2022-23 State Budget

Pre-K Thru 12 Education

• $1.55 billion increase in funding for basic education
  • $1.25 billion to be run through the Basic Education Funding Formula
  • $300 million in Level Up funding to the 100 highest‐need school districts
• $200 million increase for special education to be run through the Special Education Funding Formula
• Over $70 million in additional funding for early childhood education
• $60 million increase for Pre‐K Counts
• $10 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
• $1.2 million in funding to expand access to Early Intervention tracking by adding postpartum depression as a category for early intervention
• $6.1 million increase for Career and Technical Education
• $7 million transfer to the Empowerment Restricted Account for assistance to designated schools

Post-Secondary and Adult Education

• $500,000 additional investment in Adult and Family Literacy Programs
• $12.262 million increase for community colleges, plus an additional $2.604 million for the Community College Capital Fund
• $75 million increase for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)
• Increased support for state‐related universities and technical colleges:
  • $13.442 million increase for the Pennsylvania State University, including support for the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
  • $7.742 million increase for the University of Pittsburgh, including Rural Education Outreach funding
  • $7.910 million increase for Temple University
  • $758,000 increase for Lincoln University
  • $935,000 increase for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
• Increased funding for PHEAA programs, including nearly $40 million to continue current grant levels, $10.825 million in Ready to Succeed Scholarships, a $1.5 million increase for Cheyney Keystone Honors Program and $663,000 for Institutional Assistance Grants
• Invests a total of $200 million (ARPA dollars + a redirected portion of Race HorseDevelopment Funds) for the Nellie Bly Tuition Program, which would provide financial assistance for PASSHE and community college students whose focus involves programs in high‐need sectors of the commonwealth, such as healthcare, education and public service
• Directs $1 million to establish the Hunger‐Free Campus Initiative which provides grants to reduce college hunger and food insecurity
• $500,000 increase for the “It’s on Us” campaign to combat campus sexual assault

• Increases the Department of Labor & Industry’s General Government Operations (GGO) appropriation by $3.2 million for a new statewide data system to link data sets across the childcare, education, and workforce continuum to better understand outcomes and inform decision making.
• Makes significant state funding investments in economic and workforce development initiatives in the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED)
  • An additional $18 million in support for the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Fund and its efforts to support technology, innovation and business startups.
  • Includes $1.5 million for new competitive grants to Industrial Resource Centers for innovative service delivery.
  • Includes $1.5 million for new competitive grants to organizations under Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) to foster partnerships with higher education institutions.
  • $2.35 million in state funding to enhance efforts of the Invent Penn State program, supporting entrepreneurs and fostering cross‐sector collaborations.
• Includes $30 million under the Department of General Services (DGS) to provide access to high‐quality, low‐cost childcare for commonwealth employees through both sponsored facilities and the option of a progressive subsidy to be used toward care at a facility of choice.

Department of Aging

• $667,000 in additional Lottery Funds to provide additional Department of Aging resources for older adult protective services.

Department of Health (DOH)

• Nearly $4 million in increased funding for Department of Health operations to enhance public health infrastructure.
• An additional $7.2 million for county and municipal health departments under Act 315, bringing state support to the $6 maximum per capita grant per statute.
• A new $5 million appropriation in the Department of Health to support gene therapy research.
• Addresses cost concerns around new DOH skilled nursing facility staffing regulations by providing $190.1 million in total funds ($91.25 million state funds) to adjust Medical Assistance rates for skilled nursing facility providers beginning in January 2023 and $14 million for the six commonwealth veterans’ homes.

Department of Human Services (DHS)

• The proposed budget assumes the expiration of the federal public health emergency (PHE) for the new fiscal year, resulting in state expenditures temporarily offset by an additional federal match to be covered with General Funds.
  • The department’s state expenditures increase by a total of nearly $2.2 billion to account for this shift in funding.
• As a criterion for receiving the enhanced federal match during the PHE, states were required to maintain pre‐pandemic program levels, including no redeterminations that result in an enrollee losing benefits.
  • With the assumed expiration of the PHE, the proposed budget books a net savings of over $446 million due to redeterminations impacting caseloads.
• $1.7 million in additional operating resources for DHS for licensing, budgeting, and program support, including the development of a child welfare crisis response team.
• Sufficient funding to implement extended maternal post‐partum coverage in the Medical Assistance program from 60 to 365 days.
• State funding in the MA Workers with Disabilities appropriation to implement the Workers with Job Success Program per Act 69 of 2021.
• Bolster long‐term care and home and community‐based services:
  • $280,000 for an Agency With Choice initiative to build upon training resources for home and community‐based service workers. This initiative is billed as allowing participants to choose their direct care workers while having the support of a provider agency.
  • $4.4 million to provide LIFE program long‐term care managed care services to an additional 372 Pennsylvanians
  • $50 million to increase supplementary payments to personal care homes.
• $14.3 million in state funding to provide an increase in the minimum monthly SNAP benefit for elderly or disabled individuals.
• Invest in Mental Health Services with $36.652 million to restore two‐thirds of base funding to counties.
• Continued investments in community‐based care for individuals with intellectual disabilities:
  • $1.25 million to transition 20 individuals currently living in state hospitals to community settings (CHIPPs)
  • $18.8 million to provide services to individuals on the emergency waiting list in the ID Community Waiver program
  • $5.2 million to transition additional individuals from intermediate care facilities to the ID Community Waiver program
• $1.8 million to expand court appointed special advocates (CASA) programming statewide
• $15 million to expand access to evidence‐based home visiting programs

• A combined state increase of $2.5 million is spread amongst the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)’s General Government Operations (GGO), State Parks and State Forests appropriations for additional staff to support outdoor management, recreation, and safety.
• $5 million in state funds within a new Forest Pest Management appropriation in DNCR for monitoring and control of insect threats for forest health.
• An additional $5 million in state funds within the Environmental Program Management appropriation in the Department of Environmental Protection
  (DEP) to fund new positions to fulfill critical programmatic and operational needs related to supporting clean water, waterways, and wetlands.
  Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) and Hydrogen –An additional
  $100,000 through DCED’s GGO appropriation to support a strategic plan for industrial sector decarbonization through the deployment of CCUS and hydrogen technologies in the commonwealth.
• A new $10 million General Fund transfer to the Recycling Fund to account for solvency issues.
• DEP will receive a significant infusion of new federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for areas including orphan well plugging, energy programs, electric grid resilience, energy efficiency and conservation, abandoned mine reclamation and assistance for small and disadvantaged communities.

• A $5 million increase for the Violence Intervention and Prevention Program at PCCD for grants and technical assistance to support community‐led gun violence prevention efforts. Total available funds will increase to $35 million.
• A $10 million transfer for PCCD’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
• $1 million to establish an Indigent Defense Fund at PCCD.  Funds will be used to provide fair and adequate legal representation to indigent defendants.
• $1 million through PCCD for reentry services at the local level for women returning to their community to give them the best opportunity to start fresh and reduce recidivism.
• To provide additional technical assistance to county juvenile probation offices and improve consistency between counties, an additional $425,000 is included for the Juvenile Court Judges Commission for increased staffing resources.
• $45 million for the School Safety and Security Grant Program at PCCD. The program awards grants to schools for security upgrades and behavioral programing.
• $141 million in General Fund dollars to the Pennsylvania State Police to reduce the reliance on the Motor License Fund and to support two new cadet classes with a target of graduating 300 new troopers.
• $7.7 million in funding for technology necessary to increase public and law enforcement officer safety by increasing the use of mobile video recorders and body worn cameras.
• $7.1 million in the Mental Health Services appropriation (Department of Human Services) to provide placements for hard‐to‐place individuals leaving correctional facilities.

• Includes state match funding in some operating lines to maximize federal infrastructure investment funding.
• An increase of $1.598 million for PENNVET’s Center for Infectious Disease.
• Increased investment of $3.5 million for Agricultural Preparedness and Response for monitoring and responding to the impacts of invasive species.
• An additional $2 million for the Department of Agriculture’s State Food Purchase Program (PASS).
• $250,000 in additional state funding under DCED to support activities of America250PA, the organization spearheading PA’s celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States.
• Additional investments for election related activities. This investment includes an increase of $41,000 to increase resources for voter registration efforts, $2 million for a voter outreach campaign and $3.575 million to increase resources for modernizing Pennsylvania’s elections and notary licensing.
• Increased supports for veterans:
  • $500,000 in the PA VETConnect system to establish resources, connect partners, and directly assist veterans and their advocates.
  • $284,000 for the DMVA Veteran Service Officer Grant program.
  • $445,000 to pilot a two‐part model to enhance wellness and prevent suicide in active‐duty PA National Guard members by using best practices and evidence‐based assessments and interventions.