Appropriations Hearings Underway

The Senate and House Appropriations Committees kicked off their budget hearings on Tuesday.

Senators have had the opportunity to hear from the Department of Revenue, PASSHE and PHEAA, State Police, Department of Health, Department of State, and the Department of Transportation.

Following the first day of hearings, the PA Senate Republicans issued a release expressing serious concerns about Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget plan. The Caucus has also issued subsequent releases with summaries of testimony, links to the stream, and more which can be found on their caucus news page.

Likewise, Representatives have met with the Department of Community and Economic Development, Department of Revenue, Department of Transportation, the State Police, and PASSHE and Community Colleges.

What's Next

Next week’s schedules, and more:

House Appropriations Committee

Senate Appropriations Committee

Administration

Regulations

The Governor’s Office published an updated agency-by-agency Regulatory Agenda in the February 15 PA Bulletin, outlining regulations in development, estimated consideration timelines, and opportunities for public comment. View the full agenda here.

Secretary Nominations

Earlier this week, Governor Shapiro announced that he has nominated Dr. Carrie Rowe to serve as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and Jessica Shirley to serve as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).



Rowe currently serves as Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education at PDE, while Shirley is the Acting Secretary of DEP. Both will be forwarded to the Senate for its consent.

Federal Funding

Governor Shapiro filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on February 13 over its freeze of $1.2B in federal funding owed to Pennsylvania, with an additional $900M under indefinite review.

Despite multiple court orders to release the funds and engagement with federal representatives, state agencies remain unable to access critical funding for initiatives like abandoned mine land reclamation, well capping, and utility cost reductions.

Governor Shapiro is arguing that the federal government lacks the authority to suspend appropriated funds. Read the full complaint here. 

Pennsylvania now joins a long list of states who have sued over federal funding including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin. The District of Columbia has also filed suit.

Long-Term Budget Outlook Update

The Independent Fiscal Office released its February 2025 Budget Brief, updating its baseline deficit projections based on new spending data from the Executive Budget. The revised projections are $3.5 billion (24-25), $6.0 billion (25-26) and $6.9 billion (26-27) under current laws and policies. If the projections hold, the General Fund surplus would be depleted in 25-26 and the Rainy Day Fund wouldn’t hold any water by 26-27. Read the full report here.

PHRC Releases 2024 Report

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) has released its 2024 ‘No Hate in Our State’ report, which details trending discrimination statistics throughout the Commonwealth.

The PHRC does not have the authority to charge or investigate hate crimes or criminal offenses; however, the PHRC Civil Tension Reduction Task Force tracks incidents reported to the PHRC. The PHRC can also help determine if the incident violates the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. The PHRC Civil Rights Outreach Division was created in 2024 to address civil tension, conflicts, and incidents and promote anti-racism through education and outreach.

You can view the full report here.

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