Governor Shapiro's Fiscally Responsible, Balanced Budget

• Delivering on K-12 Education & Ensuring Pennsylvania Students Have the Freedom to Chart Their Own Course and the Opportunities to Succeed

  Real opportunity begins in our classrooms.
   
  This budget makes the largest investment in Commonwealth history in K-12 public education – $1.11 billion in additional funding – and drives those dollars out in a more equitable manner to the schools that need it most.
   
  It makes targeted investments to help our students and support educators, makes another $100 million available for student mental health, invests in environmental repairs to make schools safe and healthy for students, and doubles the amount of funding for student teacher stipends.
   
  It also secures a critically-needed $17.7 million increase in early childhood education, a $100 million cyber charter reimbursement, and a $100 million increase for special education funding, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to equitable education for all students.

• Making Pennsylvania Competitive: Spurring Economic Growth and Development

  Over the last five years Pennsylvania’s neighbors, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey all committed more resources to economic development than Pennsylvania. Ohio has one-and-a-half million fewer people than Pennsylvania, yet they invested over seven times more in economic development.
   
  This budget makes significant investments to support the Governor’s plan to give Pennsylvania a competitive edge economically, empowering us to attract business and create good-paying jobs all across the Commonwealth.
   
  It funds key pieces of the Governor’s economic development strategy, including an historic $500 million investment in site development, more funding to improve and modernize permitting at DEP, $10 million to boost innovation in agriculture, $20 million to develop and improve our Main Streets, and $20 million to support historically disadvantaged businesses.

• Supporting Our Workforce and Opening Doors of Opportunity

  This budget opens doors of economic opportunity and gives Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course by investing in all paths to success, from vo-tech and apprenticeship programs to college and continuing education.
   
  It doubles the amount of funding for student teacher stipends, provides $2 million in first-time state funding for nursing apprenticeships, and includes $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.
   
  The budget includes a $30 million increase in vo-tech and Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs, and continues Governor Shapiro’s work to invest in apprenticeship programs, building on the nearly 40 new apprenticeship programs approved in his first year in office.
   
  On top of that, Governor Shapiro has made higher education a priority in Pennsylvania for the first time in nearly three decades. This budget builds a stronger higher education sector that delivers real opportunity for our students and contributes to our Commonwealth’s economic success for generations to come – and it invests over $120 million to make higher education more affordable for Pennsylvania students.

• Investing in Affordable Housing

  Governor Shapiro knows Pennsylvanians are worried about high costs – that’s why he’s worked to cut costs and put more money back in Pennsylvanians’ pockets.
   
  This budget makes critical investments in housing, including raising the PHARE cap to $100 million by 2026, nearly doubling the Commonwealth’s investment in building more affordable housing at a time when families are struggling with the high cost of renting or owning a home.
   
  To keep more Pennsylvanians in their homes and ensure their constitutional rights are protected, this budget includes the first-ever state investment in access to counsel for those facing eviction proceedings. It also provides $2.5 million to create a Local Government Emergency Housing Support program for our cities and counties.

• Protecting Health Care and Delivering for Seniors

  This budget will help ensure Pennsylvanians have access to quality, affordable health care by delivering $34.5 million in support for rural hospitals, investing in nursing homes and care workers, doubling our investment in maternal health, and funding free pads and tampons in our schools.
   
  It also helps to ensure Pennsylvania seniors are able to live out their golden years with dignity by investing $2.95 million to support the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s implementation of the Aging Our Way, PA strategic plan.
   
  This budget creates the first-ever Alzheimer’s Division within the Department of Aging and invests $75 million in increased funding for the care of seniors and adults with disabilities living in skilled nursing facilities.
   
  It also invests in mental health services at the county level, including $20 million in community-based services and funding for walk-in mental health crisis stabilization centers.

• Supporting Pennsylvania's Intellectual Disability and Autism Community and Direct Support Professionals

  Governor Shapiro’s budget isn’t just a bunch of numbers on a spreadsheet – it’s a statement of values, principles, and of our commitment to our fellow Pennsylvanians.
   
  This budget includes an unprecedented investment in the intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) community, committing $354.8 million in state and federal funding for home and community-based service providers.
   
  This includes $280 million to help raise wages for the direct support professionals who care for our neighbors and $74.8 million to begin the process of clearing the emergency wait list entirely.
   
  For years, the ID/A community has demanded real help, and this budget finally stands up for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and the direct support professionals who care for them.

• Supporting Law Enforcement and Creating Safer Communities

  Governor Shapiro believes Pennsylvanians deserve to be safe and feel safe in their communities – that’s why this budget funds our Pennsylvania State Police and makes critical investments in gun violence prevention efforts.
   
  It funds nearly 400 more State Troopers, invests $45 million in proven community-based programs to reduce violence, and creates safe environments for young people by funding afterschool programs through the $11.5 million Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) initiative.
   
  The budget increases much-needed funding for domestic violence services and provides a $5 million increase for nonprofit security grant funding.