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In this Update:
My Bills Affecting Natural Gas Industry Pass Committee
Two bills of my bills impacting the natural gas industry were passed by the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week. Senate Bill 102 would prevent any municipality that unreasonably limits or prohibits future development of natural gas from receiving Act 13 Impact Fee payments distributed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Impact Fee payments may be used for road and bridge repairs, housing and other infrastructure needs. The Impact Fee was carefully constructed to compensate municipalities that hosted or were in proximity to natural gas development for any impacts they experienced. Impact Fee dollars were never intended to go to municipalities that prevent harnessing Pennsylvania’s natural resource for our benefit. You can watch my committee hearing remarks on Senate Bill 102 by clicking the image above. Senate Bill 712 would improve the process of plugging abandoned and orphaned wells in Pennsylvania. The bill would provide consistency in determining what a reasonable effort is when plugging to the attainable bottom, leading to increased predictability and improved use of orphaned and abandoned well-plugging funds. The lack of current clarity has discouraged plugging companies from pursuing opportunities in Pennsylvania in favor of undertaking work in Ohio and West Virginia, which have more predictable processes for obtaining state agency approval. As Pennsylvania is in line to receive nearly $400 million in federal funds dedicated to plugging legacy wells, we need to take action now so funds are used as efficiently as possible. Harrisburg Happenings
It’s yet another session, and we are still trying to get better access to health care for PA patients. We have been pushing this wet rope uphill since 2013. Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 739 would allow nurse practitioners to serve and treat more Pennsylvanians, reach patients in underserved areas and expand access to high-quality health care in urban, rural, and suburban areas of PA. This week we held a Certified Nurse Practitioner Advocacy Day rally on the State Capitol steps to help finally get Senate Bill 25 over the finish line. You can watch the entire event by clicking the image above.
Our rally for full practice authority for nurse practitioners took place during National Nurses Week. While the week may be wrapping up, it’s still is an opportunity to appreciate and thank these critical members of our healthcare workforce. It was lovely meeting with this group of incredible nurses who visited me in Harrisburg to discuss state nursing and patient care issues. Thank you for stopping by! Pictured with me L-R is Paula Stellabotte, Randi Goetz, Lindsay McFarland, Jaime Balsamo, Lauren Cantalope, and Robyn Daniels
Sheriff’s offices from across the Commonwealth visited the State Capitol Complex this week to meet with their legislators and discuss key legislative priorities. I was incredibly excited to meet with a few officers from the 46th District, (pictured left to right) Sergeant Marshall Simmons, Greene County; Sheriff Marcus Simms, Greene County; Greene County Commissioner Jared Edgreen; and Sheriff Tony Guy, Beaver County. Thank you for your service and everything you do to keep our communities safe!
It was an honor to meet and speak with Irvin Gers, a 98-year-old WWII Navy veteran who was a guest of honor on the Senate floor this week as we commemorated the 80th anniversary of Victory Day. Mr. Gers was deployed in the South Pacific (including Okinawa) as a Seabee, a construction battalion that built advanced bases and infrastructure in the war zone. Their motto was, “We Build, We Fight.”
It was a pleasure having Jessica Treichler and Stevie Hegge from the PA Coalition for Informed Consent stop by my Harrisburg office to discuss my legislation, Senate Bill 405. This bill would require any food item sold in PA that contains a vaccine or vaccine materials to be labeled and classified as a drug.
This week I also had the opportunity to speak during The Arc of Pennsylvania’s 2025 Advocacy Day event at the State Capitol. Arc of PA does incredible work through their dedication to promoting and protecting the human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I have been a longtime supporter of our local branches, Arc Human Services in Canonsburg and The Arc of Greene County in Prosperity. They provide vitally important services to some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Focus on the 46th
On this edition of my video feature, Focus on the 46th, we are meeting the inspiration behind the successful online movement, Accessible Hunter. Greg Traynor has been an avid hunter and fisherman since childhood but suffered a life changing injury after a freak accident in the late 1990s. Through the support of his wife, Beth, and his rock-solid positive attitude, Greg has continued to enjoy the outdoors and began encouraging others facing similar situations to do the same through his online persona, Accessible Hunter. I met with Greg and Beth at their 19th Century farmhouse in Greene County last week as he prepared for spring turkey season. Right now, turkey season is open. Click the image to watch the entire feature.
Last month I visited Southpointe to meet with leaders from MPLX, which was formed by Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) in 2012 to engage in the gathering, processing, and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids – among many other energy services across the country. MPLX has invested billions of dollars in a large-scale natural gas gathering system right here in southwestern Pennsylvania, consisting of hundreds of miles of gas lines. These lines feed several processing plants in the region, including the MarkWest Houston and MarkWest Harmon Creek plants in Washington County. We spent time discussing their current operations and exciting plans for the future. I also got a peek inside their operations center – but I promise I didn’t press any buttons! These lines are truly a major part of the energy backbone that our country relies on, and they’re right beneath our feet.
PA State Rep. Tim O’Neal and I met with Amwell Township officials to discuss a waterline extension project they have been working on in collaboration with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority. Rep O’Neal and I both commend all of their efforts in finding the necessary funds to complete the project and are both fully supporting them as they continue to navigate the process. This is a good group that’s working their tails off for their township. Pictured with me (L-R) is Representative Tim O’Neal; Dee Frazee Sr., Supervisor; Scott Hartley, Vice Chair; and Wayne Montgomery, Chair PASS Scholarships to Help Students in Failing Schools Receive Senate Support
To expand education access and reform outcomes in Pennsylvania’s most challenged schools, the Senate Education Committee this week advanced bipartisan scholarship legislation. The bill, also known as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) scholarship program, now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Senate Bill 10 would establish scholarship accounts for eligible students, allowing them to pursue educational opportunities outside of their assigned public school. The program would be administered by the Pennsylvania State Treasury and funded through appropriations, grants, donations or other contributions from public and private sources. Eligible students must live within the attendance boundary of a school that ranks in the bottom 15% statewide based on academic performance and come from households earning less than 250% of the federal poverty level. Funds in a student’s PASS account could be used for tuition, school-related fees or special education services at a nonpublic school. Learn more about scholarship amounts, which vary from $2,500 to $15,000 based on the student’s grade level. Bill Strengthening PA’s Sexual Offender Registry Approved by Senate
The Senate unanimously approved legislation this week to better protect children in Pennsylvania against sexual predators. Senate Bill 255 would require a sports official, volunteer or employee of a nonprofit association who is convicted of sexual assault to register as a sexual offender under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Under current law, a conviction for this offense does not require registration as a sex offender. Closing this loophole will strengthen SORNA and ensure potentially violent sex offenders can be properly monitored. The bill, which now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration, is part of a larger Senate Republican priority of making commonwealth communities safer. Happy Mother’s Day!
Mothers are the backbone of our communities. Whether they sat in the stands cheering us on at our games, brought cupcakes to every PTA bake sale or roughed it in the woods with our scout troop, they put action to their love. On Mother’s Day, we recognize the special women who love and care for us at all stages of our lives. Their support sets us up to be happy, healthy members of society.
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