Harrisburg – July 12, 2024 − The co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery), Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Rep. Gina H. Curry (D-Delaware) and Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery) issued the following statement in response to the completion of the FY 2024-25 state budget:
“The Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus is happy to report that yesterday, after weeks of lengthy negotiations, our state legislature and the Shapiro Administration completed the state budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. This budget was a bipartisan effort on all fronts, and we were proud to fight for investments that would benefit women, families, and LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians across our Commonwealth.
We’ll start with some of the most exciting news to come out of this year’s budget: $3 million to provide free menstrual products in Pennsylvania schools and over $2.5 million for the implementation of strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. We cannot overstate the positive impacts these new investments will have on our Commonwealth’s women and girls.
Other notable investments the Women’s Health Caucus is proud to see included in this year’s budget include appropriations of federal block grant funds for childcare providers participating in the Childcare Works program, a $526 million increase in Ready to Learn funding, and an employee child day care contribution tax credit. Further, this budget invests an additional $20 million in county-administered mental health services. Our Commonwealth will also see investments in safety and justice initiatives that benefit women and families: over $56 million for gun violence prevention, a $2.5 million increase in funding for domestic violence programs and services, a $2.5 million increase for legal services programs, and $1 million for human trafficking enforcement and prevention.
We are proud to have fought for this year’s funding, yet it is important to acknowledge that this budget is not perfect. Our caucus is all too familiar with the missed opportunities for investments in essential initiatives such as paid family leave, addressing the childcare worker and teacher shortage, raising the minimum wage, and access to contraceptives. We would have liked to have seen proper funding for initiatives like these, but rest assured that this year’s budget wins leave us feeling energized and ready to build on this momentum. The Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus is proud to continue the fight for our Commonwealth’s women, families, and LGBTQ+ community in every state budget to come.”