitting processes at the Department of Environmental Protection and clear permit backlogs.