| Dear Neighbor, I hope you are well! I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on several happenings in the district as well as Harrisburg.
As always, I hope you find this informative and useful.
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| Legislative Update from Harrisburg
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| It’s been a busy week in Harrisburg and I wanted to provide you with some legislative updates. With full bipartisan support, the House unanimously passed HB 1243 REAL ID Application Process that would adjust the requirement for verifying your SSN by allowing alternative documents instead of an original Social Security card. This now moves to the Senate for consideration.
On Tuesday, the House adopted my Resolution 185 Geothermal Energy Projects in Communities Utilizing Abandoned Mines. This resolution, co-sponsored by my colleague from Luzerne County, Rep. Aaron Kaufer, directs the Joint State Government Commission to study the feasibility of geothermal energy projects in abandoned mining locations to produce renewable energy and revitalize post-industrial communities in Pennsylvania. Abandoned coal mines are found throughout the commonwealth and are often dangerous for the public and result in hazardous pollution. This innovative technology is already seeing success in the United Kingdom, and it is my hope we can bring that same renewable energy to Pennsylvania communities.
Most importantly, the House passed HB 1416 Providing a COLA to SERS & PSERS with bipartisan support of 140-63. For over 20 years, our retired public school employees (PSERS) and state workers (SERS) who retired before July 2, 2001 have not seen a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in their pensions and are struggling to make ends meet. I’m proud to have voted yes on this bill so that our former state and public-school employees can finally live comfortably in their retirement. This bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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