On July 5, 2023 the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a budget that includes the largest increase in Basic Education Funding in Pennsylvania history, state funding for indigent defense for the first time, and significant investments in public safety, workforce & economic development, and agriculture.

HB 611, a budget bill for fiscal year 2023-24, is expected to be signed by Governor Shapiro. The budget provides historic funding for public K-12 basic education, significant investments in workforce development, new funding for community and economic development, and critical investments in agriculture and public safety.

Knowing that the House and Senate would not reach consensus to enact the PASS scholarship program and unwilling to hold up the entire budget process over the issue, the Governor plans to line-item veto the full $100 million appropriation for that program.

“A budget is a statement of our priorities – and with new investments in students, teachers, seniors, moms, families, farmers, workers, cops, emergency responders, business owners, and more, this is a budget for all Pennsylvanians,” said Governor Shapiro. “Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation with a full-time, divided legislature – meaning nothing gets done unless it can make it through our Republican-led Senate and our Democratic-led House. I’m proud that this budget – one that makes historic investments in public education, public safety, workforce development, agriculture, and economic development – passed both the House and Senate, and I look forward to signing it.”

Historic $1 Billion Investment in K-12 Public Education

This budget makes a $1 billion investment in K-12 public schools, including the largest increase in the Basic Education Funding (BEF) Formula in Pennsylvania history. Thanks to this budget, for the first time ever, Pennsylvania will spend over $10 billion on K-12 public education funding. This budget includes:

• $567 million in basic education funding for Pennsylvania school districts to be distributed through the Basic Education Funding (BEF) Formula, enabling all school districts to have the basic resources they need to provide a high-quality education for Pennsylvania students.  This is the largest BEF increase in history.
• $100 million increase to Level Up to ensure more resources go to Pennsylvania’s most underfunded schools.
• $50 million in special education funding, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to equitable education for all students.
• $125 million in school safety and environmental improvement grants so all children have the opportunity to grow and learn in safe, healthy environments.
• A $46.5 million increase in funding to provide universal free breakfast to Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students regardless of income and free lunch to all 22,000 Pennsylvania students who are eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program.
• $10 million to provide Pennsylvania’s student teachers with annual stipends.
• $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.

Expanding Apprenticeships & Vocational and Technical Education

Building off the Governor’s Executive Order announcing that 92 percent of state government jobs are open to Pennsylvanians without college degrees, this budget would ensure more Pennsylvanians have the freedom to chart their own course by expanding our workforce, investing in vo-tech, and supporting apprenticeship programs, including:

• A $23.5 million investment in workforce training and vo-tech programs.
• A$6 million investment in apprenticeship and pre-apprentice programming that will lead to family-sustaining wages.
• $3.5 million in funding for the Schools-to-Work Program through the Department of Labor & Industry to develop and expand career pathways for high school students via partnerships between schools, employers, organizations, and the Commonwealth.

Investing in Mental Health, Addressing Maternal Mortality, & Supporting EMS and Health Care Providers 

This budget makes critical investments in public health and wellness, including significant investments in mental health and the first-ever investment in addressing maternal mortality, including:

• A $66.7 million increase for Child Care Services allowing up to 75,000 low-income families to continue to be enrolled in subsidized childcare through the Child Care Works Program.
• $20 million to increase base funding for counties to provide critical mental health services and address deepening workforce shortages.
• Funding to help an additional 850 individuals with an intellectual disability and/or autism get off waitlists for home and community-based services.