Protecting Our Communities

Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program

Violence Intervention and Prevention

Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant Program

State Police

Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program

COVID Relief – ARPA Local Law Enforcement Support ‐ $135,000,000

Establishes the Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program at the Pennsylvania Commission for

Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).  Eligible law enforcement agencies include local police, campus police,

transit officers, airport authority police and county park police.  On an annual basis, PCCD shall make

applications available for law enforcement to apply for grants.  Grants may be used for:

• Technology and information technology improvements;
• Hardware and software equipment;
• Nonsworn personnel costs;
• Hero bonuses for officers; and,
• Policy development, evidence‐based practices and training.

Grants shall be geographically diverse, and priority shall be given to areas with high rates of violence or

to law enforcement agencies with low clearance rates.  Funding should supplement, not supplant a law

enforcement agencies funding.  Limitations on maximum awards are included.  Grant awards shall

include performance metrics to measure the progress of grants awarded.

Grant limitations. Grants issued by the commission shall not exceed:

• Cities of the first class – $25M
• Cities of the second class – $20M
• Municipality with a population of 55k or greater – $10M
• Municipality with a population of 18k-55k – $5M
• Municipalities with less than 18k – $1M
• Transit agency or campus/university police – $5M
• Airport Authority PD – $500k

Effective immediately. The grants will be available through PCCD.

Violence Intervention and Prevention

COVID Relief – ARPA – Violence Intervention and Prevention ‐ $105,000,000

Directs the funding to be used for grants and technical assistance to community‐based organizations, institutions of higher education, municipalities, district attorneys and other entities for community violence reduction programs.

Effective immediately. The grants will be available through PCCD.

Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant Program

COVID Relief – ARPA – Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution ‐ $50,000,0000

Establishes the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant Program at PCCD.  Grants shall be awarded to district attorneys and law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute violations of the firearms act and crimes of violence.  Grant funds may be used to:

• Improve and enhance coordination between Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies
• Para sufragar los gastos de personal;
• To purchase technology systems, initiatives that support the tracing of firearms used to commit crimes; and
• Cualquier otro esfuerzo que contribuya a la investigación, detención y enjuiciamiento de delitos.

Grants shall be prioritized for areas in the Commonwealth experiencing high rates of gun violence, with no less than 10% of available funds to be made available for rural communities.  Requires PCCD to work with the Administrative Offices of the Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) to provide real‐time data on all individuals charged with firearm offenses and their disposition outcomes. 

Effective Date: Available through PCCD at the end of Agosto

State Police

The budget includes funding for two new cadet classes with the target of graduating approximately 200 new troopers.

The executive budget included a $1 million increase for Patrol Vehicles for the state police to maintain fleet safety. This increase was in the 2022/23 budget, as well as a $753,000 increase for Commercial Vehicle Inspections.

Strengthening Education Opportunities

Basic Education

Basic education funding (BEF) is the largest state education subsidy, representing just over half of all funds the state provides to school districts each year.

The 2022/23 budget increased the BEF fair funding formula distribution by $525 million and added another $225 million through Level Up for the 100 neediest schools. This $750 million or 11.4% increase is more than the increases included in the previous five budgets combined.

The estimated distribution by school district is available here. The median increase across all school districts is 7.4%, and 25 Level Up school districts will receive an increase above 20%.

In 2021/22, Level Up was a $100 million component of the BEF appropriation. In 2022/23, there is a separate $225 million appropriation for Level Up, but although appropriated separately, the Level Up funding still becomes part of a school district’s recurring base BEF amount going forward.

The BEF appropriation includes both the basic education subsidy and the state’s contributions to school districts for school employees’ social security.

Special Education

The 2022/23 budget contains a $100 million, or 8.1%, increase in Special Education Funding (SEF). Since 2014/15, SEF payments to school districts have been distributed through the fair funding formula recommended by the bipartisan Special Education Funding Commission (SEFC).

Early Childhood Education

The enacted budget provides a $60 million, or 25%, increase for Pre-K Counts. About two-thirds of this increase will support the higher grant rate enacted in the Fiscal Code amendments (a 14% increase; from $8,750 to $10,000 for a full-time slot). The remaining funding is estimated to support an additional 2,300 seats. New funding for Pre-K Counts slots is awarded on a competitive basis.

The 2022/23 budget also includes a $19 million increase for Head Start Supplemental Assistance to meet the growing costs of the program with no new seats anticipated. 

Early Intervention (ages 3-5) receives a $10 million, or 3%, increase.

Career and Technical Education

The enacted budget increases the Career and Technical Education subsidy by $6 million, or 8.4%, for a total of $78.9 million. About $67.3 million will go to Career and Technology Centers, while school districts and charter schools with qualifying programs will receive $11.1 million and $560,000, respectively.

Dual Enrollment

The 2022/23 budget provides $7 million for the Dual Enrollment grants program, which was last funded in 2010/11 at $7 million. These funds reimburse school entities that cover the approved costs for a secondary student to concurrently enroll in postsecondary courses. The student receives both post-secondary and secondary credit for completed classes, which makes higher education more affordable and exposes the student to post-secondary pathways.

School Safety 

The 2022/23 budget includes $200 million for physical and mental health safety in schools.

• A new $100 million appropriation in PDE is for physical safety
  • $95 million for physical safety grants to school entities (formula driven, not competitive)
    • $100,000 for each school district, plus $15 per student
    • $70,000 for each charter school, Intermediate Unit, and Area Career and Technical Center
  • $5 million for the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) to develop and provide training to school safety and security coordinators
    • At least 4% ($200,000) of these funds will be used to support the Safe2Say program
  • $100 million of the increase in the Ready to Learn Block Grant is for mental health support
    • $95 million for mental health grants to school entities (formula driven, not competitive)
      • $100,000 for each school district, plus $15 per student
      • $70,000 for each charter school, Intermediate Unit, and Area Career and Technical Center
    • $5 million for the new School-Based Mental Health Internship Program under PHEAA
      • Grants for Commonwealth residents working in internships in educational specialist preparation programs at Pennsylvania school entities
      • Grant recipients must agree to work in a school entity in Pennsylvania as a school nurse, school psychologist, school counselor or school social worker for a minimum of three years following the completion of their program
      • PHEAA will determine the amount of the grant awards

Estimates by school district and details about the uses of these funds are available here.

Since its inception in 2018, the SSSC’s funding amounts, sources, and uses have varied from year to year. The pandemic necessitated a focus on health and safety, and the influx of federal ARP ESSER funding for schools justified a funding holiday in 2021/22. The 2022/23 funding brings a dedicated focus to the mental health side of school safety, and it emphasizes using the funds to meet the baseline physical safety and mental health supports identified by the SSSC.

For more information visit: School Safety and Security Grants Program (pa.gov)

Educational Tax Credits

The School Code amendments included in the 2022/23 budget package increased the educational tax credits by $125 million, or 45%.

There are four types of organizations under the educational tax credit article in the Public School Code:

• Scholarship Organizations – benefit tuition-paying students (i.e., private school students)
• Pre-K Scholarship Organizations – benefit public and private pre-k students
• Educational Improvement Organizations – benefit innovative education programs (e.g., programs offered by libraries, museums, civic clubs, community centers, public or private schools, etc.)
• Opportunity Scholarship Organizations – benefit students residing in the attendance area of a low-achieving (bottom 15% of achievement) school; award goes toward school-based fees for private or public school

The supplemental scholarship for students attending economically disadvantaged schools was added in 2019/20, and it piggybacks off an existing scholarship organization.

Between 2015/16 and 2021/22, the Scholarship Organization cap increased by $115 million or 192%, while the caps for the other three organizations remained the same. Breaking this trend, the 2022/23 budget increased the cap for each program.

For more information visit: Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) – PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development

Institutions of Higher Education

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education received a $75 million increase, or 15.7%. This meets the system and governor’s request and is critical to the health of the state universities, including the two new integrated universities, Commonwealth University and Pennsylvania Western University.

The budget also appropriates $125 million of ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds to the system. In accordance with the Fiscal Code, the two integrated universities will share $34.3 million, as determined by the Board of Governors. Cheyney University will receive $7.4 million, and the remaining universities will split $83.3 million, allocated proportionally based on the average of full-time enrollment over the last two years.

Community Colleges

The primary operating appropriation that supports Pennsylvania’s 15 community colleges received an $11.3 million increase, or 4.6% to a total of $256.5 million. The funds are driven out proportionally according to each college’s share of full-time equivalent enrollment, according to the formula enacted with this year’s School Code amendments.

State-Related Universities

The four state-related universities – Lincoln University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Penn State University – receive their funding outside of the General Appropriations Act due to special provisions under the Pennsylvania Constitution. In most previous years, the General Assembly appropriated money to each university in a separate bill. This year, the legislature combined all of the appropriations together into one bill, the State-Related University Nonpreferred Appropriation Act of 2022.

The state-related universities received flat funding for each of their state appropriations for educational support under the bill. However, from the ARPA funding appropriated for Pandemic Response, the universities will receive a supplement equal to a 5% increase over the state amounts appropriated in 2021/22 as proposed by the governor.

In addition to the education appropriations shown here, Penn State received a $2.75 million, or 5%, increase for its agriculture programs under the Transfer to Ag Land Scrip Fund, in the Department of Agriculture’s budget within the General Appropriations Act.

The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology received a $748,000, or 4%, increase in the budget. Similarly, the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College also received a 4%, or $280,000, increase.

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)

Most of the programs under PHEAA received an increase in the budget.

• State Grant Program – received a $20.6 million, or 6.6%, increase. Based on the formula adopted by the PHEAA Board in Abril and current enrollment trends, the increased resources should be sufficient to provide additional aid and provide around 108,000 Pennsylvania students with a state grant in the coming academic year.
• Ready to Succeed Scholarship – funding more than tripled to a total of $23.9 million – an $18.4 million increase. This year’s School Code implementation language increased the household income limit from $110,000 to $126,000 per year. PHEAA estimates that the income limit expansion will extend awards to an additional 3,900 students, and the extra funding will be sufficient to increase the maximum award under the program to $2,500, a $500 increase.
• PA Targeted Industry Scholarship Program, or PA-TIP, increased by $2.4 million, or 37.3%. This increase should be sufficient to fully fund the program’s anticipated demand for this year.
• Act 1010 Program – The budget provides an additional $2.6 million for the Act 101 program, bringing the program up to $5 million in total funding. This increase more than doubles funding for the program, which provides grants to institutions to help ensure student success though advising, tutoring, counselling, enrichment, and other supports.
• Cheyney Keystone Academy – funding increased by $480,000, or 13.7%.
• Student Loan Relief for Nurses – the budget appropriates $35 million of ARPA funds for a third round of funding for the Student Loan Relief for Nurses program. Under current program guidelines, an eligible Pennsylvania nurse can receive up to $2,500/year in loan relief for three years, with a maximum benefit of $7,500. This new funding will provide relief to more than 4,600 additional nurses.
• School-Based Mental Health Internship Program – PHEAA will administer the new $5 million program created in the budget. The funding is found within the Ready to Learn Block Grant under the Department of Education and is a component of the mental health funding within the school safety and security package outlined under the School Code bill.
  • The new program will provide grants to commonwealth residents working in internships in educational specialist preparation programs at a Pennsylvania school entity, including school nurses, psychologists, counselors, or social workers. Recipients must agree to work in these roles for a minimum of three years following completion of their programs.

For more information visit: PA State Grant Program (pheaa.org)

Child Development

The significant increase in evidence-based home visiting programs proposed by Gov. Wolf was included in the enacted budget. An additional $15 million, or 77%, increase was included in the Community Based Family Centers appropriation. This funding is estimated to benefit 3,800 additional families when combined with federal home visiting funds. In addition, a $1 million increase has been enacted for Nurse Family Partnership.

The legislature also provided, for the first time, funding to ease the childcare cliff, or the dramatic loss of benefits as household income increases. In the Child Care Services appropriation, $25 million is included to support families who would otherwise lose childcare subsidies upon exceeding the program income limit of 235% of the federal poverty income guidelines (FPIG), so long as the household income does not exceed 300% of the FPIG. DHS is to determine copayment amounts for families between 235% and 300% of FPIG in a way that supports economic self-sufficiency and publish copayment schedules in the PA Bulletin.

The Fiscal Code overrides several current childcare regulations (that are linked to DOH regulations) requiring parents to secure doctors’ notes for children to return to childcare in the cases of COVID-19. The regulations remain in place for other DOH determined reportable diseases but will no longer apply to COVID-19.

The enacted budget includes $90 million in ARPA funding for qualified childcare providers for the recruitment and retention of qualified staff. Qualified providers are those licensed under state regulations as childcare centers, group childcare homes, or family childcare homes, as well as relative providers exempt from licensing requirements. Qualified staff include those involved in direct supervision of children or environmental services; specifically excluded are executives, contracted staff, administrators, administrative support staff, and owners. The department must begin accepting applications no later than Enero 1, 2023 and are to continue accepting applications until all funds are exhausted or the deadline to spend ARPA funds has been reached. Several conditions apply in order to be eligible for a maximum payment of $2,500 per eligible staff member.

It’s On Us

Sen. Santarsiero’s SB 909 was passed as part of the school code.

• The bill requires institutions of higher education to provide students and employees with a written notification of rights, protective measures, and accommodations afforded to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

SB 909 is part of the Gov’s “It’s On Us PA”  package of legislation to combat campus sexual assaults.

Other Higher Education Investments

The budget contains $1 million for the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative and a $250,000 increase for sexual assault prevention on campus.

Pennsylvania Dependent and Child Care Enhancement Program

Taxpayers eligible for the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit are automatically eligible for a new state Dependent and Child Care Tax Credit. Like the federal credit, this is a refundable credit for child and dependent care expenses necessary to allow the caregiver to work.

The formula to calculate the tax credit is as follows:

             Expenses   x   Income-based percentage   x   30%   =   Tax Credit

Expenses – Capped at $3,000 for one child and $6,000 for two or more children.

Income-based percentage – 35% for income of $15,000 or less; 20% for income of $42,000 or more; a sliding scale applies to income between that range as provided by Internal Revenue Code Section 21(2)(a). Federal eligibility is currently for income up to $438,000. The maximum credit at an income level of $15,000 is $315 for one child or dependent and $630 for two or more children. The maximum credit at an income level of $42,000 or more is $180 for one child and $360 for two or more children.

The Department of Revenue estimates that 221,000 families will benefit from the program with an average credit of $171 per year.

Boosting Our Main Streets & Creating Jobs

Corporate Net Income Tax Base and Rate Changes

The governor’s executive budget proposed broadening the corporate net income tax (CNIT) base while gradually lowering the rate over eight years from 9.99 to 4.99 %. The proposed base-broadening consisted of three main parts – stronger addback provisions, market-based sourcing and economic nexus standards to bring in new taxpayers.

The enacted budget package incorporated a rate reduction and the market-based sourcing and nexus standards but did not include stronger addback provisions. The current 9.99% rate reduces to 8.99% beginning in 2023 and then reduces by a half a percentage point each year until it reaches 4.99% in 2031. These changes will help ensure that multi-state corporate groups are taxed on profits generated within the commonwealth leveling the playing field for corporations that operate primarily in Pennsylvania.

Market-based sourcing determines how much of a business’s income is apportioned to Pennsylvania. The new provisions apportion more income to Pennsylvania by including:

• Sales to PA for intangible property that is leased or licensed in this state or if there is a contract right or government license that authorizes business in this state,
• Sales of securities to customers in PA, or
• Interest and fees received from loans for real estate or personal property located in PA, or where the lender is in PA or for credit cards billed to an address in PA.

Economic nexus standards establish that a corporation has a substantial business presence, and must remit tax on their profits, because of:

• Leasing or licensing intangible property utilized in Pennsylvania,
• Engaging in transactions with customers in this state involving intangible property or loans, or
• Sales of intangible property utilized within Pennsylvania.

There is a rebuttable presumption that a corporation with $500,000 or more of sales sourced to Pennsylvania has substantial nexus without regard to physical presence in this state.

The net fiscal impact of the enacted CNIT changes is a larger tax cut than the governor proposed – especially in future years.

Arts and Culture Recovery Grant

COVID Relief – ARPA – Arts and Culture ‐ $15,000,000

Transfers funds to the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for the Cultural and Museum Preservation Grant Program to award grants to nonprofit arts and culture organizations, local arts and culture districts, and arts and culture professionals in the Commonwealth for recovery related to COVID‐19. The CFA shall issue guidelines that, at a minimum, include eligibility requirements for grant awards and allowable uses of grant funds.  No grant award may exceed $500,000.

Apply for a Grant (pa.gov)

Biotech

Biotech received $2,050,000 additional in state funds for a total of $10,060,000.

Out of the $115,000,000 from the Tobacco Settlement Fund, 12.6% must go to health-related research, which includes capital and equipment grants to entities engaging in biotechnology research.

Waterfront Development Tax Credit

Increases the amount of available tax credits from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000.

Waterfront Development Tax Credit Program (WDTC) – PA Department of Community & Economic Development

Water and Sewer

Water and sewer projects under the Commonwealth Financing Authority received $320 million in the enacted budget. The $320 million is comprised of $214.4 million for the H2O PA Program and $105.6 million for the PA Small Water and Sewer Program.

$214.4 million for CFA’s H2O PA Program – provides for single-year or multi-year grants to municipalities or municipal authorities to assist with the construction of drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer projects. The parameters of the grant include a minimum award of $500,000 and a maximum award of $20,000,000 for any project.

$105.6 million for CFA’s PA Small Water and Sewer Program – supports small water, sewer, storm sewer, and flood control infrastructure projects. Eligible initiatives include those that can assist with the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply system, sanitary sewer system, storm sewer system, or flood control projects. The parameters of the grant include a minimum award of $30,000 and a maximum award of $500,000 for any project.

H2O PA – PA Department of Community & Economic Development

PA Small Water and Sewer Program | Grant | DCED

Helping Homeowners

Low‐Income Home Energy Assistance Programs

COVID Relief – ARPA – Low‐Income Home Energy Assistance Programs ‐ $25,000,000

Allows the expenditure of up to $25,000,000 of ARPA funds if: all other money received from the Federal government for the LIHEAP Program, less any amounts allowed to be carried over under Federal law, are expended or committed, and the Secretary of the Budget notifies the Appropriations Committees that all non‐ARPA funds have been expended.

LIHEAP (pa.gov)

Property Tax and Rent Rebate

COVID Relief – ARPA – Property Tax Relief ‐ $140,000,000

Transfers an appropriation for property tax rent rebate from the COVID‐19 Response Restricted Account to the State Lottery Fund.

• With the additional funding, program claimants for CY 2021 will receive an additional payment equal to 70% of their 2021 claim.
• No additional application will be necessary, rather the additional funding will be provided automatically.
• This section shall expire on Diciembre 31, 2023.

Whole‐Home Repairs

COVID Relief – ARPA – Whole Home Repairs ‐ $125,000,000

Establishes the Whole‐Home Repairs Program (WHRP) within DCED.

DCED shall award no more than one grant per county to a government agency or nonprofit to provide grants to homeowners, whose income does not exceed 80% of the area median income, and small landlords.  

• A county may subgrant out funding they receive.  If a county subgrants out, they shall provide DCED with the name of the subgrantees and the name of subgrantees shall be posted on DCED’s website.  
• No grant to a homeowner or grant or loan to a small landlord may exceed $50,000.  
• If a small landlord meets certain criteria, they may have their loan forgiven.  
• Funds may be used to administer the program and invest in workforce development programs, and address habitability, water or energy concerns.  
• Administrative fees on both DCED and a local government agency or nonprofit are capped at 4%.  

Whole Home Repair Program – PA Department of Community & Economic Development

Disaster Emergency Fund

Included in the budget was $5 million for State Disaster Assistance, similar to Sen. Santarsiero’s SB 1303.  The funds will be available for emergencies and non-federally declared disasters. This includes critical needs assistance or to repair damage to residential properties that were not covered by insurance or other funding sources. PEMA is required to publish guidelines to implement this program.

Disaster Recovery – PA Department of Community & Economic Development

Long-Term Living

The Fiscal Code includes requirements of county and nonpublic nursing facilities to demonstrate that at least 70% of costs are for resident care or other resident-related costs between Enero 1, 2023 and Diciembre 31, 2025. A facility that does not meet the 70% requirement may be penalized based on the differential between their actual calculated percentage and 70%, up to five percent. Any penalties imposed will be deposited into a new Nursing Facility Quality Improvement Fund, which may be used by DHS to administer and enforce the new requirement as well as provide funding for nursing facility quality improvement.

Long-term living programs will receive $250 million in one-time ARPA funding. This includes:

• $131 million for county and nonpublic nursing facilities,
• $75 million for personal assistance service providers,
• $26.8 million for personal care homes and assisted living facilities,
• $7 million for adult day providers,
• $535,000 for residential habilitation providers,
• $4.3 million for high MA ventilator/tracheostomy providers, and
• $5.4 million for LIFE providers.

Water and Sewer

Water and sewer projects under the Commonwealth Financing Authority received $320 million in the enacted budget. The $320 million is comprised of $214.4 million for the H2O PA Program and $105.6 million for the PA Small Water and Sewer Program.

$214.4 million for CFA’s H2O PA Program – provides for single-year or multi-year grants to municipalities or municipal authorities to assist with the construction of drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer projects. The parameters of the grant include a minimum award of $500,000 and a maximum award of $20,000,000 for any project.

$105.6 million for CFA’s PA Small Water and Sewer Program – supports small water, sewer, storm sewer, and flood control infrastructure projects. Eligible initiatives include those that can assist with the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply system, sanitary sewer system, storm sewer system, or flood control projects. The parameters of the grant include a minimum award of $30,000 and a maximum award of $500,000 for any project.

H2O PA – PA Department of Community & Economic Development

PA Small Water and Sewer Program | Grant | DCED

Supporting Seniors

Low‐Income Home Energy Assistance Programs

COVID Relief – ARPA – Low‐Income Home Energy Assistance Programs ‐ $25,000,000

Allows the expenditure of up to $25,000,000 of ARPA funds if: all other money received from the Federal government for the LIHEAP Program, less any amounts allowed to be carried over under Federal law, are expended or committed, and the Secretary of the Budget notifies the Appropriations Committees that all non‐ARPA funds have been expended.

LIHEAP (pa.gov)

Property Tax and Rent Rebate

COVID Relief – ARPA – Property Tax Relief ‐ $140,000,000

Transfers an appropriation for property tax rent rebate from the COVID‐19 Response Restricted Account to the State Lottery Fund.

• With the additional funding, program claimants for CY 2021 will receive an additional payment equal to 70% of their 2021 claim.
• No additional application will be necessary, rather the additional funding will be provided automatically.
• This section shall expire on Diciembre 31, 2023.

Long-Term Living

The Fiscal Code includes requirements of county and nonpublic nursing facilities to demonstrate that at least 70% of costs are for resident care or other resident-related costs between Enero 1, 2023 and Diciembre 31, 2025. A facility that does not meet the 70% requirement may be penalized based on the differential between their actual calculated percentage and 70%, up to five percent. Any penalties imposed will be deposited into a new Nursing Facility Quality Improvement Fund, which may be used by DHS to administer and enforce the new requirement as well as provide funding for nursing facility quality improvement.

Long-term living programs will receive $250 million in one-time ARPA funding. This includes:

• $131 million for county and nonpublic nursing facilities,
• $75 million for personal assistance service providers,
• $26.8 million for personal care homes and assisted living facilities,
• $7 million for adult day providers,
• $535,000 for residential habilitation providers,
• $4.3 million for high MA ventilator/tracheostomy providers, and
• $5.4 million for LIFE providers.

Asuntos militares y de veteranos

This budget significantly increased funding to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The appropriation for general government operations increased by $3.2 million, or 12%, to $29.6 million. Included within this increase were two new initiatives:

One was an increase of $500,000 for the VETConnect program, which connects Pennsylvania’s veterans with the various federal, state, local, and nonprofit services that are available to them. The other was a $445,000 initiative for suicide prevention resources for veterans and members of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The appropriation for Veterans’ Outreach Services, which provides funding to veterans’ organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars to conduct outreach and assistance to veterans, increased by 14.5% to $3.8 million.

Spending on Pennsylvania’s six veterans’ homes also increased by $29.6 million, or 26.1%. Of this increase, $14.1 million was directed toward increasing staffing levels to comply with new federal regulations for care homes. The total annualized cost of these staffing increases is $28.2 million, but only six months of costs were funded in this budget. Most of the rest of the increase was required to replace non-recurring federal funds.

Act 54 contained two provisions relating to veterans and the National Guard. The act increased the reimbursement rate for nonprofit veterans’ groups providing burial details for veterans interred at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, or the Washington Crossing National Cemetery from $100 to $250.

The Fiscal Code also increased the minimum daily compensation for members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Pennsylvania Guard on active duty from $100 to $180.

Enhancing Our Environment

Growing Greener III/Environment

State Park Funding

Growing Greener III/Environment

There are several new programs and funding streams related to the environment included in this budget.

First, the 2022/23 budget includes a significant infusion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars for the environment. While this funding is not concentrated within a single agency or authority, its importance will be felt going forward.

Investments from ARPA are necessitated by the commonwealth’s failure to significantly reduce nutrient and sediment flows into the Chesapeake Bay as part of Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Water Implementation Plan (WIP). Funds are allocated to address this for Water & Sewer Projects (with specific program highlights discussed under Commonwealth Financing Authority), State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Programs (discussed under DCNR), and a transfer to Clean Streams Fund (under DEP, PennVEST, and State Conservation Commission). In total, this $640 million investment replaces the Growing Greener III proposal included in the governor’s executive budget.

While listed under DEP’s budget, the ARPA Transfer to the Clean Streams Fund represents the creation of a funding mechanism for two of the newly created programs under the 2022/23 Fiscal Code, along with transfers for existing programs and other funds. The following table provides a summary of this investment along with its allocations.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) investments will also deliver significant federal funds for environmental protection. Similar to ARPA, the infusion of IIJA funding is spread across multiple agencies and authorities. The following table summarizes these investments and shows the programmatic components of each investment within specific agency or authority.

State Park Funding

DCNR’s enacted General Fund budget is $151.95 million for 2022/23. This represents an increase of $12.9 million, or 9.3%. General Fund changes are mostly within the department’s major appropriations, which reflect continuing personnel and operational needs, rather than allocation of additional resources. Completing the changes to the General Fund is Forest Pest Management, with an appropriation of $3 million.

The following table provides details of DCNR’s major appropriations by funding source.

As the table above spotlights, the budget includes a $56 million allocation for new State Parks and Forest Facilities in the commonwealth from the Oil & Gas Lease Fund.

DCNR also received a $100 million infusion of ARPA funding for the State Parks & Outdoor Recreation Program created within the Fiscal Code. This funding is a significant step in addressing the infrastructure needs of our recreational facilities.

Strengthening Mental Health & Combating the Opioid Epidemic

Opioid Epidemic

Commission for Adult Mental Health

Opioid Epidemic

Funds appropriated to DDAP from the Opioid Settlement Restricted Account increased from $5 million in 2021/22 to $22.5 million in 2022/23 to reflect anticipated receipt of the first installments of the Johnson & Johnson and distributors settlement. These funds will be used to support opioid rescue, treatment, and prevention efforts in accordance with the settlement agreements.

Commission for Adult Mental Health

Within DHS, the commission is to be comprised of 24 individuals from various state agencies or areas of specialty, as well as legislative appointees. The commission is to issue a report of recommended funding allocations in the following areas:

• Delivery of services by telemedicine
• Behavioral health rates, network adequacy, and mental health payment parity
• Workforce development and retention
• Expansion of certified peer support specialist services and peer-run services
• Development and provision of crisis services
• Integration of behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment
• Cultural competencies when providing behavioral health care
• Impact of social determinants of health on behavioral health
• Intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system
• Integrating care that can deliver timely psychiatric care in a primary care setting

Supporting Our Military & Veterans

Asuntos militares y de veteranos

This budget significantly increased funding to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The appropriation for general government operations increased by $3.2 million, or 12%, to $29.6 million. Included within this increase were two new initiatives:

One was an increase of $500,000 for the VETConnect program, which connects Pennsylvania’s veterans with the various federal, state, local, and nonprofit services that are available to them. The other was a $445,000 initiative for suicide prevention resources for veterans and members of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The appropriation for Veterans’ Outreach Services, which provides funding to veterans’ organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars to conduct outreach and assistance to veterans, increased by 14.5% to $3.8 million.

Spending on Pennsylvania’s six veterans’ homes also increased by $29.6 million, or 26.1%. Of this increase, $14.1 million was directed toward increasing staffing levels to comply with new federal regulations for care homes. The total annualized cost of these staffing increases is $28.2 million, but only six months of costs were funded in this budget. Most of the rest of the increase was required to replace non-recurring federal funds.

Act 54 contained two provisions relating to veterans and the National Guard. The act increased the reimbursement rate for nonprofit veterans’ groups providing burial details for veterans interred at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, or the Washington Crossing National Cemetery from $100 to $250.

The Fiscal Code also increased the minimum daily compensation for members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Pennsylvania Guard on active duty from $100 to $180.

Protecting Our Election Systems

Elections

Election Integrity Grant Program was established under DCED. This program provides $45 million annually in election support to counties. The grant funding is allocated proportionally based upon a county’s voter registration total as a percentage of the total number of registered voters across the commonwealth eligible to vote in the primary election. The funding can be utilized for the following purposes:

• Payment of staff needed to pre-canvass and canvass mail-in ballots and absentee ballots
• Physical security and transparency costs for centralized pre-canvassing and canvassing
• Post-election reporting procedures
• The printing of ballots
• Training costs for district election officials
• Payment of staff at polling places on election day
• Secure preparation, transportation, storage and management of voting apparatuses, tabulation equipment and required polling place materials
• Costs of county board of election duties related to the processing of voter registration applications

This funding is conditional on the prohibition of third-party funding of elections, counties beginning pre-canvassing at 7AM on election day until each ballot has been pre-canvassed, counties beginning canvassing at 8PM on election day until each ballot has been canvassed, and that the required post-election reporting obligations are fulfilled.