4 New PA Laws Signed This Week That Could Change Your Life

Governor Tom Wolf this week signed four significant pieces of legislation, including laws that govern health care, education for military families, the state's agricultural industry, and occupational license reforms.

Wolf signed House Bill 3 on Tuesday, creating an online health care exchange operated by the state in lieu of the federal government.

On Monday, Wolf signed the PA GI Bill, which provides no-cost education to family members of National Guard members.

The Governor on Monday also signed the Pennsylvania Farm Bill to improve resources for the state's agricultural industry.

Additionally, an occupational license reform law aimed to attract new workers to the state was signed this week and will take effect in 60 days.

Here are the details on the laws signed this week:

House Bill 3

This law creates an online health insurance exchange operated by the state in lieu of the federal government. Lawmakers say the legislation will create lower premiums and increased access to health insurance.

Wolf called it a "huge step toward making health insurance affordable" for residents.

The combined savings and anticipated federal government reinsurance contribution will save Pennsylvanian consumers up to $250 million in annual health insurance premiums, the governor's office has said.

The state-based exchange is expected to be operational as soon as Jan. 1, 2021.

PA GI Bill

House Bill 1324, known as the PA GI Bill, will allow spouses and children of Pennsylvania National Guard members to attend college at no or reduced cost.

The PA GI Bill is the first program of its kind in the nation and would allow Pennsylvania National Guard members who commit to an additional six years of service to receive five years of higher education benefits for their spouses and children.

The program will provide for 10 semesters of tuition-free education for the family member.

"The benefit must be used at a Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency approved educational institution, and at the tuition rate set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education," information from Wolf's office said.

“Our Pennsylvania National Guard members and their families sacrifice so much for the people of our Commonwealth that this seemed like a commonsense way to show a measure of our appreciation,” bill co-sponsor Rep. Mark Gillen said in a statement. “The sentiment behind this bill can be summed up in two words: thank you.”

Lawmakers estimate the new law could benefit up to 8,000 military family members.

Pennsylvania Farm Bill

The PA Farm Bill will make $23.1 million in strategic investments to expand agricultural business opportunities and foster corresponding educational programs. Funding and tax credits will provide for education, business planning, expanded processing operations, and more.

Some highlights include:

• Invest $2 million to create the Agriculture Business Development Center to support business planning, marketing, diversification, and transition planning services to Pennsylvania farmers.
• Create a realty transfer tax exemption for any transfer of preserved farmland to a qualified beginning farmer.
• Create the PA Farm to School Grant Program, funded at $500,000, for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students to support increased nutrition and agriculture education
• Expand the allowable width for use of implements of agriculture husbandry from 16 feet to 18 feet.
• Expand Resource Enhancement and Protection Tax Credits by $3 million to raise the lifetime cap and increase availability.
• Expand Pennsylvania’s Dairy Investment Program, funded at $5 million, to support innovation, value-added processing, marketing, and organic transitions in the dairy industry.
• Utilize $500,000 to incentivize access to meat processing inspections for small farmers or butchers to reimburse costs for federal inspection compliance to access new markets.
• Invest $1 million to create the Center for Animal Agriculture Excellence, which will assist with expanding processing capacity, providing technical assistance and resources for food safety compliance and establishing hemp as an approved animal feed.
• Direct $1.6 million in funding to support PA Preferred and create the PA Preferred Organic Initiative to enhance the growth of the organic sector.
• Continue the fight against the Spotted Lanternfly and create the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account, funded at $4 million, to provide a quick response to the next agricultural disaster, whether animal health, plant health, or foodborne illness.

Act 41 of 2019

This new law "cuts bureaucratic red tape" to make it easier for new Pennsylvanians with an out-of-state occupational license to get a job.

The bill will provide for sweeping licensing reforms. Time-consuming delays in workers getting licensed have caused military spouses and other workers moving to Pennsylvania to lose income and career opportunities, Wolf said. It also has reduced the pool of talented workers for businesses.

“This new law will reduce barriers for new Pennsylvanians to work here and shows this is a land of opportunity,” said Gov. Wolf. “Portability is especially helpful for members of the military and their spouses who frequently move between states in service of the country and often have difficulty quickly getting a license to work in their profession."