Harhart Votes in Favor of Funding Human Service Programs, SchoolsWhile Work on State Budget Agreement Continues
HARRISBURG – Due to the continuing state budget impasse, the House and Senate approved emergency funding legislation to provide financial relief to human service providers and schools that rely on state aid to operate, said Rep. Julie Harhart (Lehigh/Northampton).
“Our social service agencies, such as rape crisis and domestic violence centers, child advocacy centers and those agencies that provide services to our senior populations, are in danger of cutting hours, furloughing staff, reducing services or shutting their doors altogether because they have been without state aid since the governor vetoed the no-tax-increase budget approved by the Legislature on June 30,” said Harhart. “Some schools are also hitting a crisis point and are considering closing their doors or taking out huge loans that they will then have to pay back with interest in order to continue operating. This emergency funding bill we passed today would provide a four-month payment of state funding in order to keep these entities operating until a final state budget agreement can be reached.”
Funding contained in the emergency funding bills includes state appropriations amounting to $11 billion, which would cover the timeframe of July 1 to Oct. 31. In addition to four months (or 33.3 percent) of state aid, the emergency funding bills would allow $24.3 billion in federal dollars to reach their intended recipients, and PHEAA grants and county child welfare funding would be disbursed at 50 percent.
“This emergency funding does not in any way reduce the need to work and reach agreement on a final state budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year,” said Harhart. “It merely allows essential agencies that provide services to some of our most vulnerable populations to continue operating in the interim. I am hopeful the governor realizes the importance of this package of bills and signs it into law.”
Representative Julie Harhart
183rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
JulieHarhart.com