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Capitol Report
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#Listrak\DateStampLong#
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The latest news from the State Capitol
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Please do not reply directly to this email, as it returns to an unmanned account.
You are welcome to contact me through this link.
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Introducing Legislation Targeting the Grooming of Minors
This week, I announced plans to introduce legislation establishing a dedicated offense within Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code to hold adults accountable when they exploit positions of authority and trust to groom minors in their care.
While Pennsylvania law provides criminal penalties for sexual offenses and unlawful contact with minors, the Crimes Code has a significant gap when it comes to intervening before grooming escalates into physical abuse or explicit sexual solicitation.
Predators rarely cross the line all at once. They break down boundaries, build secrecy and manipulate a child’s trust long before overt sexual crimes occur. We need to give law enforcement the tools to intervene before a child is harmed, not wait until the damage is done.
The proposed legislation would establish the offense of Grooming of a Minor, making it a crime for an adult responsible for a minor’s welfare to intentionally engage in a course of conduct designed to entice or facilitate prohibited sexual conduct. The bill would specifically address conduct that cultivates secrecy, inappropriate intimacy or dependency between an adult and a minor.
To ensure the legislation does not criminalize legitimate relationships between children and trusted adults, I included safe harbors for ordinary, transparent interactions that are incidental to educational, athletic, religious and professional roles.
The need to protect our children is not political. As a dad, I know there is nothing more important than making sure our children are safe from those who would take advantage. As a legislator, I have a responsibility to make sure our laws give law enforcement the tools to intervene before grooming escalates into abuse. We must close this gap now and protect our children.
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Telephone Townhall this Monday
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School Safety Grants for the 47th
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) approved grants to bolster school safety and mental health. Several public schools in the 47th District will benefit from the funding.
The following grants were awarded in accordance with grant guidelines for public schools:
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Eastern York School District, $201,502 |
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Central York School District: $344,551 |
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Northeastern York School District: $281,826 |
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Pennwood Cyber Charter School: $70,000 |
The funding from this grant program may be used to help address school violence, improve student mental health and bolster school security, including costs associated with the training and compensation of security personnel.
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Vote for Your Favorites!
The 47th District community has submitted photos (in the Facebook contest photo album) for a contest that represent the district’s rich history, natural beauty and economic opportunities.
Public voting is open through Aug. 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Voters do not need to reside in the 47th District.
The photograph with the most “likes”/votes will win first place, followed by second and third place for the next highest “likes”/vote-earners.
How to vote for your favorite photos: click “like” on a photo in this album to cast a vote. You can cast a “like”/vote for as many of the photos in this album as you wish.
Learn more about the contest at https://www.repjoed.com/rjd2026photocontest.
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Roadwork for Hellam Township
PennDOT will be doing accelerated concrete patching on eastbound Route 30 in Hellam Township from Friday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m. through Monday, Aug. 24, at 6 a.m. Expect a right lane restriction all weekend and possible delays as part of the larger Route 30 resurfacing project.
This work is part of a multi year, $15.4 million project to improve the stretch from the Route 462 Exit to the Wrights Ferry Bridge.
Check real-time travel conditions anytime at 511PA.com or the 511PA app. Safe travels!
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Hearing Highlights Need for Accountability in Second-Degree Murder Sentencing
Pennsylvania’s lack of a clear sentencing framework for second-degree murder could produce inconsistent sentences, overwhelm courts and force victims’ families to repeatedly relive the murders of their loved ones, prosecutors testified during a House Republican Policy Committee hearing last week.
The hearing, “Protecting Pennsylvania: Accountability and Justice in Second-Degree Murder Sentencing,” was held after House Democrat leaders failed to allow consideration of a bipartisan solution to a March ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that found a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole was unconstitutional in second-degree murder cases.
As part of its decision, the court set a deadline of July 24 for the General Assembly to rectify the issue. The House was called into session July 23, and I was prepared to vote in favor of a bipartisan plan that would have set clear guidelines to ensure justice and protect public safety. It would have immediately gone to the governor and likely would have been signed into law.
Instead, House Democrats, who control the agenda in the House, amended a bill to significantly water down the sentences in these cases – cases where real people lost their lives and families and loved ones continue to suffer because of those actions. The bill also provides loopholes through which these criminals could avoid serving their sentences.
I will always stand up for public safety and the rights of victims and their families. Video of the full hearing is available here.
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Data Center Update
You've likely heard the news that the governor signed an executive order related to data center development in the Commonwealth earlier this week. This is a sharp contrast to his former position of fast-tracking these projects, at the expense of our communities. Regardless of his shift, it's important that we as state leaders are taking into account feedback from our constituents.
The governor's order seeks to implement what he calls the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) program. The order would require potential data center developers to fully fund the cost of powering the facility, commit to transparent engagement with potential host communities during the planning process, hire local workers, and agree to strict water conservation and other environmental protection efforts.
The General Assembly has also considered several bills related to data center development this session, and I expect further discussion on these measures when session resumes in the fall. From the start, I've been committed to protecting consumers from higher energy costs related to data center development and ensuring decisions about these centers are made locally, not by state bureaucrats or via sweeping state sanctions.
Data center legislation considered in the House this session that I’ve supported:
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House Bill 2150: Would require data centers in the Commonwealth to report annual energy and water usage. |
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House Bill 2198: Would repeal a special tax exemption for data center computer equipment. |
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House Bill 2496: Would allow municipalities to adopt a 6-month moratorium for data center development. |
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House Bill 2650: Would require greater transparency, stronger community engagement, environmental safeguards and protections against rising utility costs for developers seeking state tax credits. |
I've also sponsored Rep. Craig Williams' Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require hyperscale data centers to front the cost for infrastructure, bring their own power generation, and require utilities to enter long-term power purchase agreements on behalf of ratepayers, thus protecting ratepayers from inflated utility bills.
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Headed to the Little League World Series? Check Out 511PA!
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is encouraging motorists traveling to the Little League World Series in Williamsport to plan their trip using the enhanced real-time travel and alternate-route information available on a specialized web page at www.511PA.com/map/page/LLWS.
The website is dedicated to monitoring traffic conditions on the primary travel routes to the event, providing average travel times for those routes, as well as one or two alternates. Users will also see incidents, construction, traffic cameras and traffic speeds on the map.
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Treasury Announces Bonus for Families’ Education Savings
Pennsylvania families with qualified PA 529 College and Career Saving Program Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) accounts could receive a $1,000 bonus contribution, enhancing education savings for about 107,000 Pennsylvania families.
The bonus is being paid for through surplus dollars in the GSP Fund. As of June 30, the GSP fund was 156.04% funded, reflecting a surplus of $1.06 billion. Nearly 107 million in surplus funds will be distributed across 106,914 PA 529 GSP accounts, representing 89% of participants in the plan.
PA 529 GSP savers with at least a $1,000 account balance, or those with at least a $100 balance with contributions made since 2022, as of July 31, are eligible for this bonus deposit. Account owners will see this deposit reflected in their third-quarter statement.
Visit pa529.com to learn more.
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Applications Open for Motorized Trails and Recreation Grants
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced it is accepting applications for snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, motorized trails and facilities-related project grants.
The program, now named the Motorized Trails and Recreation Program, awards grants from the ATV and Snowmobile Management Restricted Accounts for projects proposing land acquisition, planning, development, rehabilitation, maintenance, equipment purchase or relevant educational programs.
Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, and counties and municipalities in the Commonwealth.
Proposals must be submitted via DCNR’s online grant application portal by Wednesday, Sept. 30. Click here for additional information.
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