WILKES-BARRE — Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver provided an update this week on the Shapiro Administration’s progress under Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024 Hire, Improve, Recruit, and Empower (HIRE) Executive Order.
In the last year, the Shapiro Administration has expanded child care for Commonwealth employees with families, piloted a hiring program for people who previously interacted with the criminal justice system, improved access to services for Pennsylvanians with limited English proficiency, completed a comprehensive accessibility study of the State Capitol Complex to improve inclusivity and use-ability, and laid the groundwork for an orientation and mentoring program for new hires who are veterans.
“Pennsylvania’s greatest strength is its people,” said Weaver. “Every Commonwealth employee brings unique experiences, skills, and perspectives that make our workforce stronger and help us deliver better service to the public.”
Under HIRE, the Commonwealth is strengthening its workforce:
• Following the conclusion of a successful yearlong pilot, the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has made permanent a $1-per-hour bonus for bilingual employees in certain Unemployment Compensation and PA CareerLink positions to ensure Pennsylvanians who prefer information in Spanish receive efficient, effective service.
• The Department of Veteran Affairs (DMVA) is leading in the creation of two programs to facilitate networking and provide awareness of programs and benefits available to veterans who are transitioning to employment with the Commonwealth.
• Together with the Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Department of Corrections (DOC) identified 12 job titles particularly suited for those reentering the community after incarceration.
• The Shapiro Administration hosted the third annual Commonwealth Job Fair on May 21 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. This year’s job fair drew over 800 registered attendees.
• Since 2023, state agencies have hosted more than 35 fellows in policy, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. OA also collaborated with L&I to grow and strengthen the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Summer Internship for college students with disabilities, which welcomed its largest cohort in program history this year with 28 students.
• Effective Aug. 1, 2025, the waiting period for new hires to enroll dependents into PEBTF medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage without paying additional out-of-pocket costs was eliminated.
Meuser supports legislation cracking down on childcare program fraud
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, voted this week for H.R. 7726 — the Stop Child Care Scams Act — to boost accountability and transparency in federal childcare assistance programs, especially the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG).
Meuser said, as the Trump Administration uncovered, the CCDBG program faced risks from fraud, waste, and improper payments. In 2020, Rep. Meuser said the Government Accountability Office estimated that CCDBG issued about $325 million in improper payments for Fiscal Year 2019, and more recent estimates suggest that figure has climbed to nearly $600 million annually.
At the beginning of the year, Meuser said the federal government began investigating Minnesota childcare centers that received public childcare assistance funds while serving few or no children. Recent federal audits revealed that improper payments could surpass $231 million in Minnesota alone.
Meuser said the Stop Child Care Scams Act counters fraud in childcare assistance programs by ordering states to track and report fraud directly, improve agency coordination to find improper payments, and conduct regular payment audits. The legislation also lowers the improper payment threshold from 10% to 5%, requires states that exceed it to implement corrective action plans, and bars states with high improper payment rates for two consecutive years from receiving CCDBG funds.
“As Chairman of the Financial Services Committee’s Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, I have made stopping waste, fraud, and abuse a priority, introducing legislation and holding field hearings in coordination with HUD on housing fraud,” Meuser said. “This work complements Vice President Vance’s task force and Administrator Oz’s work in Minnesota. Recent revelations have shown that childcare assistance programs are not immune to fraud and abuse, with hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars lost to improper payments each year. The Stop Child Care Scams Act will strengthen oversight, improve accountability, and ensure states take meaningful action to prevent fraud so these resources reach the children and working families they are intended to serve.”
The House passed the Stop Child Care Scams Act by a bipartisan vote of 217-207, and the bill now awaits further consideration in the Senate.
AG Sunday reacts to Pa. Senate, House actions on legislation
Attorney General Dave Sunday this week offered a reaction to actions on Wednesday from the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives regarding legislation that will aid the Office of Attorney General’s efforts to educate and protect the public from harmful artificial intelligence.
The House’s passage of House Bill 2314 would provide funding for a public education campaign focused on improving A.I. consumer literacy, including how Pennsylvanians can avoid scams and parents can better protect their children online.
The bill passed 198-3 and now heads to the Senate.
The Senate passed SR244 to create a Child Protection in the Digital Age Task Force. The resolution is enacted.
“Ensuring our laws protecting children keep pace with the rapid changes in technology is a mission critical to the Office of Attorney General,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Protecting children from predators and potentially harmful technology is a duty we all share, and a mission this task force will assist.”
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Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.