In this update:

• Impacts of Cutting Food Stamps
• Headed to the NFL Draft?
• New Events at Northland Library

• Scholarship for Northgate Students
• Property Tax/Rent Rebates
• And so much more!

In case you haven’t heard – the NFL Draft will be here in Pittsburgh next week! While all events around the Draft are free, parking and traffic in North Shore and Downtown areas will be difficult. So, if you plan to attend Draft events, and I highly encourage you to check things out – especially on Saturday when Draft events are especially geared towards locals and families, make sure that you have a transportation plan. Check out special services during the Draft from Pittsburgh Regional Transit here. Do not drive.

My office will be working remotely Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24 to keep staff and constituents out of any Draft traffic congestion.

This week at the state Capitol, my colleagues and I passed over a dozen bills on issues including regulating data centers, protecting water access, diaper changing stations, and more. We also sent an outline of a budget over to the state Senate, doing our part to help avoid another lengthy impasse.

Bills passed by the House this week include but are not limited to:

H.B. 1541 – Ensuring fairness in construction contracts by voiding any provision in new construction contracts in which a party is excused from being held liable for damages resulting from that party's negligence and protecting contractors from being held liable for the negligence of others.

H.B. 1558 – Increase availability of diaper changing stations by requiring them to be included in new or totally renovated public restrooms in public buildings and larger stores and restaurants.

H.B. 1964 – Ensuring accountability in water utility acquisitions by placing a 12-month pause on the sale of public water and wastewater systems to private, for-profit companies so that water utility issues can be worked out.

H.B. 2150 – Requiring data centers to file annual reports with the state detailing energy and water consumption for the previous calendar year, including monthly data.

H.B. 2151 – Directing the Center for Local Government Services to develop a model zoning ordinance for data center proposals.

Remember that, in order to become law, these bills must also be passed by the state Senate and approved by the governor. Visit this page to read about the more than 300 bills we have sent to the Senate this session.

I’m honored to announce I have been appointed Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime & Corrections in the state House Judiciary Committee. As a lawyer and consistent advocate for criminal justice reform, I look forward to continuing the work to ensure our justice system is fair, accountable, focused on both safety and rehabilitation, and effective at reducing recidivism.

Following the passage of Trump and Congressional Republicans’ Budget Bill (H.R. 1) in July of last year, individuals who were previously exempt from work requirements including veterans, former foster youth who aged out of the system ages 18-24, and other low-income households are facing stricter eligibility requirements. The state House Human Services Committee met this week to examine the impacts this federal legislation is having on SNAP recipients in Pennsylvania. For example, H.R. 1 changed the criteria so that zero counties in Pennsylvania qualify for a waiver of these requirements despite high unemployment rates in certain, mostly rural, areas.

To maintain eligibility for SNAP benefits, many recipients, including our low-income veterans, former foster youth, some parents of minor children, and some seniors, now not only have to meet new requirements that include working, volunteering, or participating in an education or training program for at least 20 hours a week (or 80 hours each month) BUT ALSO MUST report that they are meeting these requirements.

If SNAP-eligible individuals meet these requirements but do not report that information to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS), they will lose SNAP benefits. Loss of SNAP benefits could also lead to the loss of other benefits for which individuals are automatically eligible by being SNAP recipients.

Please share this information with any SNAP recipients you know and visit this website to learn more.

Applications are open for the annual Bona Fide Bellevue Beacon Scholarship!

This $1,500 award is available to graduating Northgate students who plan to pursue post-secondary education, including college, university, technical school, or trade programs. The application deadline is May 15.

Join Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank at their future home in Bellevue to celebrate ten years! Get all the details here.

Northland Public Library has announced new events including a coin fair, wellness workshop, puzzle swap, and more.

Go to northlandlibrary.org to see everything happening at the library.

Have you applied for a Property Tax/Rent Rebate? My office helped local residents receive more than $265,000 through this program in 2025. Even if you didn’t qualify in the past, it’s worth checking again, as income limits are adjusted annually and more people become eligible every year.

Contact us today to see if you’re eligible for cash back on property taxes or rent you already paid.

If you have any questions about this email or need assistance with any state-related matter, my staff and I are here to help you however we can! Reach out at RepKinkead@pahouse.net or call 412-321-5523.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

116-B East Wing

Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-5470

District Office

658 Lincoln Ave.

Bellevue, PA 15202
(412) 321-5523

Unsubscribe from future updates