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November 3 is Election Day! Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

I encourage voters who already have their mail-in ballots to consider returning their completed ballots to a secure ballot drop box or election office to make sure they are received on time. Berks County has three secure ballot drop boxes open and available. Find drop box locations here.

Mail-in and absentee ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.

Under Pennsylvania law, voters must return their own ballots. The only exceptions to this are for voters with a disability who have designated someone in writing using the Designated Agent Form to deliver their ballot.

You can track the status of your mail-in or absentee ballot here.

As a reminder, my office will be closed on Tuesday, November 3 for Election Day. Make sure you have a plan to vote! Have election questions? Call 1-877-868-3772 for assistance.

I’m proud to share that Exeter Township School District was recently awarded a $624,074 grant to help them implement structured literacy curriculums across their classrooms!

The funding will help Jacksonwald, Lorane, and Owatin Creek elementary schools build the systems, instructional capacity, and evidence-based resources necessary to meet structured literacy requirements under the law.

Every child deserves a strong foundation in reading, and that starts with giving educators the tools and resources they need to help students succeed. I’m pleased to see this support going directly toward helping our local schools build the skills students need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Read more about the grant here: Rusnock applauds $624,074 investment in Exeter Township School District.

Last week, we passed legislation in the Pennsylvania House to expand access to preventive cancer screenings for eligible career and volunteer firefighters. These screenings can help detect cancer earlier, when treatment may be more effective.

Our firefighters put their health on the line every day to protect our families and communities. It’s our responsibility to help protect theirs.

It was an honor to stand with our firefighters at the Capitol alongside Bob Brooks and Mayor Sam Kaag to support this important effort. Thank you to all our firefighters for your service and sacrifice!

On Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the “bell to bell” cell phone ban into law. This would require Pennsylvania schools to adopt policies prohibiting students from using cell phones throughout the school day. Schools will be required to have their policies in place for the 2027-28 school year.

Many school districts in our area have already taken steps to limit cell phone use during the school day, and this new law will create a consistent statewide policy. The goal is to reduce distractions and help students stay focused on learning and connecting with their classmates.

Thanks to our efforts at the State Capitol, Pennsylvanians will now have greater transparency when artificial intelligence is used in advertising. Gov. Shapiro signed SB 806 into law, requiring advertisers to clearly disclose when AI-generated or AI-modified images, video or audio are used in a way that could mislead consumers about a product or service.

This new law is aimed at protecting consumers and helping Pennsylvanians make informed decisions as AI-generated content becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic content.

The House also passed these bills, which are now pending in the State Senate. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on November 17.

Establishing safety standards for e-scooters (HB 1633)

• The bill sets up a framework for legal operation of electric scooters statewide. It also allows shared e-scooter programs in cities except for Philadelphia. E-scooters are lightweight vehicles with handlebars and electric motors. The bill lays out safety measures and requirements for sharing the road.
• Use of both shared and personal e-scooters is limited to streets and bike paths, and riders must be at least 16. Those under 18 must wear helmets.

Providing a user-friendly database about utility rates (HB 2584)

• The bill requires the Public Utility Commission to maintain an online public database of utility rates and proposed rate increases.

Shielding tenants during extreme weather (HB 2023)

• The bill lets judges delay evictions of tenants enrolled in seven federal assistance programs during official warnings of extreme heat, cold or severe storms.

Protecting privacy by limiting use of license plate readers (HB 2771)

• The bill restricts the use of automated license plate reader systems to search for missing persons, stolen vehicles, or as part of felony investigations. With specific exceptions, captured data must be deleted after 72 hours. ALPRs also may be used in parking enforcement and controlling access to secure areas.
• To guard against tracking someone’s everyday movements, the bill requires an entity that manually searches ALPR data to record the reason for the query.

On Tuesday, I joined House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris, my fellow Berks County representatives, local business leaders and stakeholders for a tour throughout the City of Reading. We visited several local projects and discussed what we can do to ensure the support continues to flow to our area.

These conversations are vital to understanding the challenges facing our communities and identifying opportunities to invest in the projects and programs that make a difference in people’s lives.

I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to share their perspectives and showcase the important work happening throughout Reading. I look forward to continuing these conversations and working together to keep Berks County moving forward!

It was a beautiful day for Trunk or Treat in Laureldale! As the tooth fairy, I was sure to hand out lots of toothbrushes with those sweet treats!

Thank you to everyone who came out and to the organizers who made this such a fun community event. I loved seeing so many smiling faces and celebrating Halloween with our wonderful community.

I recently had the privilege to join other educational advocates for the ribbon cutting at Berks County Intermediate Unit’s new facility on Centre Avenue.

Investing in our children means investing in our future. More than 150 children will be receiving life-changing services here and I could not be more excited to hear about the incredible outcomes!

I’m so grateful to the dedicated educators, therapists, and staff who work every day to ensure our children have the resources and support they need to thrive.

My team and I are ready to help you with a range of services, including filing for your Property Tax/Rent Rebate, help with PennDOT and unemployment services.

Please stop by my office (4933 Kutztown Road), call us at (610) 921-8921 or email RepRusnock@pahouse.net to learn more about the services we offer and get started!

District Office

4933 Kutztown Rd.
Temple, PA 19560

(610) 921-8921

Pennsylvania State Capitol
152 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 783-3290

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