General Assembly Approves State Budget Bill

July 7, 2017

General Assembly Approves State Budget Bill

The state House and Senate passed with broad bipartisan support last week a state budget bill that would fund programs and services through June 30, 2018. The Legislature is scheduled to continue working the next several days to pass bills that traditionally are adopted in conjunction with the annual state spending plan.

Learn more here about the state budget approved by the General Assembly.

Holding Caretakers Accountable

Individuals who endanger children in their care will face stronger criminal penalties under legislation that was recently signed into law.

Under Act 12 of 2017, parents, guardians or those tasked with the care of a child will face harsher penalties in cases of child endangerment if the child is under the age of 6, if the endangerment results in serious injury or death, or if the endangerment is part of a continuing course of conduct.

Currently, a person who endangers the welfare of a child under the age of 18 can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, and if the conduct is part of a continuing course of conduct, the offense is graded as a third-degree felony.

The new law will take effect in late August.

Take a Road Trip in PA

Tourism is one of Pennsylvania’s largest industries, and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office has compiled a list of customized road trips for a wide variety of interests and locations.

Available at VisitPa.com/pa-road-trips, the road trips are designed in each of the state’s 11 unique tourism regions, complete with off-the-beaten path stops and only-in-Pennsylvania attractions.

Road trips are designed around nature, religious and spiritual destinations, kid-specific sites, historical attractions, photographic gems, shopping, keystone countryside, small-town charm, arts and culture, ghost rides, sporting events and culinary delights.

Traveler spending generated an estimated $71.6 billion in total economic activity and supported nearly 500,000 jobs in the Commonwealth, according to a 2015 report from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

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