HARRISBURG, PA – July 12, 2026 – Senator Miller (D-Lehigh/Northampton) releases the following statement on today’s passage of the state budget:
“Today, we passed a fiscally responsible $50.8 billion budget that puts Pennsylvania families first,” said Senator Miller. “This budget makes historic investments in public education, strengthens community safety, supports family sustaining jobs, and delivers meaningful relief for working families. From improving local roads and bridges to supporting small businesses, expanding violence prevention programs, and providing more than $200 million in tax relief, these investments will make a real difference for families in the Lehigh Valley and across the Commonwealth.”
Investing in Public Education
As a former member of the 2023 Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC), Senator Miller helped develop the bipartisan adequacy funding formula that continues to guide Pennsylvania’s historic investment in public education.
This year’s budget provides $565 million through the bipartisan adequacy formula, along with $154 million for Career and Technical Education, $125 million for school facility improvements, $100 million for school safety and school-based mental health supports, $330 million for Pre-K Counts, and $91.9 million for Head Start.
These investments advance Pennsylvania’s constitutional obligation to adequately fund public education while strengthening early learning, career readiness, student well-being, and safe learning environments.
“Every child deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of their ZIP code,” said Senator Miller. “This budget builds on the bipartisan work to fairly fund our schools while investing in safer classrooms, stronger career and technical education, early childhood learning, and student mental health. These investments create more opportunity for students today and a stronger Pennsylvania for generations to come.”
Relief for Working Families & Retirees
The budget delivers more than $200 million in tax relief for Pennsylvanians under the Working Pennsylvanian Tax Credit, expanding the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit by increasing Pennsylvania’s match from 30% to 100% of the federal credit and raising the maximum benefit from $630 to $2,100 per family, and establishing an Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit to help businesses offset employees’ childcare costs.
“Working families deserve a tax system that helps them get ahead, not just get by,” said Senator Miller. “These tax credits will put more money back into the pockets of hardworking Pennsylvanians, make childcare more affordable, and help parents stay in the workforce.”
In addition, there will be much needed relief through a long‑overdue cost‑of‑living adjustment for retired teachers, police officers, and firefighters who left service before July 2, 2001. This adjustment would finally provide a COLA to more than 40,000 retired educators and support professionals who have not received a pension increase since 2002.
Supporting Child Care Workers
The budget invests $30 million in childcare worker retention bonuses, a $5 million increase over last year, to help recruit and retain the workforce families depend on. The funding is expected to provide bonuses of approximately $540 to more than 55,000 childcare workers across Pennsylvania, helping strengthen the childcare system and support working parents.
“When we invest in the professionals who care for our children, we make it possible for parents to stay in the workforce and provide for their families,” said Senator Miller. “This simply allows our working parents to work and have our childcare workers have additional support that they need. These retention bonuses recognize the essential role childcare workers play every day while helping providers recruit and retain the dedicated educators our communities depend on.”
Delivering on Family-Sustaining Jobs
The budget makes strategic investments to strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy, including $775 million for local roads and bridges, $125 million for Innovate in PA 2.0 to accelerate entrepreneurship and life sciences innovation, and $23.7 million to support historically disadvantaged businesses, a $3.75 million increase over last year. These investments will improve infrastructure, expand access to capital, and create opportunities for businesses and workers across the Commonwealth.
“Pennsylvania’s future depends on smart investments that create jobs, support entrepreneurs, and improves the infrastructure our communities rely on,” said Senator Miller. “This investment strengthens our workforce, grows our economy, and positions Pennsylvania to compete for the industries of tomorrow.”
Preventing EBT Card Theft
The budget includes $7 million to implement chip-enabled EBT cards, strengthening protections against SNAP benefit theft. Unlike magnetic stripe cards, chip technology generates a unique code for each transaction, making it significantly harder for criminals to steal benefits through card skimming. Nationwide, an estimated 3.5 million SNAP recipients have been affected by benefit theft.
“Too many families in our communities have had their EBT benefits stolen, leaving them without the resources they rely on to put food on the table,” said Senator Miller. “No one should lose their grocery money to fraud. Investing in chip-enabled EBT cards is a commonsense step that protects vulnerable Pennsylvanians, strengthens the integrity of the SNAP program, and gives families greater peace of mind when they need it most.”
Supporting Student Teachers
The budget invests $40 million in student teacher stipends, a $10 million increase over last year, to help aspiring educators complete their full-time, unpaid student teaching requirement without facing unnecessary financial hardship.
The investment helps strengthen Pennsylvania’s educator pipeline by making it more affordable for future teachers to enter the profession.
“Pennsylvania’s future depends on the teachers we prepare today and the support we give them from the start,” said Senator Miller. “For too long, aspiring educators have been expected to work full-time in the classroom without pay, creating a financial barrier that discourages talented individuals from entering the profession.”
Strengthening Public Safety
The budget makes significant investments to improve public safety across Pennsylvania, including $62.15 million for violence intervention and prevention programs, $10 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help protect organizations against hate crimes, funding for four new Pennsylvania State Police cadet classes totaling 480 cadets, and increased maximum loan amounts for fire and EMS companies to strengthen emergency response capabilities.
“Strong public safety requires investing in prevention, preparedness, and the people who protect our communities every day,” said Senator Miller. “These investments will strengthen violence prevention programs, enhance security for organizations at-risk of hate crimes, support the recruitment of new State Police cadets, and provide firefighters and EMS companies with the resources they need to respond when Pennsylvanians need them most. This is a comprehensive investment in safer, stronger communities across our Commonwealth.”
Nursing Home Budget Adjustment (BAF)
Nursing Home Budget Adjustment Factor (BAF) will receive $81 million in additional funding for nursing homes, along with extending the Department of Human Services’ authority to use the Budget Adjustment Factor for two more years, provides much-needed stability for providers.
This investment builds on Senator Miller’s leadership as Senate Democratic Policy Chair, where he convened a policy hearing examining the long-term sustainability of Pennsylvania’s nursing homes, the state’s rapidly aging population and workforce shortages, and the urgent steps needed to ensure older adults continue to have access to quality long-term care.
“Pennsylvania’s nursing homes are facing significant financial pressures, and without action, access to quality long-term care for seniors is at risk,” said Senator Miller. “Nearly 70 percent of nursing home residents rely on Medicaid, making a sustainable reimbursement system essential to keeping these facilities open and delivering the care families depend on, while ensuring our seniors continue to receive the care and dignity they deserve.”
Additional Budget Investments
The budget also includes several key investments that will strengthen communities across Pennsylvania, including:
- $2.5 million for the Nursing Shortage Assistance Program to help address Pennsylvania’s nursing workforce shortage.
- $16.3 million for apprenticeship and workforce training programs through the Department of Labor & Industry.
- $24.1 million for rape crisis centers.
- $979 million for mental health services.
- $42.5 million for Grow PA Scholarships to help recruit and retain students in high-demand fields.
In the coming weeks, Senator Miller will highlight how these investments will directly benefit the Lehigh Valley and the communities of the 14th Senatorial District.
“This budget invests in families, strengthens our workforce, improves public safety, and creates greater opportunity across Pennsylvania,” said Senator Miller. “While there is more work ahead, these investments move our Commonwealth in the right direction and will make a meaningful difference for communities throughout the Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania.”