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| News You Can Use |
| Legislative Headlines |
Supporting Foster and Adopted Children
Working to ensure success for children in the foster system and those who have been adopted, the General Assembly has enacted three new laws.
Act 14 of 2019 promotes the placement in adoptive homes of children who have disabilities or are otherwise hard to place due to age, sibling relationships or ethnicity. The law allows family members who are granted permanent legal custodianship for qualified children up to 21 years of age to receive subsidies for their care.
Act 16 of 2019 assists children in the foster care system with the challenges of accessing higher education opportunities by creating a tuition and fee waiver option for youth in foster care, who were adopted from the foster care system, or have aged out of foster care. Statistics indicate only 50% of foster youth graduate from high school, only 20% go to college and less than 10% complete their postsecondary education.
Act 47 of 2019 simplifies the process for certain adoptions by allowing a prison employee to serve as a witness to the completion of an adoption consent form by an incarcerated birth parent. If a second witness is unavailable, the new law allows the consent to be acknowledged before a notary public. Under prior law, potential adoptions were delayed for months, leaving the child stuck in the system rather than under the care of adoptive parents.
Removing Barriers to Employment
Building on our long-term efforts to promote economic opportunity and remove barriers to work, the General Assembly has passed a new law improving the portability of professional licenses.
Act 41 of 2019 requires the licensing boards and commissions under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) to provide licensure by endorsement for applicants who hold similar licenses in other states. It also offers a provisional endorsement license to quickly move these professionals into the work force.
Under prior law, professionals moving into the state – including members of the military and their families – faced a number of barriers and delays in obtaining the appropriate licenses to reenter the work force, creating a financial burden for them and their families. In some cases, the delays could lead to missed job opportunities or even a decision to avoid moving to the Commonwealth.
The law is a win-win for both employees and employers.
Help Track PA’s Thriving Bald Eagle Population
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking for the public’s help to track the state’s growing bald eagle population.
After reaching a low of just three nesting bald eagle pairs in the Commonwealth in the early 1980s, officials now estimate there are more than 300 nesting pairs here.
While bald eagles are no longer listed as a threatened species in Pennsylvania, they are still protected by the U.S. Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits taking of the birds, nests or eggs.
If you spot a bald eagle nest, please use proper etiquette to avoid disturbing the birds. To review bald eagle nest guidelines, or to report your nest sighting to the game commission, click here.
National Guard Parity Bill Now Law
Working to ensure equity for the dedicated members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, a new law requires them to be compensated at the same level as their U.S. military counterparts.
Specifically, the law requires pay for deputy adjutant generals and general officers in command positions permanently employed by the Commonwealth be equivalent to the federal military base pay. In addition to specifying the eligibility requirements and conditions for the pay increase, this new law also determines how the cost-of-living adjustment is to be calculated.
Under previous law, the Pennsylvania National Guard adjutant general and uniformed deputy adjutant generals earned significantly less than their active duty counterparts, though they maintain the same military standards and comparable senior executive responsibilities.
New Law Will Help People Stay on Track with Medications
Recognizing the challenges some patients face in staying on track with their medications, the General Assembly has adopted a new state law to make it a little easier.
Act 46 of 2019 will allow consumers to synchronize the refilling of their prescriptions, meaning they can pick up all of their medications on one day rather than having to make multiple trips to the pharmacy. This will be especially helpful for senior citizens, busy families and others who have limited transportation options.
The law will enable consumers to synchronize their prescription refills and bar insurance companies from denying coverage for a partial fill of a script in order to facilitate medication synchronization. Thirty-five other states have enacted or introduced similar legislation.
The law takes effect next summer. Patients should talk to their pharmacists about how they may benefit from the initiative.
Emergency Programs Can Save Lives
Drivers are reminded of two voluntary programs aimed at saving the lives of residents in emergency situations. Participation in both programs is free of charge.
Under PennDOT’s Yellow Dot program, participants fill out the program form with emergency contact, medical contact and medical information, insert it in the program’s folder and then place it in their vehicle’s glove compartment. A yellow dot sticker affixed to the rear window alerts emergency responders to the availability of information to help them provide better care to crash victims. The form and stickers are available in my district office at 2929 Gettysburg Road, Suite 6, in Camp Hill.
The Emergency Contact Information program offers Pennsylvania driver’s license and PennDOT-issued ID holders the opportunity to log into a secure database and list two emergency contacts. Participants can update their records as needed, but only law enforcement officials can view the information in the system. In the event of an emergency, law enforcement can use a participant’s ID to find his or her emergency contact information.
The Yellow Dot program is used only in vehicle crashes, but the Emergency Contact Information program can be used in other emergencies as well as crashes.
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| Upcoming Events in the 88th District |
Document Shredding
Join us Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon for document shredding in the Lower Allen Township Parking Lot, 2233 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill.
Residents of the 88th Legislative District are invited to a free shredding event to help safeguard themselves against identity theft.
There is a limit of four bags or boxes per household. No businesses, please.
Examples of items to bring include bank and credit card statements, tax documents, insurance claim forms, and anything that lists a Social Security or account number.
RSVPs are required. You can RSVP here or by calling 717-761-4665.
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| Rep. Delozier in the Community |
• The Peyton Walker Foundation celebrated its new office with an open house Friday. The foundation increases awareness and survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest. It can be found at 2929 Gettysburg Road Suite 8 in Lower Allen Township. This organization is now in the same building as my district office!
• Wormleysburg River Day provided a great opportunity Saturday to celebrate the Susquehanna River with a community fair. There were river-related activities as well as music, food truck and fun things for children. My office had a booth with state information available. Thanks to the Borough of Wormleysburg for putting this fair on!
• The Cumberland County Transit Options Forum in Carlisle this week allowed for discussion about transportation opportunities in the region. The forum was presented by Cumberland County in partnership with CAEDC and the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce. Speakers included representatives of PennDOT, a shared-ride service and an engineering firm.
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| Office Locations |
| 2929 Gettysburg Road, Suite 6, Camp Hill PA 17011 | Phone: (717) 761-4665 |
| 107 Ryan Office Building, PO Box 202088, Harrisburg PA 17120-2088 | Phone: 717-783-5282 |
| Email: sdelozie@pahousegop.com |
| TTY: 855-282-0614 |
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