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In this update:
In the District
I had the pleasure of joining the Pennsylvania Game Commission to stock pheasants in North Codorus Township. Thank you to Executive Director Stephen Smith and Commissioner Michael Mitrick for inviting me to spend some time in the great southern York County outdoors! Most of all, best of luck to all our pheasant hunters – your odds just became better!
Congratulations to Truck Specialties Inc., who celebrated their 60th anniversary this week! This fourth-generation family business in Shrewsbury specializes in diesel truck repair. I was happy to join my colleague, Rep. Mike Jones, to present them Senate and House citations recognizing this great milestone! Pennsylvania Still Left without Murder Sentencing Guidelines
In March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the state’s mandatory life-without-parole sentence for second-degree murder is unconstitutional. The court gave the General Assembly until July 24 to enact a new rule. The Senate passed legislation to protect our communities and fix the problem – twice. Instead of acting on our bipartisan Senate Bill 1400, the House of Representatives advanced a proposal tied to expanding medical parole, creating additional opportunities – without proper guardrails – for convicted felons to be released before completing their sentences. Senate Bill 1400 is supported by Attorney General Dave Sunday, PA State Lodge FOP, PA State Troopers Association and district attorneys across the commonwealth. It has languished in the House Judiciary Committee since June. Second‑degree murder is an extremely serious crime, and the House needs to act so these criminals remain behind bars. Interested in learning more? Click here to watch our recent podcast with Stella Getgen, wife of a second-degree murder victim, and York County District Attorney Tim Barker. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple, as well! New Law Means PA Schools Will Be Cellphone-Free
Pennsylvania teachers will no longer have to compete with smartphones for their students’ attention – and kids will be able to get through the school day without the constant pressure of social media and notifications – with bipartisan passage of a new law requiring schools to adopt policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day. Act 117 of 2026 includes limited exceptions, such as students with individualized education plans and special occasions such as field days. It establishes a clear statewide standard, while allowing school districts, which have direct contact with parents, to decide what works best for their communities. The law will take effect with the 2027-28 school year. Pennsylvania joins 40 states in restricting these devices – 19 of which have school-day bans. Read more about the effect of cellphones in schools. REMINDER: Life Vests Required Starting Sunday, Nov. 1!
Our community has many bodies of water popular with anglers and boaters – from the Susquehanna River to Lake Marburg and everywhere in between. As the air temperature continues to drop, so do water temperatures. The fun on the water does not have to be over, but starting on Nov. 1 through April 30, if you are on the water, life vests are required. You can learn more on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website or you can watch my recent podcast with PFCB Executive Director, Dr. Timothy Schaefer. You can also listen on Spotify and Apple. “Fall Back” This Weekend and Change Batteries in Your Smoke Detectors
Our community has made it clear that a majority of our neighbors would prefer to remain on Daylight Saving Time year-round (51%), compared to remaining on Eastern Standard Time (28%), maintaining the status quo by continuing twice-yearly time changes (15%), or remaining undecided (6%). Unfortunately, this issue remains unresolved at the federal level, although I’ve supported a resolution calling for permanent daylight saving time. However, this weekend, we once again have to change our clocks as we “fall back.” Whether you set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night or when you wake up Sunday morning, it is also important to replace the batteries in all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms throughout your home at the same time. Ensuring Sexual Assault Survivors Get Justice
Obtaining justice for sexual assault survivors requires timely processing of rape kit evidence, and I joined colleagues in making it a priority to improve and standardize rape kit testing. Previously, state law allowed local law enforcement agencies to determine whether a sexual assault evidence kit should undergo DNA testing or other forensic analysis, creating the potential for inconsistent practices across the commonwealth. We passed a new law eliminating such discretion. Read more about Act 106 of 2026. In addition, a law we passed in 2024 established a rape kit evidence tracking system, allowing survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process. After operating as a pilot program in three counties, it will launch statewide in December. To better care for victims, we included a $12 million increase for rape crisis centers in the current state budget. Prosecuting perpetrators of these heinous crimes should be pursued vigorously, and we’ve made significant changes to ensure just that. This is just one step of many towards holding sexual abusers accountable in Pennsylvania. I am proud to co-chair the bipartisan, bicameral Anti-Human Trafficking Caucus, where we work across the aisle to combat the fastest growing crime in the United States. To learn more about this effort, be sure to watch my recent podcast with Sen. Cris Dush, chairman of the Anti-Human Trafficking Caucus. You can also listen on Spotify and Apple. Making Education More Affordable
An affordable and thorough education allows young Pennsylvanians to find success and lay down roots while filling in-demand jobs here in the commonwealth – without the burden of heavy debt. In addition to funding K-12 and higher education during the current legislative session, I supported initiatives that:
Affordability in education benefits students, parents, employers and communities. I’ll continue working to lower the cost of education and increase student access to promising careers. Action Taken to Protect Children in the Age of AI
The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence requires rapid deployment of sound policies to protect children from its darker side. I supported measures passed by the Senate cracking down on AI child sexual abuse material (CSAM), shielding them from harmful chatbots and banning “nudification” apps. Fortunately, the House of Representatives also passed one of them: Act 87 of 2026 requires teachers, childcare workers, healthcare providers and other individuals responsible for caring for children to report all instances of CSAM they become aware of, including those produced by a minor. This House bill mirrored the language of Senate Bill 1050. Read more about Act 87 of 2026, including the new requirement of reporting hazing. Unfortunately, House Democratic leaders did not act on other bipartisan bills passed by the Senate, including the Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitative Chatbots and Harmful AI Technology (SAFECHAT) Act, which would require age-appropriate safeguards to prevent AI content generation that encourages self-harm, suicide or violence against others, and directs users to appropriate self-harm crisis resources whenever high-risk language is detected. Learn more about SAFECHAT. Also awaiting House action is a bill we passed to ban “nudification” apps, which allow individuals to take an image of someone and generate a fake nude or sexually explicit photo of that person. Read more about Senate Bill 1368. The Senate also established a Task Force on Child Protection in the Digital Age to review state laws, assess emerging technologies and identify gaps in protections for children in the digital environment. It will issue a report and recommendation for action to the General Assembly. Learn more about the task force. Veteran Assistance During November Mobile Office Hours
Thursday, Nov. 5
Thursday, Nov. 19 Next month, we will be hosting Paul DeVincenzo from the American Legion. Please note, he will only be at the Penn Township office hours. We look forward to bringing these resources directly to the community and helping residents access the support they deserve. Learn more about special events that will prioritize certain state-related services throughout the year at our mobile offices. Upcoming PennDOT Maintenance Projects
Most weeks, PennDOT provides me with its upcoming maintenance schedule. While my team and I aim to keep this information up to date, please note that the page may not always reflect the latest changes. For the most accurate details, I recommend checking back on Sunday afternoons. You can view the full list here to see if any roadwork might impact you and your family. |
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