On March 7, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro presented his first budget proposal to the tune of $44.4 billion, emphasizing his vision for “commonsense investments to make Pennsylvania communities safer and healthier, create real opportunity and build an economy that works for all, and ensure every child has access to a quality education.”
AIA Pennsylvania’s government affairs leadership, committee, and task forces will closely monitor the legislature’s review and budget hearings through the start of the fiscal year, July 1, when a spending plan for the state must be in place. Our focus is on the impact of the proposed investments on architects’ practice and business environment, the construction industry, as well as Pennsylvania’s vertical infrastructure, including funding for school construction, environmental impacts, and community revitalization. Below, find the proposed investments and commitments that we will be tracking and, in some instances, advocating for as negotiations on funding and legislation ensue.
Educational Infrastructure
- $100 million in matching grants for schools to make environmental repairs and improvements
- $100 million in school safety and security grants to address physical safety enhancements and provide security coordinator training
- $4.2 million to create a Public Library Facilities Improvement Fund to provide rural public libraries access to grant funding for repairs and improvements
The Environment & High-Performance Building
- Assumes participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), still under litigation, will yield more than $600 million to invest in greenhouse gas reduction, energy efficiency, and clean/renewable energy programs
Community and Business Development
- Commits to support and expand funding for the Whole-Home Repairs Program
- $12 million to the Pennsylvania First Program, a financing mechanism enticing businesses to Pennsylvania that allows them to fund the cost of construction or rehabilitation of buildings, including architectural and engineering fees
- Includes an additional $2 million for the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania — WEDnetPA – a program that gives Pennsylvania’s employers an opportunity to provide employee training on topics ranging from business operations to diversity to technical applications including Building Information Modeling (BIM)
- Funding for Governor Shapiro’s Office of Transformation and Opportunity, “a one-stop-shop for businesses looking to grow and contribute to aggressively reigniting Pennsylvania’s economy”
- Commitment to improving Pennsylvania’s professional licensing, permitting, and certification processes, providing a “money-back” guarantee if processing times aren’t met
- Expands the Keystone Communities Program by investing $8.6 million in communities that are already on a path to revitalization and continue to facilitate greater participation from smaller, rural, and lower-income communities
- $1.5 million in the Municipal Assistance Program to financially assist communities with comprehensively planning around revitalization efforts, improvement processes, and sound management of development activities
- $1 million investment in the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to expand financial assistance opportunities to enhance and drive retention and attraction of residents, talent, and visitors
- Continues the planned decrease in Corporate Net Income Tax rate to 8.49% in tax year 2024, with a path to 4.99%