On Friday, June 22, 2018, the PA General Assembly has adopted a 2018-19 state budget and is sending the $32.7 billion plan to Governor Wolf for his signature. The spending plan was included in HB 2121, which easily passed in the House of Representatives on June 20th and by the Senate on Friday, June 22nd.Ā The new budget sees a spending increase of $718.9 million, or 2.2%, over the 2017-18 budget. The budget contains no new taxes, no new fees, and no tax increases.
Category: Government Actions
CHIP Funding Survives as Senate Narrowly Rejects Trump Rescission Package (June 22, 2018)
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, the Senate narrowly rejected a funding rescission bill, 50-48, that aimed to pull back about $15 billion in previously appropriated government funding. The rescission package had already passed the House and, if it had passed, the bill would have clawed back billions of dollars from CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), affordable housing investments, infrastructure, rural development and innovative energy programs.
Civics Test Requirement Bill Goes to Gov. Wolf (June 15, 2018)
On Wednesday, June 6, 2018, the PA House approved an amended version of HB 564 by a vote of 167-27. Ā The PA Senate had unanimously amended and approved the bill the previous day. HB 564 mandates a locally developed test of U.S. history, government and civics be given to seventh- through 12th-graders. The House had originally passed its version of the bill on April 16 by a 191-4 vote.
According to the bill,Ā school districts would administer a citizenship test at least once to students. The exams would test each student’s understanding of the “nature, purpose, principles and structure of the United States constitutional democracy… and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.ā Students who score perfect on the exam will be awarded a certificate developed by the state Education Department.
A school district can use the U.S.Ā Citizenship and Immigration Services Test to satisfy the requirements for the office, and schools will be required to report how many students took the test and how many passed. However, passing the test would not be a graduation requirement.
Governor Wolf has publicly stated his intent to sign the bill.
US House Votes to Slash CHIP Funding (June 15, 2018)
Last week, the US House of Representatives voted 210-206 to approve a package revoking nearly $7 billion in funding reserved for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The House vote last week supported a $15 billion rescission package proposed earlier this year by President Trump. Nearly half of that rescission package comes from CHIP, which provides health care to children from low-income families. The package now goes to the US Senate.
CHIP Reminds Schools to Disseminate Info to Students (June 14, 2018)
Patricia M. Allan, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Childrenās Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has sent out a memo reminding school districts that Pennsylvania Act 84 of 2015 requires that public and nonpublic schools receive electronic notice of the Childrenās Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on an annual basis no later than August 15. A flyer has been created and is to be shared with every parent or guardian of every student enrolled in the school district during the school year. The flyer and many more resources can be found on the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com, under CHIP Resources.
CHIP covers uninsured kids and teens up to age 19 who are not eligible for Medical Assistance, providing comprehensive health insurance for such things as routine doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health.
School districts are directed to disseminate a CHIP flyer to each school under their jurisdiction at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year as part of parent packets or other information that is prepared for students to take home at that time.