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Capitol Report
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#Listrak\DateStampLong#
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The latest news from the State Capitol
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Please do not reply directly to this email, as it returns to an unmanned account.
You are welcome to contact me through this link.
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Governor to Give Budget Address on Tuesday
Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver his 2025-26 state budget address this Tuesday, Feb. 4, before a joint session of the General Assembly.
It’s important to remember the governor’s address is only a starting point for the budget process. After reviewing the budget, the House Appropriations Committee will hold three weeks of public hearings to review the budget line by line with agency leaders. This will be the first opportunity for House Republicans to provide feedback and develop a fiscally responsible plan. At the conclusion of the budget hearings the House will return to session and begin the work of crafting a budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.
As always, Tuesday’s House session will stream live at www.PAHouseGOP.com.
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Strengthening our Economic Competitiveness
Last week, I joined my colleagues in unveiling the vision of the new bicameral, bipartisan Competitiveness Caucus. Pennsylvania faces significant challenges in retaining business, attracting new investment and reversing stagnant population growth. We are here to strategize on how we can become prosperous.
Our state has incredible potential. We have amazing natural resources across the Commonwealth. However, we are also losing. You can watch the full press conference by clicking here.
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District Highlight
It was such a pleasure to attend the Lake Ariel Volunteer Fire Company’s Installation of Officers dinner. I was pleased to present House citations to Donald Pontosky and Janet Miller for their 20 years of service. It is always great to be with our first responders!!
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Is PA Money Match Heading Your Way?
The Pennsylvania Treasury Department is sending the first batch of PA Money Match letters this week, so keep an eye on your mailboxes to see if you’ll be receiving some unclaimed property!
PA Money Match is a new law, which passed the General Assembly unanimously last year with my support, allowing Treasury to automatically return certain unclaimed property. Eligible properties must be valued at $500 or less and belong to a single owner. Those with eligible properties will receive a letter in the mail to confirm their address, then about 45 days later they’ll receive a check for their property.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity said the first round of PA Money Match has the potential to return over $2 million to more than 8,000 Pennsylvanians.
In total, PA Treasury is working to return more than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property. This money includes things like dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, rebates, insurance payments and more.
Everyone is still encouraged to search PA Treasury’s website regularly for property that may belong to them. The average value of a claim is $1,600, and PA Money Match will not automatically return properties valued above $500 or those that may have more than one owner, such as a dormant joint checking or savings account.
Visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property to search anytime and contact my office if you need any help.
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Keystone Contractors Association Scholarship Program Accepting Applications
The Keystone Contractors Association Scholarship Program is committed to providing $40,000 in scholarships annually to Pennsylvania residents who are attending Pennsylvania colleges and seeking construction-related degrees.
This scholarship program is open to graduating high school seniors as well as current college students who plan to work in the construction industry.
The deadline to apply for this year’s scholarship program is March 1. For more information, click here.
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Grant Applications Sought for WalkWorks Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) is now accepting grant applications for the 2025-26 WalkWorks Active Transportation Planning Program.
Any Commonwealth municipality can apply for funding to create a plan to develop more user-friendly spaces for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as boost public transportation and increase accessibility for people with disabilities. The program’s goal is to boost Pennsylvanians’ physical and mental health through increased activity.
The deadline for grant applications is Friday, March 21, at 5 p.m. An optional one-hour webinar is available to aid potential applicants on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at noon. Pre-registration is required here.
Click here for additional information.
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