Dear Neighbor,

The Senate had one job before tonight’s June 30 deadline: pass a state budget.

Instead, with the midnight deadline fast approaching, Senate leadership has already sent members home without sending a budget to the House 🤦🏽‍♂️

Image: The locked PA Senate Chamber this afternoon.

The House did its job more than two months ago by passing a responsible budget that invests in our public schools, helps hospitals and healthcare providers respond to cuts from Washington, supports community organizations, and lowers costs for working families.

Pennsylvanians don’t get to walk away from their responsibilities, and the Senate shouldn’t either. Schools, nonprofits, healthcare providers, local governments, and families are all waiting for the state to do its job.

While the Senate is away, the House is continuing to fight for lower costs, affordable health care, stronger communities, and an economy that works for everyone. Here’s a look at what we’ve been working on this week.

Warm regards,

Tarik

📞 215-482-8726
📧 RepKhan@pahouse.net
📍 4001 Main St., #101, Manayunk

IN THIS ISSUE:

🏛️ Fighting for You
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Helping You Pay for Child Care
🏥 Protecting Hospital Workers
👨🏽‍⚕️ Fighting for Affordable Health Care
🕊️ Building Peace Through Friendship
👩🏾‍⚕️ Expanding Mental Health Care
💰 Fighting for a $15 Minimum Wage
🌈 Pride Month
🎒 Back-to-School Supply Drive
🛟 Helping Teens Find Summer Jobs
💦 Heat Emergency Resources
💬 Last Word

🏛️Fighting for You

As we waited for the Senate to return a state budget, which has still not come, we continued advancing legislation to protect Pennsylvanians and strengthen our communities.

Communities deserve to know when a major data center is being planned in their neighborhood. That’s why we passed HB 2359 (Rep. Joe Ciresi) to prohibit secret non-disclosure agreements between developers and government agencies, ensuring greater transparency and giving residents a voice before projects move forward.

To help lower costs and protect consumers, the House passed HB 2512 (Rep. Andre Carroll) which bans rideshare companies from using your personal data to charge you more for the exact same ride. Big corporations shouldn’t be allowed to squeeze more money out of working people just because an algorithm thinks they can get away with it.

Image: Graphic of Rep Waxman & Carroll about surveillance pricing.

We passed HB 2559 which includes my legislation authorizing property conveyances for Gaudenzia and the Philadelphia Nursing Home with Reps. Izzy Smith Wade-El and Keith Harris.

Image: Testifying in committee for Gaudenzia and Philadelphia Nursing Home conveyances.

We also advanced several good government and public safety measures, including HB 2037 (Rep. Waxman) to prohibit public officials from personally profiting from digital assets they create or promote while in office, HB 1700 (Rep. Markosek) to allow people with communication barriers to voluntarily add a designation to their driver’s license so law enforcement can better recognize and respond to their needs, SB 1294 (Sen. Ward) to strengthen oversight of commercial driving schools by imposing significant penalties on unlicensed operators.

We also passed two bills from my colleague Rep Greg Scott (D-Montgomery): HB 2529 to classify medetomidine as a Schedule III controlled substance in response to its increasing misuse in the illicit drug supply while preserving access for legitimate veterinary care, and HB 2014 (Rep. Scott) to give teenage volunteer firefighters more flexibility to participate in supervised evening training, helping recruit and prepare the next generation of first responders.

Image: Grabbing a bite to eat after last week’s PA House Appropriations Committee meeting, with Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis.

Finally, we advanced several additional measures to strengthen Pennsylvania and invest in our future, including HB 2455 (Rep. Mazzocco) supporting collective bargaining rights for Pittsburgh school administrators, HB 2644 (Rep. Neilson) authorizing funding for bridge construction and repairs across the Commonwealth, HB 2499 (Rep. Kosierowski) updating investment rules for the State Workers’ Insurance Fund, and HB 733 (Rep. McNeill) expanding who may perform marriages.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Helping Pennsylvania Families Drowning in Child Care Costs

The cost of childcare has become one of the biggest financial burdens facing working families in Pennsylvania. For many parents, it is forcing impossible choices between staying in the workforce, paying the bills, or putting off plans to grow their family.

That’s why I joined Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes in introducing legislation to modernize Pennsylvania’s Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit.

Current law is based on childcare costs from decades ago, even though the average cost of infant care in Pennsylvania is now nearly $15,000 per year. Our bill would remove outdated limits on eligible childcare expenses for families with children under age seven, allowing the tax credit to better reflect what families actually pay. As a result, many eligible families could see their tax credit increase several times over compared to what they receive today.

Making childcare more affordable helps parents remain in the workforce, strengthens our economy, and makes Pennsylvania a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Every family deserves a fair chance to succeed without being overwhelmed by the rising cost of childcare.

🏥 Protecting Healthcare Workers

I was recently interviewed by City & State Pennsylvania about the urgent need to address violence against healthcare workers. As a nurse practitioner, this issue is deeply personal.

I’m continuing to fight for my bills The Patient Safety Act to ensure safe staffing levels and The Hospital Worker Safety Grant Program to help hospitals invest in security improvements that protect patients and frontline caregivers. Healthcare workers deserve a safe workplace every time they report for duty. Read the article here or by clicking the image below.

Image: Following the Patient Safety Act’s passage last session.

👨🏽‍⚕️Fighting for Affordable Healthcare

The One Big Beautiful Bill is expected to cause around 300,000 Pennsylvanians to lose their Medicaid coverage through new work reporting requirements and additional bureaucratic hurdles. That’s why Governor Josh Shapiro has joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging these harmful rules.

As a nurse practitioner, I’ve seen what happens when people lose health coverage. Delayed care leads to worse health outcomes and higher costs for everyone. I’ll keep fighting to protect Medicaid and ensure every Pennsylvanian can get the care they need.

🕊️ Building Peace Through Friendship

It was an honor to join Peace Islands for its second annual bipartisan Friendship Dinner celebrating Eid al-Adha. I’m grateful for my partnership with Peace Islands PA, a nonprofit based here in East Falls, and the opportunity to work together to promote interfaith dialogue, build relationships, deepen understanding, and strengthen connections across faiths and cultures.

Image: With guests at Friendship Dinner.

During my remarks, I reflected on the words of President Jimmy Carter, who reminded us that “peace is active, not passive… peace, like war, is waged.”

Those words are a powerful reminder that peace requires all of us to build relationships, listen, learn, and work together every day. Thank you to Peace Islands PA for your continued leadership in bringing our communities together and helping build a more peaceful and united Pennsylvania!

👩🏽‍⚕️ Expanding Access to Mental Health Care in PA!

The House gave final approval to SB 604, legislation that will allow Pennsylvania to join the National Counseling Compact. Once signed into law by Josh Shapiro, licensed professional counselors will be able to practice more easily across state lines, helping strengthen our mental health workforce and improve access to care for patients across the Commonwealth.

As demand for mental health services continues to grow, this is a commonsense step to help connect more Pennsylvanians with the care they need.

$7.25 - Twenty Years is Long Enough

Last week, I joined colleagues to mark an unfortunate milestone: 20 years since Pennsylvania last raised the minimum wage. While the cost of housing, groceries, healthcare, and childcare has soared, our minimum wage has remained stuck at $7.25 an hour.

That’s why I’m proud to lead legislation with Reps. Jason Dawkins, G. Roni Green, Jordan Harris, and Napoleon Nelson to finally raise the minimum wage and give counties the option to increase it to $15 an hour, with future increases tied to the cost of living. The bill has passed the House and now awaits action in the Senate.

Click here or on the image below to see a brief video about why we need to raise the wage in PA.

Image: With Rep. Green and other supporters of minimum wage at this week's rally.

Working full time should be enough to support yourself and your family. Twenty years is long enough. It’s time to raise the minimum wage.

Pride Month in the PA Capitol

This week, House Democrats came together for a photo representing the colors of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag in celebration of Pride Month.

The colors of the Pride flag symbolize values like life, healing, harmony, and hope. As we celebrate the many contributions of LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians, we also recognize that too many still face discrimination and unequal treatment.

Image: Photo of PA House members wearing colors of the rainbow.

This photo was a symbol of our solidarity and our commitment to continue advocating for policies that protect dignity, equality, and opportunity for everyone.

🎒Donate to Local Students

Help local students start the school year ready to learn!

The Philadelphia Police Department’s 5th District is collecting school supplies for Northern Children’s Services’ Back-to-School Event. Donations of notebooks, pencils, folders, backpacks, and other school essentials can be dropped off over the next several weeks at the 5th District station at Ridge Avenue and Cinnaminson Street.

Every donation, big or small, helps ensure a child starts the school year with the tools and confidence they need to succeed. Thank you for supporting our community!

Image: School supply collection box at 5th Police District.

Summer Jobs & Opportunities for Teens

Looking for a productive way to keep your kids busy this summer? Philadelphia offers paid jobs, internships, and career training opportunities for young people ages 12–24. Programs like Career Connected Learning PHL (C2L-PHL), the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN), and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation help young people earn a paycheck, build valuable job skills, explore future careers, and strengthen their résumés.

Image: PPR Summer Lifeguards.

Many positions are still available, including lifeguard jobs with free certification training. It’s a great opportunity to help your child gain experience while making the most of their summer.

To explore available programs and apply, visit the Cap4Kids Teen Jobs resource page by clicking here!

Summer Heat Advisory

🥵 A Heat Health Emergency has been declared for Philadelphia for Wednesday, July 1.

Please take precautions and check in on older adults, neighbors, and anyone without air conditioning.

💧 Stay hydrated.
🏠 Spend time in air-conditioned spaces.
☀️ Limit outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day.
🚗 Never leave children or pets in a parked car.

Need a cool place to go? Call 311 to find the nearest cooling center. You can also call the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Heatline at 215-765-9040 to speak with a nurse or get heat safety information. If you or someone else is experiencing a heat-related medical emergency, call 911 immediately.

💬 Last Word

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation this Fourth of July, I’m reminded that America was founded on ideals that continue to guide my work every day. Our founders declared, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These values are the foundation for which I fight to lower costs, expand access to health care, strengthen our public schools, and make sure everyone has a fair opportunity to build a good life and pursue the American Dream— just as my dad did when he came to this country from Pakistan more than half a century ago.

Image: My parents shortly after their wedding, around the bicentennial.

As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I remain committed to doing my part to help Pennsylvania live up to those enduring ideals.

Happy Independence Day, and happy 250th birthday, America! 🇺🇸

All my best,

Tarik