Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness 2025-2026

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The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 and reported out the following:

Senate Resolution 116 (Mastriano) – urges Congress to support HR2102 (Major Richard Star Act). 

  • Senate Resolution 116 was unanimously reported as committed

House Bill 304 (Cerrato) – would afford the same rights, benefits, recognition, and privileges that are provided to veterans of the United States armed forces to any Pennsylvania resident who is a naturalized citizen of the United States and a veteran of the Korean Armed Forces who served on active duty during the Vietnam War. 

  • House Bill 304 was unanimously reported as committed

House Bill 797 (Benham) Amends the Second Class City Fireman Relief Law (Act 242 of 1933) to remove the prohibition on spouses of deceased City of Pittsburgh firefighters receiving survivor pension benefits if they remarry

  • House Bill 797 was unanimously reported as committed

House Bill 799 (Deasy) Requires DMVA to create a standardized workplace posting that provides contact information for veterans’ resources and information regarding Federal and State benefits and services for veterans. The Department of Labor and Industry would make the workplace posting available on its website. All employers in the Commonwealth with more than 50 employees are required to print the workplace posting and display it in the workplace.

  • House Bill 799 was unanimously reported as committed

House Bill 865 (Venkat) Makes the eligibility in the Military Family Education Program renewable with each subsequent six-year service commitment to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

  • Amendment A01284 (Mastriano) replaced language to mirror SB870
    • The amendment was unanimously adopted
  • House Bill 865 was unanimously reported as amended. 

In addition to the bills, the Committee also held a confirmation hearing to consider the promotion of four PA National Guard Officers to the position of Brigadier General. The Committee unanimously reported out the following nominees:

  • Col. Brett Gagnon (Army)
  • Col. Robert Noren (Air)
  • Col. Brad Pierson (Air)
  • Col. John Wenzel (Army)

The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met on Monday, May 12, 2025 and reported out the following:

Senate Bill 89 (Mastriano) – amends the Overdose Mapping Act to require the DOH to submit data related to a known or suspected overdose reported by EMS providers through existing networks to the overdose information network system under the Pennsylvania State Police. 

Senate Bill 95 (Phillips-Hill) – permits EMS providers to leave a dose package of naloxone with the on-scene caregiver of a patient who overdosed on opioids and was revived by the EMS. Codifies current practice that was originally issued under Governor Tom Wolf into law.

Both Senate Bill 89 and Senate Bill 95 were unanimously reported as committed.

The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 and reported out the following:

Senate Bill 64 (Bartolotta) would require DMVA to design an official Commonwealth logo for veteran owned businesses. DMVA would also create the application process and facilitate the eligibility, verification of military service status, and issuance of the logo for display at eligible businesses.

  • Amendment A00259 (Mastriano) – gut-and-replace amendment to mirror House Bill 993.
    • The amendment was adopted by a unanimous vote.
  • Senate Bill 64 was unanimously reported as amended.

Senate Bill 308 (Hutchinson) would rename the Medical Officer or Health Care Officer Incentive Program to the Specialty Branch Officer Incentive Program, expand the number of health care professionals that are eligible, and adds JAG officers and Chaplains as eligible individuals for tuition reimbursement stipends under the program. The tuition reimbursement stipends are based on the level of education completed.

  • Senate Bill 308 was unanimously reported as committed.

Senate Bill 417 (Gebhard) would expand the ability for DMVA to lease land at Fort Indiantown Gap and creates a Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Fund where the lease revenue would be deposited to fund quality of life programs at Fort Indiantown Gap.

  • Senate Bill 417 was unanimously reported as committed.

Senate Bill 511 (Mastriano) designates July 27 of each year as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.

  • Senate Bill 511 was unanimously reported as committed

Senate Bill 534  (J. Ward) would increase the monthly pension amounts for the Blind Veterans Pension Program and the Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension Program from $150 to $180 per month. 

  • Amendment A00268 (Muth) would add an annual adjustment to both programs tied to inflation.
    • The amendment was tabled by a party-line vote.
  • Senate Bill 534 was unanimously reported as committed.

The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met today, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 and reported out the following:

Senate Bill 90 (Mastriano) provides additional testing options for Firefighter 1 training.

  • Reported as committed by a unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 91 (Mastriano) expands the Police Officer, Firefighter, Correction Employee and National Guard Member Child Beneficiary Education Act, which provides tuition and fee waivers for children of deceased public safety and military personnel, to expand the benefit to families of firefighters and police officers who are employed outside of Pennsylvania but are full-time residents of the Commonwealth.

  • Reported as committed by a unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 138 (Mastriano) updates the Volunteer Service Credit Program to allow members of volunteer HAZMAT Teams to be eligible for tax credits from counties, school districts, councils of governments.

  • Reported as committed by a unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 457 (Muth) updates the Fire and EMS Loan Program to increase the maximum loan amount for all the eligible loan categories in the program. The bill also updates the terms of the loans in the program to allow the Office of the State Fire Commissioner to offer a 20-year loan for loans between $50,000 and $300,000, and a 30-year loan for any loan over $300,000.

  • Reported as committed by a unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 466 (Brooks) allows an individual who completes fire suppression training as a condition of employment to apply those hours toward the requirements for Firefighter 1 certification.

  • Amendment A00244 to Senate Bill 466: moves several items enacted in Act 54 of 2024 (Fiscal Code) relating to the Fire & EMS Grant Program and PEMA reporting back to Title 35. The amendment also creates the ability for fire and EMS companies to request a 15-day extension to submit the reports required by the Fire and EMS Grant Program and gives the Fire Commissioner the ability to award a grant from the 2024-25 grant cycle to a fire company or EMS company if, after receiving notice from OSFC that the company was eligible, received a second notice that the company was deemed ineligible.
  • Amendment A00244 was adopted by a unanimous vote and Senate Bill 466 was reported as amended by a unanimous vote.

The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met on Monday, February 3, 2025 to hold a confirmation hearing for Acting Adjutant General John R. Pippy.

General Pippy’s nomination was reported favorably by a unanimous vote.

The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met today, Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and reported out the following:

Senate Bill 129 (Mastriano) – reform the structure of the advisory councils that oversee the operation of each of the state veterans’ homes

  • Unanimously reported as committed.

Senate Bill 130 (Mastriano) – Requires that notice of a deceased serviceperson is provided to the appropriate county director of veterans’ affairs by a licensed funeral director, funeral entity, or cemetery company within 96 hours of receiving the remains of a deceased serviceperson. The bill also requires that the family of the deceased serviceperson be provided with contact information for the appropriate county director of veterans affairs.

  • Unanimously reported as committed

Senate Bill 144 (Mastriano) – Establishes the Global War on Terrorism Veterans’ Compensation Act which would award a monetary bonus ranging from $500 to $1,000 to all qualified veterans who were Pennsylvania residents at the time of their service during the Global War on Terror between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2022.

  • Unanimously reported as committed

Senate Bill 146 (Baker) – Would establish a Grant Evaluation Committee under the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to review and evaluate applications for grants under the Veterans’ Trust Fund.

  • Senator Baker offered amendment A0017 to remove all language from the current bill and instead establish the Veterans’ Trust Fund Board within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
  • Amendment A0017 was adopted by a unanimous vote
  • Senate Bill 146 was unanimously reported as amended

Senate Bill 173 (Pennycuick) – Would afford the same rights, benefits, recognition, and privileges that are provided to veterans of the United States armed forces to any Pennsylvania resident who is a naturalized citizen of the United States and a veteran of the Korean Armed Forces who served on active duty during the Vietnam War.

  • Unanimously reported as committed

Senator Katie Muth

Senator Katie Muth

Committee Chair