In a late-night ceremony Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the Fiscal and Education codes to finally end the monthslong feud over the Pennsylvania budget.
The completed spending bill addresses several issues important to residents in rural PA, according to Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint.
Increased payments for state-owned land, support for vital 911 systems and the long-awaited distribution of funding for libraries and career and technical schools are among them, Causer said.
“It took longer than it should have to get here, but I am pleased to finally have a final 2023-24 state budget in place that also addresses some key issues for our rural communities,” Causer said.
The budget package provides an increase in the payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) on state-owned forest lands, as well as lands owned by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC).
Act 34 of 2023 increases payments by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) from $6 to $7.20 per acre, and the rate paid by PFBC and PGC, last increased in 2006, from $3.60 to $7.20 per acre. DCNR’s rate was last increased in 2017. This funding, paid for with state gaming revenue, is split three ways between municipalities, school districts and counties where the land is located.
“We have a lot of state-owned land here in Cameron, McKean and Potter counties, and that land is not subject to property taxes,” Causer said. “The PILT is designed to compensate for that, and I’m very pleased to see this significant increase that will better support our communities and taxpayers.”
Causer also praised reauthorization of the state’s 911 fee to support the ongoing need for technology updates to county 911 systems across the commonwealth. The law would have expired in January. Under Act 34, the monthly fee charged on telephone bills will increase 30 cents to $1.95 for a period of two years, raising another $60 million for emergency response services statewide.
“Emergency response saves lives, and that’s why we need to make investments in our 911 systems to keep equipment and technology up to date,” Causer said. “Protecting public health and safety is always a top priority.”
Another concession in the bill includes the expansion of the state’s child care and dependent tax credit, raising the current credit from 30% to 100% of the federal credit, or $2,100 instead of $630, for families making below $43,000 and spending $6,000 or more on child care for two children.
According to the Department of Labor, the median expected cost of care for younger children in 2022 ranged from $8,310 to $17,171.
Shapiro said in a press release, “A lack of affordable childcare can hold back our children, parents and economy.” With the credit’s expansion, the administration hopes to “ease child and dependent care costs for working Pennsylvania families.”
Completion of the final budget-related bills also means hundreds of millions of dollars, including funding allocated for community colleges, libraries and career and technical schools, can now be fully distributed after months of being tied up in the legislature.
Lawmakers won’t have long before Shapiro proposes his next budget at a joint session of the General Assembly on Feb. 6, and the whole process begins once again.
