Legislation & Policy Watch

HB 820

Referred to FINANCE, March 3, 2025 [House]

Rep. Christina D. Sappey

Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit

Proposal for the enactment of the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, a 30% refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to help eligible working Pennsylvania households achieve their goals.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 778

Referred to EDUCATION, March 3, 2025 [House]

Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman

Pre-K Teacher Salary Supplement Pilot
Program

Create a pilot program to provide salary supplements for Pre-K Counts and public school teachers to ensure they are being paid in parity to other teachers in the school who have a PK-4 certification.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 779

Referred to EDUCATION, March 3, 2025 [House]

Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman

Head Start Teacher Salary Supplement Pilot
Program

Create a pilot program to provide salary supplements to all Head Start and public school teachers. The supplement would not be for a specific dollar amount; but would aim to alleviate the pay differentials between Pre-K and K-4 teachers who have the same qualifications.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 780

Referred to EDUCATION, March 3, 2025 [House]

Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman

Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Program and the Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Fund

Create an Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Program to provide grants to individuals seeking an associate degree or certification in early childhood education who agree to work in the field in Pennsylvania for at least two years.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 781

Referred to EDUCATION, March 3, 2025 [House]

Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman

Infant and Toddler Care Professionals Salary Supplement

Create a pilot program to provide salary supplements for child care professionals working in private child care centers. With the ultimate goal of addressing salary parity across all sectors of child care, the intention of this pilot program is to increase overall workers’ pay, not decrease the employers’ payroll costs.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

SB 256

Referred to HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Feb. 20, 2025 [Senate]

Sen. Wayne D. Fontana

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Would require carbon monoxide detectors be placed in various structures, including in buildings were a vulnerable population lives or visits.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 524

Referred to CHILDREN AND YOUTH, Feb. 5, 2025 [House]

Rep. Jose Giral

Video Surveillance in Child Care Centers

Would require child care centers to install and maintain video camera surveillance systems. 

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HR 41

Referred to CHILDREN AND YOUTH, Jan. 28, 2025 [House]

Rep. Cerrato

Increasing the Availability of Emergency Childcare

The resolution aims to identify what could be done to alleviate Pennsylvania parents’ child care burden by directing the Joint State Government Commission to study emergency child care and make recommendations about how to expand availability and access in the Commonwealth.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 335

Referred to CHILDREN AND YOUTH, Jan. 27, 2025 [House]

Rep. G. Roni Green

Child Care Centers: Environmental Health Assessment

Would require that new day care centers, should they wish to operate in a building that previously housed a high-hazard business, perform environmental health assessments to ensure that the building is free of harmful chemicals and safe for children.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 156

Referred to CHILDREN AND YOUTH, Jan. 16, 2025 [House]

Rep. Jeanne McNeill

Carbon Monoxide Alarms in Child Care Facilities (formerly HB 494)

Would require child care facilities housed in buildings with carbon monoxide sources to be equipped with one or more carbon monoxide alarms, depending on the size of the building. 

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 74

Referred to HUMAN SERVICES, Jan. 14, 2025 [House]

Rep. Brian Smith

Voluntary Autism Screening

Would require the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to provide Pennsylvania’s licensed child care providers with an autism screening tool and information on resources. The providers may present the information to a parent and assist with the use of the tool upon request. Neither the child care provider nor the parent will be required to use the screening tool.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

HB 46

Referred to EDUCATION, Jan. 10, 2025 [House]

Rep. Khan

Increasing Access to PreK for PA Kids

Would require schools to provide Pre-K for all eligible children.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

2/18/2025

Rep. Carol Kazeem

Expanding Child Care Works to Help More Families

Would increase the maximum family income for subsidized child care by three percent. 

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

1/29/2025

Sen. Patrick J. Stefano and Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver

Child-Care Workforce Commission

Would reintroduce legislation to establish the Child-Care Workforce Commission. The Child-Care Workforce Commission will serve as a dedicated body to study, evaluate, and recommend policies to address the needs of the child-care workforce in Pennsylvania. The commission will include experts, stakeholders, and representatives from relevant state agencies, child-care providers, and early childhood education institutions. It will conduct a comprehensive review of the current state of the child-care workforce and develop strategies to improve recruitment, retention, and professional development opportunities.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

1/27/2025

Rep. Thomas L. Mehaffie, III and Rep. Jared G. Solomon

Keystone STARS

Will require the Department of Human Services to update its Keystone STARS program guidance to provide a pathway for child care employees and providers to receive “credit” for years of experience.  Will encourage child care providers to educate families about the Keystone STARS program by advertising their “STAR Status” on their front doors and website.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

1/21/2025

Rep. Liz Hanbidge and Rep. MaryLouise Isaacson

Child Care Subsidies for Childcare Workers

Proposing legislation that would allow child care workers, including direct support professionals in a child care setting, in Pennsylvania to be eligible for subsidized child care, regardless of income status. Child care workers would be able to apply for the Child Care Works program in Pennsylvania, thus making their own child care more affordable. 

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

1/17/2025

Sen. Michele Brooks

Requiring Counties to Share Child Care and Dependent Care Facility Locations and Emergency Plans with Municipalities

Reintroduces Senate Bill 636 of the 2023-2024 legislative session to require counties to share the location of their child care facilities and other dependent care facilities with the local municipality in which they are located, along with each facility’s emergency plans, and any subsequent updates.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

1/02/2025

Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman

Early Childhood Education Teacher Incentives

This package of bills would:

• Require that all school entities pay teachers in parity with their colleagues across their common certification grade span.

• Create a grant program to establish new child care facilities in rural counties.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

12/19/2025

Rep. Aaron Bernstine

Child Care Tax Deduction

Would allow taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in child care expenses on their annual personal income tax return.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM

12/03/2025

Rep. Jose Giral

Food Allergy Protocol in Child Care Centers

Would require the Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to develop guidelines for managing a child with a life-threatening food allergy. These guidelines would ensure all personnel working in child care centers are aware of the best practices for responding to life threatening allergic reactions, have access to a child’s self-injectable epinephrine, and include reasonable accommodations to limit children’s exposure to food allergens.

SPONSORSHIP MEMORANDUM