HARRISBURG—As Chairman of the Senate Aging & Youth Committee, Senator John DiSanto (Dauphin/Perry) held a voting meeting to consider bills that will re-establish adoption subsidies for foster youth as well as proposals to further assist Pennsylvania seniors with the cost of prescription medications.
SB 669, introduced by DiSanto, reinstates the Kinship Care and Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program. These programs encourage and promote the placement of children who haven’t found permanent adoptive homes.
“I was pleased to introduce and advance key legislation that builds positive connections between a child and their extended family network,” said DiSanto. “By ensuring federal adoption subsidies continue to support kinship care, we maintain important family connections.”
The three remaining bills considered by the committee ensure more Pennsylvania seniors are able to benefit from PACE and PACENET, which provide critical assistance with the cost of medications. These programs have helped millions of older Pennsylvanians afford prescription and drugs and are regarded as national models for pharmaceutical assistance programs.
HB 375 and HB 684 exclude from the definition of income any veterans’ disability payments or principal and interest accrued from savings bonds when determining eligibility for the programs. HB 754 extends a moratorium on increases in income due to a Social Security cost-of-living increase impacting eligiblity, in order to prevent nearly 10,000 seniors from becoming ineligible for PACE and PACENET.
All four bills received the committee’s unanimous support and advance to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT: Jonathan Humma jhumma@pasen.gov (717) 787-6801