Shapiro signs Pa. budget into law

Gov. Josh Shapiro Signs Budget for 2023-24 Fiscal Year

HARRIBURG, Pa. – Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year into law on Thursday.

In the process of signing the budget, Shapiro line-item vetoed the full $100 million appropriation for the PASS scholarship program, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

The budget prioritizes the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing increased funding for education, community and economic development, apprenticeships and vocational and technical education, as well as public health and wellness initiatives.

Funding for Education

• $567 million increase in basic education funding for Pennsylvania school districts to be distributed through the BEF Formula.
• $100 million for school-based mental health counselors and resources for students.
• $100 million for Level Up.
• $50 million increase in special education funding.
• A $46.5 million increase in funding to provide universal free breakfast to Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students regardless of income and free lunch to all 22,000 Pennsylvania students who are eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program.
• $10 million to provide Pennsylvania’s student teachers with stipends.
• $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students allowing them to take advanced courses for college credit.

Funding for Community and Economic Development

• A $20 million investment to fund the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program to invest in small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth.
• $112 million to improve the state’s parks and forests and create a new Office of Outdoor Recreation that will help connect the state’s natural resources and parks with local businesses.
• A $50 million investment in the Whole-Home Repairs program.
• A $13 million investment to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale and help the Commonwealth become a leader in economic development, innovation, and job creation.
• A $2 million investment in the Municipal Assistance Program to help local, municipal, and county governments.
• A $1.25 million increase for the Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP) aimed at helping local governments create long-term plans for financial success.
• A $1 million increase in investment for the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, which connects Pennsylvania’s universities with businesses.

Funding for Mental Health Services

• A $66.7 million increase for Child Care Services to allow up to 75,000 low-income families to continue to be enrolled in subsidized childcare through the Child Care Works Program.
• $50 million for Hospital and Healthsystem Emergency Relief.
• $20.7 million to increase mileage rates for ambulance services.
• $20 million to increase base funding for counties aimed at providing critical mental health services and addressing deepening workforce shortages.
• $2.3 million to expand maternal health programming.
• Funding to help an additional 850 individuals with an intellectual disability and/or autism get off waitlists for home and community-based services.
• $5 million in funding for the Help at Home (OPTIONS) program through the Department of Aging, to reduce the waitlist of seniors seeking services that will allow them to stay in their homes.
• A $1 million investment in grants for Senior Community Centers to improve safety and accessibility, repair or replace essential equipment, and invest in technology supplies.

Increased Access to Apprenticeships and Vocational Education

• A $23.5 million investment in workforce training and vo-tech programs.
• A $6 million investment in apprenticeship and pre-apprentice programming.
• $3.5 million in funding for the Schools-to-Work Program through the Department of Labor & Industry aimed at developing and expanding career pathways for high school students via partnerships between schools, employers, organizations, and the Commonwealth.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDGs addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article:

   • SDG 4: Quality Education
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

2. Specific targets under those SDGs based on the article’s content:

   • SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
   • SDG 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.
   • SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • SDG 9.3: Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, particularly in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets.
   • SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
   • SDG 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • SDG 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

3. Indicators mentioned or implied in the article to measure progress towards the identified targets:

   • Increased funding for education, including basic education funding for school districts, mental health counselors and resources for students, special education funding, universal free breakfast and lunch programs, stipends for student teachers, and support for dual enrollment opportunities.
   • Investment in community and economic development programs, such as the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program, park and forest improvements, Whole-Home Repairs program, and investments in economic development and innovation.
   • Funding for mental health services, including childcare services, hospital and health system emergency relief, ambulance service mileage rates, base funding for counties for mental health services, maternal health programming expansion, and home and community-based services for individuals with disabilities.
   • Investment in workforce training and vocational-technical programs, apprenticeship and pre-apprentice programming, and schools-to-work programs.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: wfmz.com

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