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Mobile Office Hours – Times & Locations! Dear Friend, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This annual reminder is so important because it prompts us to stop putting off scheduling our mammogram. While we all have a lot going on in our lives, we know that early detection decreases mortality for women with breast cancer. To state the obvious: the goal of breast cancer screening is to reduce deaths from breast cancer by detecting it early when treatment is more effective and less harmful. According to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, mammography is the best test proven to reduce breast cancer mortality. Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of new cancer diagnoses and is the second leading cause of cancer related death among women in the United States. And we know that mammography screening decreases breast cancer deaths by roughly a third in all women ages 40 and over. It’s important to speak with your physician about any concerns or questions you may have about your health but if its been over a year since your last mammography, October is a great month to get it scheduled. Sincerely,
In this Update:
My Legislation to Provide Lifetime No-Contact Orders for Victims Passes Senate
This week, my legislation entitled Kayleigh’s Law to provide lifetime no-contact orders for victims of certain serious or violent offenses passed the Senate. Senate Bill 1484 was named after Kayleigh Kozak, who spoke up about her coach sexually abusing her when she was in sixth grade. It allows a judge, upon the request of the victim or prosecutor, to issue a permanent order prohibiting the defendant from contacting the victim. Kayleigh is an extraordinary young woman. No victim should ever have to return to court repeatedly to renew a no-contact order or continue reliving their trauma to maintain these essential protections. Under current law, victims must go to court to renew no-contact protections each time they expire. Without renewal, an offender may once again attempt to contact the victim, even though the conviction, and the harm that made the protection necessary, has not changed. Unwanted contact can retraumatize victims and force them back into court to maintain a boundary the criminal justice system has already determined is necessary. This is especially true for survivors of rape and other sexually violent offenses, including offenses involving the abuse or exploitation of children. Under Senate Bill 1484, the order would prohibit direct and indirect contact, including contact through another person or by electronic or digital means. Senate Approves Stronger Reporting Requirements for AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
The Senate voted unanimously this week to better protect young people against the serious threats posed by child sexual abuse materials generated using artificial intelligence (AI). House Bill 2474 would require mandated reporters to report all instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) they become aware of, including those produced by a minor. This applies to teachers, childcare workers, health care providers, and other individuals responsible for caring for children. The legislation, which was introduced in April 2026, mirrors the language in Senate Bill 1050, a bill I introduced in October 2025 with Senators Scott Martin (R-13) and Lisa Baker (R-20) that ultimately passed the Senate in November 2025. Sadly, today our children are being targeted in new ways that weren’t even possible just a few years ago. Online predators using technology to manipulate and exploit our kids is the new reality. Mandated reporting of CSAM ensures our kids are better protected from these atrocious acts. In the past several years, the Senate has already taken important steps to combat the issue of sexually explicit materials created through AI by passing my legislation Act 125 of 2024 and Act 35 of 2025, which addressed deepfakes and sexual deepfakes. The Senate has also approved my legislation banning nudification applications from being made available in Pennsylvania (Senate Bill 1368) and preventing harmful interactions with AI chatbots (Senate Bill 1090). HB 2474 was sent back to the House of Representatives to concur with Senate amendments. Bill to Improve Rape Kit Testing Backlog Heads for Enactment
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved legislation I introduced with Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) and Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) to expedite the testing of rape kits, moving it a step closer to enactment. Senate Bill 1212 requires that sexual assault evidence that has been collected but has not yet undergone DNA testing or other appropriate forensic analysis be treated consistently across Pennsylvania. Survivors’ evidence should not sit untested due to inconsistent local practices. By clarifying the law, Senate Bill 1212 seeks to strengthen accountability, improve consistency in the handling and tracking of sexual assault evidence, and support survivors’ ability to access information about their cases. For years, Pennsylvania has worked to address the backlog of untested sexual assault evidence kits and ensure survivors receive the urgency, dignity and transparency they deserve. Through Act 122 of 2024, the commonwealth advanced a statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system to help survivors better understand the status of their kits throughout the process. However, as identified in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s annual report, gaps in current law continue to contribute to delays. The Senate passed the measure unanimously in June. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature. Senator for a Day
I was pleased to host numerous school districts from the 24th District for our Senator for a Day program. The students considered numerous bills in committee, worked across the aisle with other student senators and passed bills. Thank you to our school districts who were able to participate in the program!
Scouting America’s Camp Garrison
This week, I stopped by Scouting America’s Camp Garrison, Musser Scout Reservation to see the site of a major project that received state funding. I was pleased to award a total of $190,000 to help the Scouts make much‑needed repairs to their on‑site wastewater system. The Scouts give our youth great opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. A big thank you to Cradle of Liberty Council for hosting me! First in Math Hands On! Kits for All Elementary Schools in the 24th District
I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new program in partnership with First In Math®, supported by state funding I secured through the 2026-27 Commonwealth Budget for elementary schools across the 24th Senate District. A total of $135,000 will be used to provide First In Math Hands On! Ten Wheel Kits to more than 8,000 students in first- through third-grade classrooms in public and non-public elementary schools across the district, at no cost to the schools. Nearly 450 elementary classrooms across the district in grades 1 through 3 will receive the kits. These Hands On! kits are designed to turn practice into teamwork and to help make math fun. My Veterans Day of Caring Resolution Passes Senate
November 17, 2026, is now designated as “Veterans Day of Caring” in Pennsylvania. Fighting for Affordable Energy
Rising energy costs have put added pressure on Pennsylvania families and businesses and must be addressed. This legislative session, I made it a priority to prevent new energy taxes and support energy development that strengthens reliability and helps bring costs down. As part of the 2025-26 budget agreement, I worked with my colleagues to eliminate Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – a multi-state pact that would have added more than a billion dollars in new electricity taxes. I also supported Senate passage of legislation eliminating the gross receipts tax on electric bills, which would save ratepayers more than $1.7 billion over the first year. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives never approved the tax cut we added to House Bill 1667. Because lack of energy development drives up costs, the Senate passed legislation to reduce Pennsylvania’s electric generation shortfall and expand energy development. Senate Bill 704 directs the state departments of Community and Economic Development and Environmental Protection to work together to identify suitable sites for natural gas electric generation projects. The House also failed to act on this measure. I will continue fighting for lower energy prices, supporting policies which will cut your costs. Senate Bills to Help Local Nonprofits Are Now Law
Two bills were signed into law this week to help local nonprofits, including American Legion posts, VFWs and fire companies, by expanding fundraising opportunities, allowing organizations to retain more of the money they raise and providing additional ways to accept raffle ticket payments. Senate Bill 416 would allow eligible nonprofit organizations to accept electronic payments, including credit cards, debit cards and payments through platforms such as PayPal and Venmo, for raffle tickets. Current law limits these transactions to cash or checks, restricting organizations’ ability to accommodate supporters who increasingly rely on electronic payment methods. Organizations would still be required to verify raffle ticket purchasers are at least 18 years old. The bill does not authorize online gaming or live drawings. Read more about Senate Bill 416. Senate Bill 398 would allow fire companies with a Small Games of Chance license to conduct online raffles, with restrictions ensuring that participants are in Pennsylvania and at least 18 years old, through a pilot program ending Dec. 31, 2027. In addition, the bill would permit organizations to retain 50% of their small games of chance income, up from the current 40%. The remainder would continue to be donated to public interest purposes. The bill would also increase the prize limit for small games of chance conducted by a licensed eligible organization in any seven-day period from $35,000 to $60,000 — the first increase since 2013. Read more about Senate Bill 398. New Law Protects Animals from Painful Experimentation
Legislation to protect dogs and cats from painful, taxpayer-funded experiments has been approved by the General Assembly and signed into law. The protections in Senate Bill 381, the Beagle Bill, would make Pennsylvania the 18th state to grant dogs and cats an opportunity to be adopted into a loving home after experiments are over, prohibit the sale of cosmetics that have been newly tested on animals, prevent the expenditure of commonwealth funds on painful experiments and more. Read more about protecting animals and increasing transparency through the Beagle Bill. How PA Makes Breast Cancer Detection and Care Accessible
Pennsylvania has two significant laws to make early breast cancer detection and follow-up care more accessible. Act 1 of 2023 is a comprehensive breast cancer supplemental screening and genetic testing law now fully in effect for individuals with increased risk factors who are insured under Pennsylvania law. It provides coverage for the following at no cost:
Act 52 of 2025 is a diagnostic breast imaging law that includes no-cost diagnostic mammograms, breast MRIs and ultrasounds for individuals of average risk or higher with state-regulated insurance. The law will be fully implemented by January 2028. When in full effect, it will provide coverage for the following at no cost:
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