Casey introduces legislation to support grandparents raising grandcildren

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) this week introduced the Grandfamilies Act to support grandparents and kinship caregivers who have stepped in when parents are no longer able to care for their children.

As the opioid and fentanyl crisis continues to ravage Pennsylvania families, this bill would provide grandfamilies and kinship families greater access to cash benefits and uplift community-based efforts that address their unique needs.

“The opioid epidemic has forced so many grandparents to pick up the mantle to provide children with the support and stability they need, often following family trauma,” Casey said. “These caregivers may forgo their own needs to make sure there is food on the table for their children, and face poverty and other hardships because of it. My Grandfamilies Act will help relieve the financial pressure on these families, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to thrive.”

Davis said his Congressional District historically has the highest percentage of children living with kinship caregivers in the country.

“For these families, extra benefits via Social Security or TANF, however small, can be a lifeline,” Davis said. “Supporting kinship caregivers strengthens families and helps children thrive.”

There are more than 2.7 million children in the United States that are being raised by grandparents and other relatives or close family friends, also known as kinship caregivers. Nearly 20% of grandfamilies live below the poverty line, and their limited resources can lead to chronic stress and mental health concerns among caregivers and children alike.

The Grandfamilies Act will help alleviate this stress and financial pressure by expanding access to cash benefits for grandfamilies.

Specifically, the bill will:

• Increase access to Social Security child’s benefits for grandfamilies and kinship families.

• Expand Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to make financial resources more accessible to grandfamilies and caregivers caring for a child with a disability.

• Promote temporary guardianship laws that enable grandparents and kin relatives to make important decisions on the child’s behalf.

• Ensure states are prepared to provide streamlined support to grandfamilies by establishing funding to help states develop plans to support grandparents raising grandchildren.

• Provide competitive grants to support collaborative community-based efforts to provide mental health and peer support to grandfamilies.

Meuser votes to make health care more affordable and accessible

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, this week voted in favor of H.R. 5378 — the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act — a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at enhancing transparency in health care pricing, lowering the cost of drugs, and extending crucial healthcare programs.

Meuser said H.R. 5378 takes significant strides in improving transparency in drug pricing by requiring Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to disclose key information on their pricing practices to group health plans and insurers. He said this increased transparency will empower health plans to negotiate effectively, which would ultimately lead to lower prices and reduced health care costs for consumers.

Meuser said the legislation also directly impacts patients by prohibiting the use of “spread pricing” or markups by PBMs for prescription drugs in Medicaid.

Additionally, H.R. 5378 allocates $15 billion to rural health workforce programs and initiatives to address physician shortages nationwide. This funding is directed to sustain Community Health Centers, which serve as primary care providers for over 30 million patients, many of whom reside in under-served or rural areas.

Meuser said H.R. 5378 also address cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH).

“It is important that Congress provides support to high-need hospitals that cater to a significant number of Medicaid and uninsured patients,” Meuser said.

Further, Meuser said the legislation increases funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), which supports more than 20,000 providers in health professional shortage areas through scholarships and loan repayment programs, which will help increase access to care in rural areas in Pennsylvania.

The bill also will save Medicare $3.7 billion over the next 10 years by requiring providers to charge the same amount to administer drugs at out-patient clinics, regardless of the owner.

“Americans deserve a health care system that works tirelessly for the people, delivering unparalleled access and empowerment to every individual, regardless of region,” Meuser said. “By enhancing transparency within the health care system and making crucial investments in workforce programs, we aim to broaden access to care, tackle physician shortages, and ultimately reduce health care costs for patients nationwide. “

H.R. 5378 passed the House 320–71 and awaits further consideration in the U.S. Senate.

Cabell’s bill would prevent expiration of local match waivers

Seeking to ensure continued savings for Pennsylvania municipalities on important transportation infrastructure projects, Rep. Mike Cabell, R-Butker Township, this week introduced legislation that would prevent the pending expiration of a state grant program’s critical local match waiver.

PennDOT’s Multi-modal Transportation Program provides grants for projects across multiple modes of transportation that are coordinated with local land use needs. As part of the effort to assist municipalities that are undertaking such projects, the General Assembly has annually waived the 30% local match requirements for municipalities since 2017. Under current law, this provision is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31.

“The language necessary to extend the expiration date has always been included in budget implementation legislation,” Cabell said. “However, the 2023-24 budget remains unfinished, creating a serious problem for municipalities that rely on the program and the local match waiver to fund their transportation projects. House Bill 1912 would make the waiver permanent, so that transportation funding for municipalities is not held hostage to future budget delays.”

Cabell noted that based on information provided by the Shapiro administration, any pending application that has not been awarded as of Dec. 31 will be required to meet the 30% local match, creating severe financial hardships for many municipalities.

House Bill 1912 would provide an immediate resolution and allow municipalities to move forward with projects without concern.

Baker’s Judiciary Committee approves bills, advances Board of Pardons nomination

The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, this week approved legislation regarding increasing fines for littering, ensuring dignity for incarcerated women and reputing unlawful restrictive deed covenants.

The first bill approved would increase the maximum fine allowable for violations of the crime of scattering rubbish — commonly referred to as littering or dumping.

“Despite widespread volunteer and paid efforts to cleanup highways and neighborhoods, we remain plagued by individuals who persist in carelessly disposing of trash illegally,” Baker said. “This adds to pollution problems, public health and safety problems, and diminishes property values. The crime of littering is not charged often due to the difficulty of obtaining evidence. This bill would give courts more discretion to sentence appropriately.”

The committee also passed a bill that would provide dignity to pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women and juvenile detainees by restricting the use of restraints and restrictive housing and providing access to feminine hygiene products to inmates free of cost.

This mirrors a law signed by President Trump that established policies and procedures for federal prisons. This legislation is needed to expand those same protections at the state and local levels.

“There is no justification for failing to treat women with appropriate care and dignity, irrespective of the circumstances that led to their incarceration,” Baker said.

Another bill considered would establish a procedure for property owners to repudiate unlawful restrictive covenants contained in recording instruments by establishing a process for property owners and homeowners association to strike such language without cost.

“Many people are surprised to discover that restrictive covenants still exist despite years of legislation designed to eradicate them,” Baker said. “These instruments are an embarrassing throwback to the time before significant civil rights legislation was approved and implemented. Such covenants are a blatant barrier to equality and opportunity and cannot be tolerated.”

The committee also advanced the nomination of Harris Gubernick for reappointment to the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. Gubernick has been a member of the panel since 2011. He previously served as the director of corrections for Bucks County.

The bills and the nomination now head to the full Senate for consideration.