Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law a 45.5-billion-dollar bipartisan state budget for fiscal year 2023-24 he touts as a commonsense budget for the state. The budget delivers on many of his topline priorities to create a more robust economy, safer and healthier communities, and better schools.
The budget invests in education, supports businesses, speeds up permitting, helps older adults stay in their homes, protects and strengthens communities, and ensures law enforcement and first responders have the necessary resources.
In the compromise with legislature, Gov. Shapiro used a line-item veto for a portion of the bill that would have set a 100-million-dollar fund for the so-called Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program, part of the Republicans’ push for increased funding for school voucher programs. This is notable because the Governor agreed with the policy in principle.
“Without enabling legislation setting up this program, my Administration legally cannot implement it,” said Shapiro. “Knowing that the two chambers will not reach a consensus at this time to enact PASS and unwilling to hold up our entire budget process over this issue, I will line-item veto the full $100 million appropriation, which will not be part of this budget bill.”
图片来源：governor.pa.gov
Photographed by governor.pa.gov
Despite the veto, Gov. Shapiro clarified that his support for so-called “school-choice programs” was unwavering and that he considered “PASS unfinished business.”
“While I am disappointed the two parties could not come together, (House Majority) Leader (Matthew) Bradford has given me his word … that he will carefully examine and consider additional education options including PASS, Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), and Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) as we work to address our public education needs in light of the Commonwealth Court’s recent education ruling,” Shapiro wrote in a statement.
图片来源：governor.pa.gov
Photographed by governor.pa.gov
“Particularly in the wake of a Commonwealth Court decision that found that our state’s public education funding system is unconstitutional, it is unacceptable to entertain any discussion about tuition voucher schemes that divert funding from our public school students,” said PSEA and other unions in a letter to Gov. Shapiro. “Making the investments Pennsylvania’s students need to ensure that our public-school funding system meets our constitution’s requirements should be policymakers’ only focus for the FY 2023-24 state budget.”
“这可能对费城及宾夕法尼亚州其他各个学区产生巨大帮助，这些学区是绩效最低的，与此同时也是资金最少的学区，”教育政策组织Children First PA的K-12教育政策主任普里昂卡·雷耶斯-卡乌拉（Priyanka Reyes-Kaura）表示。”这是我关注的问题，那些迫切需要公共资金来更好地服务学生的学区将是这个奖学金计划最为受益的学区。”
“This could have a huge impact on schools in Philadelphia and all of the other school districts across Pennsylvania that are the lowest performing, which correlates with the ones who receive the least funding,” said Priyanka Reyes-Kaura, K-12 education policy director at Children First PA. “That’s what I’m concerned about, that the districts that desperately need public funding to serve their students better are those who this lifeline scholarship program will hurt the most.”
一、教育资金及对学校的投资至关重要
Essential Education Funding Ever & Investments in Our Schools
The new budget does, however, increase education funding adding 567 million dollars in primary education funding for Pennsylvania school districts to be distributed through the basic education funding (BEF) Formula, enabling all school districts to have the essential resources they need to provide a high-quality education for Pennsylvania students. It also adds 100 million dollars for mental health and 50 million for special education funding, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to equitable education for all students.
图片来源：collegechoice.net
Photographed by collegechoice.net
The budget adds 100 million dollars for Level Up to ensure more resources go to Pennsylvania’s most underfunded schools and 10 million to provide Pennsylvania’s student teachers with stipends so the Commonwealth can get more well-trained teachers into our classrooms.
It increased funding for universal free breakfast by 46.5 million dollars so that Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students, regardless of income and free lunch, all 22,000 Pennsylvania students eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program.
此外，还增加了700万美元支持高中学生的双重入学机会，使他们能够修读大学学分课程。
It also adds 7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students allowing them to take advanced courses for college credit.
二、有史以来第一次为贫困者提供法律援助资金
Funding Indigent Defense for the First Time Ever
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Photographed by bit.ly/3jDYyCd
本次预算首次为贫困者提供法律援助资金支持。这项资金将用于确保无力支付律师费用的人能够获得适当的法律援助。这一举措旨在确保每个人都能够在法律程序中享有公平和公正的待遇，无论他们的经济状况如何。这对于确保司法体系的公正性和可信度至关重要，并为弱势群体提供了全面的保护和支持。
The budget adds first-time funding of 7.5 million dollars for public defender offices to ensure they have the resources to provide legal representation to defendants who cannot pay for it on their own. Pennsylvania was only one of two states that didn’t fund Public Defender’s offices.
三、投资于心理健康，解决孕产妇死亡问题，并支持急救医疗服务和医疗保健提供者
Investing in Mental Health, Addressing Maternal Mortality, & Supporting EMS and Health Care Providers
It makes critical investments in public health and wellness, including significant investments in mental health and the first-ever investment in addressing maternal mortality, including A 66.7 million dollar increase for Child Care Services, allowing up to 75,000 low-income families to continue to be enrolled in subsidized childcare through the Child Care Works Program.
More than 20 million dollars for ambulance services, 20 million to increase base funding for counties to provide critical mental health services and address deepening workforce shortages, it adds 50 million dollars for Hospital and Health System Emergency Relief, and 2.3 million to expand maternal health programming for prevention strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
The budget adds 6 million dollars to support Pennsylvania seniors with 5 million dollars in funding for the Help at Home (OPTIONS) program through the Department of Aging, to reduce the waitlist of seniors seeking services that will allow them to stay in their homes and another million dollars in grant investments for Senior Community Centers to improve safety and accessibility, repair or replace essential equipment, and invest in technology supplies to continue creating safe spaces for older Pennsylvanians to gather and socialize.
“As the Governor and I have traveled the Commonwealth, one thing we’ve heard loud and clear is that folks want us to take off the red and blue jerseys and put on our Pennsylvania jersey, and that’s exactly what we’ve done throughout this process,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. “This budget addresses the most pressing issues facing our communities and delivers real results for the people of Pennsylvania. It’s a direct investment in making our economy stronger, our communities safer, our schools better, and our families healthier.”
“The people of Pennsylvania have entrusted me with the responsibility to bring people together in a divided legislature and to get things done for them – and with this commonsense budget, that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Throughout my campaign and in my first budget address, I laid out a vision for how the Commonwealth could create real opportunity and advance real freedom for all Pennsylvanians. With this budget and the expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate, we’re making good on that promise by delivering the largest targeted tax cut for our seniors in nearly two decades, creating real opportunity for our workers by expanding vo-tech and apprenticeship programs, supporting our state troopers and local first responders, and making historic investments in our kids and their schools. This is what it looks like when government works together to make Pennsylvanians’ lives better.”
四、学徒制和职业技术教育投资
Investments in Apprenticeships & Vocational and Technical Education
在本周早些时候宣布的《联邦基础设施投资和就业法案》（Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act，IIJA）和《通胀减缓法案》（Inflation Reduction Act，IRA）所资助的《联邦劳动力转型计划》（Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program，CWTP）和之前的行政命令中宣布，92%的州政府职位对没有大学学位的宾夕法尼亚州人开放，新预算投资了数百万美元用于劳动力培训和学徒计划。
Expanding on the Executive Order earlier this week announcing the Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program (CWTP) funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and previous Executive Orders announcing that 92 percent of state government jobs are open to Pennsylvanians without college degrees, the budget invests millions of dollars into workforce training and apprenticeship programs.
The budget makes a 23.5 million dollar investment in workforce training and vo-tech programs and a 6 million investment in apprenticeship and pre-apprentice programming.
It also provides 3.5 million dollars to fund Schools-to-Work Program through the Department of Labor and Industry to develop and expand career pathways for high school students through partnerships between schools, employers, organizations, and the Commonwealth.
五、为小企业简化程序并改善宾夕法尼亚州的许可和审批流程
Cutting Red Tape and Improving the Commonwealth’s Licensing and Permitting Processes
图片来源：money.usnews.com
Photographed by money.usnews.com
今年夏天，小企业倡导者通过市议会提出了一项决议，旨在减少繁文缛节，为小型企业的政府运作提供便利。州长的预算继续努力解决两个主要问题，以便更容易开设、经营和壮大小型公司。其中，将投资290万美元设立“转型和机遇办公室”（Office of Transformation and Opportunity），作为一站式服务中心，给为经济做出贡献的企业提供支持。另外，还投资640万美元，以加快宾夕法尼亚州环境保护部门的许可流程，并清理积压的许可申请。
Earlier this summer, small business advocates pushed a resolution through the City Council that sought to reduce red tape and grease the wheels of government for small businesses. The Governor’s budget continues those efforts to make starting, running, and expanding small companies easier by tackling two main areas of concern. It takes 2.9 million dollars to create the Office of Transformation and Opportunity as a one-stop shop for businesses looking to grow and contribute to building the economy. It also invests 6.4 million dollars to modernize and speed up permitting processes at the Department of Environmental Protection and clear permit backlogs.
六、对社区和经济发展的历史性投资
Historic Investments in Community & Economic Development
The new budget signed into law by Gov. Shapiro’s Administration looks to foster innovation and job creation and provides the funding to make Pennsylvania more competitive nationally. It also seeks to invest in communities across the state to improve state parks, support historically disadvantaged businesses, and help Pennsylvanians maintain safe, healthy homes.新预算投资2000万美元用于资助弱势群体的企业计划，该计划投资于宾夕法尼亚州境内的少数族裔、女性和退伍军人拥有的小型企业，并提供持续的支持。此外，它还提供了额外的1300万美元的投资，以提高宾夕法尼亚州的竞争力，重点关注经济发展、创新和创造更多就业岗位。新预算还将制造业创新计划的投资增加了100万美元。该计划将宾夕法尼亚州的大学与企业联系起来，以促进创新和就业创造。
The budget invests 20 million dollars to fund the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program, which invests in small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses in Pennsylvania while providing sustained support. It provides an additional 13 million dollars in investment to make Pennsylvania more competitive, focusing on economic development, innovation, and job creation. The budget also increases investment for the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program by a million dollars. The program connects universities in the state with businesses to spur innovation and job creation.
Pennsylvania’s new budget is investing 112 million dollars to improve the state’s parks and forests. It also creates a new Office of Outdoor Recreation to help connect the state’s natural resources and parks with local businesses to advance Pennsylvania’s status as a national leader in outdoor recreation.
It invests 50 million dollars in the Whole-Home Repairs program to make it easier for poor and middle-class families to maintain their homes. It invests two million dollars in the Municipal Assistance Program to help the local, municipal, and county governments better support their communities and adds 1.25 million dollars to the Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP) to help local governments create long-term plans for financial success.
七、宾夕法尼亚州农业投资
Investment in Pennsylvania Agriculture
图片来源：PA.gov
Photographed by PA.gov
农业为宾夕法尼亚州经济贡献了1,320亿美元，为全州提供超过50万个就业岗位。2023-24年预算投资3400万美元，以帮助受高致病性禽流感危机影响的家禽养殖户支付检测费用，并在他们的家禽发生疾病时对他们进行赔偿。同时，投资200万美元用于生鲜食品融资计划，改善了当地种植、加工和生产食品的途径；此外，还提供额外的100万美元用于创造首个有机中心，以支持有机农民和企业，并为他们创造新市场。
Agriculture contributes 132 billion dollars to the Pennsylvania economy, supporting more than half a million jobs across the state. The 2023-24 budget invests 34 million dollars to help poultry farmers impacted by hi path avian flu crisis to pay for testing and reimburse them for their losses if their flocks get sick. It invests two million dollars in the Fresh Food Financing Initiative, which improves access to locally grown, processed, and produced foods; it also provides an additional one million dollars to create a first-of-its-kind Organic Center of Excellence to empower and support organic farmers and businesses and create new markets for them.
此预算还为低收入人群提供200万美元用于州食品购买计划，为他们提供紧急食品援助资金。
The budget provides two million dollars for the State Food Purchase Program to provide state funds for emergency food assistance for low-income Pennsylvanians.
The budget moves the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) budget to rely more on the General Fund from its heavy reliance on Motor License Fund (MLF), freeing up the 125 million dollars annually and putting that money directly into roads and bridges.
图片来源：lehighvalleylive.com
Photographed by lehighvalleylive.com
It adds 16.4 million dollars in new funding for four trooper cadet classes in 2023-24 to train 384 new troopers to fill current staffing gaps and ensure State Police are well-funded and well-prepared to keep the public safe. 新预算增加了1,000万美元，用于之前对宾夕法尼亚州暴力干预和预防计划的3,000万美元的资助。这是针对宾夕法尼亚州犯罪和少年司法委员会目前预算的补充，以减少枪支暴力和使社区更安全。
The budget adds 10 million dollars to the 30 million it received in the previous funding for the state’s Violence Intervention and Prevention programs. This is in addition to the current budget at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to reduce gun violence and make communities safer.
新预算增加了25万美元用于支持性暴力受害者。它通过宾夕法尼亚州“It’s On Us PA”计划，致力于在该州的大学校园中创建一个不容忍性暴力的环境。
It adds 250,000 dollars to support survivors of sexual violence. It works to create an environment in the state’s college campuses where sexual violence is unacceptable through the state’s It’s On Us PA initiative.
新预算创建了一个新的部门，由特赦委员会秘书运营，使用35.5万美元来帮助解决特赦程序的积压问题。
It creates a new unit within the Department of Corrections, run by the Secretary of the Board of Pardons, using 355,000 dollars to help address the backlog in the pardons process.
HB1100’s expansion of the Property Tax and Rent Rebate program covers 175,000 more low-income Pennsylvanians, and many of the 400,000 seniors who already qualify will see their rebates nearly double, including the 20,000 Philadelphians that receive the refund.这是自2006年以来该计划首次扩大，退款金额和收入限额将随通货膨胀而增加，因此没有老年人因为他们的社会保障金增加而失去资格。这使得新预算成为宾夕法尼亚州最进步和财务上最负责任的预算之一。
This is the first time the program has been expanded since 2006, and the rebate amounts and income limits will increase with inflation, so no senior becomes ineligible just because their Social Security payment has increased. It makes this budget one of Pennsylvania’s most progressive state budgets while being incredibly fiscally responsible.
