Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania House Passes Bipartisan Budget That Delivers on Governor Shapiro’s Key Priorities, Makes Historic, Commonsense Investments to Create a Stronger Economy, Safer and Healthier Communities, and Better Schools
The bipartisan budget delivers on many of Governor Shapiro’s key proposals, including the largest increase in Basic Education Funding in Pennsylvania history, state funding for indigent defense for the first time, and significant investments in public safety, workforce & economic development, and agriculture.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 611, a budget bill for fiscal year 2023-24, which delivers on Governor Josh Shapiro’s commonsense proposals to solve the most pressing issues Pennsylvanians face. Governor Shapiro plans to sign this budget bill, accomplishing many of the priorities he laid out in March during his budget address, including historic funding for public K-12 basic education, significant investments in workforce development, new funding for community and economic development, and critical investments in agriculture and public safety.
Governor Shapiro’s first budget marks a significant step in his work to create an economy that works for all, make Pennsylvania communities safer, and ensure every Pennsylvania child has access to a quality education.
Knowing that the House and Senate will not reach consensus at this time to enact the PASS scholarship program and unwilling to hold up our entire budget process over this issue, the Governor plans to line-item veto the full $100 million appropriation for that program. “A budget is a statement of our priorities – and with new investments in students, teachers, seniors, moms, families, farmers, workers, cops, emergency responders, business owners, and more, this is a budget for all Pennsylvanians,” said Governor Shapiro. “Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation with a full-time, divided legislature – meaning nothing gets done unless it can make it through our Republican-led Senate and our Democratic-led House. I’m proud that this budget – one that makes historic investments in public education, public safety, workforce development, agriculture, and economic development – passed both the House and Senate, and I look forward to signing it.”
In March, Governor Shapiro presented his first budget proposal to the people of Pennsylvania with proposed investments to lower costs for Pennsylvanians, support businesses and speed up permitting, help older adults stay in their homes, invest in public education, protect and strengthen communities, and safeguard our environment.
Today, the House also voted to pass HB 1100, which mirrors Governor Shapiro’s proposed expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. As a result of this expansion – the first for the program since 2006 – nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvanians will qualify and many of the 400,000 seniors who already qualify will see their rebates nearly double, with future increases to the program being tied to inflation.
Historic $1 Billion Investment in K-12 Public Education
This budget makes a $1 billion investment in K-12 public schools, including the largest increase in the Basic Education Funding (BEF) Formula in Pennsylvania history. Thanks to this budget, for the first time ever, Pennsylvania will spend over $10 billion on K-12 public education funding. This budget includes: Historic Investments in Community & Economic Development
This budget spurs job creation, fosters innovation, and provides the funding to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale. This budget also invests in communities across the Commonwealth, supporting historically disadvantaged businesses and helping Pennsylvanians maintain safe, healthy homes. This budget includes:
Funding Indigent Defense for the First Time Ever
Previously, Pennsylvania was one of only two states in the country that did not allocate state funding for indigent defense, but that changes with this budget. This budget invests:
Expanding Apprenticeships & Vocational and Technical Education
Building off the Governor’s Executive Order announcing that 92 percent of state government jobs are open to Pennsylvanians without college degrees, this budget would ensure more Pennsylvanians have the freedom to chart their own course by expanding our workforce, investing in vo-tech, and supporting apprenticeship programs, including:
Cutting Red Tape and Improving the Commonwealth’s Licensing and Permitting Processes
Governor Shapiro is committed to making government work more effectively and efficiently to serve Pennsylvanians. This budget aims to address delays in state licensing, permitting, and certification processes and cut red tape for businesses, and includes:
Investing in Mental Health, Addressing Maternal Mortality, & Supporting EMS and Health Care Providers
This budget makes critical investments in public health and wellness, including significant investments in mental health and the first-ever investment in addressing maternal mortality, including: Repairing Our Infrastructure While Supporting Law Enforcement
To ensure Pennsylvanians are and feel safe in their communities, this budget ensures that Pennsylvania police departments are well-staffed, well-funded, well-trained, and well-equipped and prioritizes public safety while making more funding available for our infrastructure needs, including:
Making Critical Investments in the Future of Pennsylvania Agriculture
Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector is a major economic driver for the Commonwealth, contributing $132 billion a year to the economy and supporting over 580,000 jobs in Pennsylvania – this budget invests:
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