HARRISBURG – The Senate advanced two bills to implement key parts of the 2023-24 budget and drive out funding to schools, hospitals, EMS providers, higher education, libraries and more, according to Senator Gene Yaw (R-23). These fiscal code bills take an important step to further finalize portions of the state budget which require implementation language.
“House Bill 1300 reauthorizes assessments and payments to hospitals, boosts reimbursement rates for EMS providers, and reauthorizes judicial fees that courts rely on for funding,” Sen. Yaw said. “All three of these budget items are important and time-sensitive.”
In addition, the bill directs funding to many non-controversial and bipartisan budget items related to education, including allocating more than $260 million for community colleges and distributing more than $70 million in state aid for libraries and $11 million in grants for non-public school safety initiatives.
House Bill 1300, approved by a bipartisan vote, also distributes $150 million for the state’s Clean Streams Fund to address agricultural conservation, nutrient management, clean water procurement and stormwater management.
“The Clean Streams Fund puts money into action by correcting decades of non-point source pollution with innovative solutions, like farming cooperatives and strategic tree planting,” Yaw said. “I am pleased to see continued state investment in the preservation of our waterways for generations to come.”
The bill also allocates $16 million in medical assistance incentive payments and changes how nursing home reimbursements are calculated to prevent dramatic swings that could force many providers to cease operations.
The Senate also voted to advance Senate Bill 757, which addresses other priorities included in the original budget deal Senate Republicans negotiated with Gov. Josh Shapiro in June.
This includes the creation of the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) program to provide additional educational options for students in failing schools, as well as $150 million in new funding for the state’s popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit program to expand educational opportunities to families throughout the state.
Yaw underscored that while these bills have been advanced by the Senate, critical support authorized by the legislation cannot be finalized until the House of Representatives also returns to session.
For more state-related news and information, constituents can visit Senator Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or follow him on Facebook and Twitter @SenatorGeneYaw.
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Weitzel
717-787-3280