The Pennsylvania Senate has approved a bill to continue funding counties, school districts, and social service providers at last year’s budget levels while negotiations on the final state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 are ongoing. Senator Chris Gebhard (R-48) said the move would ensure that essential services remain funded without requiring new taxes.
“Senate Republicans remain committed to passing a budget that respects taxpayers and lives within our means. This bill ensures vital services remain funded, but we cannot keep writing checks without knowing how to cover them. As a business owner, I can tell you that’s not how the real world works, and it’s certainly not how Pennsylvania families run their households,” said Gebhard.
If approved by the House, Senate Bill 160 would allow the state to disburse nearly $47.6 billion based on last year’s spending plan.
Gebhard added, “Despite our differences, all sides agree on many parts of the budget. We should release funding for schools, hospitals, counties and nonprofits now while we continue working toward a final budget agreement.”
The Senate also advanced close to $1.2 billion in new funding for Pennsylvania’s transportation system, which includes mass transit and roadways. Of this amount, about $840 million will be redirected from the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF), which currently holds a balance of $2.4 billion.
In addition to increased funding for transportation projects, the legislation introduces several reforms aimed at SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). These measures include reauthorizing a special prosecutor for crimes on SEPTA property; banning ‘safe-injection’ areas near SEPTA facilities; imposing stricter penalties for those convicted of assaulting SEPTA staff; and implementing programs designed to reduce fare evasion.
“The unfortunate reality is that SEPTA has sat on billions of dollars in the PTTF for years, while choosing to manufacture a crisis now,” Gebhard said. “Hiding this money from the legislature and the public, especially when our state is faced with a structural deficit, raises serious concerns. This bill also includes critical reforms for SEPTA, such as mandatory fare increases so they do not continue to rely on state bailouts.”
