HARRISBURG – While negotiations continue on a final state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26, the Senate passed a bill to continue to provide counties, school districts, and social service providers with funding at the levels of last year’s budget, according to Sen. Chris Gebhard (R-48).
“Senate Republicans remain committed to passing a budget that respects taxpayers and lives within our means. This bill ensures vital services remain funded, but we cannot keep writing checks without knowing how to cover them. As a business owner, I can tell you that’s not how the real world works, and it’s certainly not how Pennsylvania families run their households,” said Gebhard.
The bill would fund at the levels included in the final budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25. If the House also approves Senate Bill 160, the state can immediately begin disbursing nearly $47.6 billion, without the need for any new taxes.
Gebhard stated, “Despite our differences, all sides agree on many parts of the budget. We should release funding for schools, hospitals, counties and nonprofits now while we continue working toward a final budget agreement.”
Additionally, the Senate advanced nearly $1.2 billion of new money for Pennsylvania’s transportation network, including mass transit and roadways. From that amount, nearly $840 million will be redirected from the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF), which currently has a $2.4 billion balance. In addition to these additional funds, the bill mandates safety and accountability measures aimed at reforming the SEPTA system. These would include reauthorizing the special prosecutor for crimes on SEPTA property, prohibiting ‘safe-injection’ areas near SEPTA facilities, enhanced penalties for those convicted of assaulting SEPTA personnel and a program aimed at reducing the astonishing rate of fare jumpers.
“The unfortunate reality is that SEPTA has sat on billions of dollars in the PTTF for years, while choosing to manufacture a crisis now,” Gebhard said. “Hiding this money from the legislature and the public, especially when our state is faced with a structural deficit, raises serious concerns. This bill also includes critical reforms for SEPTA, such as mandatory fare increases so they do not continue to rely on state bailouts.”
CONTACT: Alex Gamble (Gebhard)