Rep. Pennycuick Backs COVID-19 Relief Measures

State Rep. Tracy Pennycuick

Blogger's Note: The following is from the weekly newsletter from State Rep. Tracey Pennycuik, R-147th Dist.

State Rep. Tracy Pennycuick recently released information about legislation she is supporting in Harrisburg to help with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which Republicans have titled "Pennsylvania's COVID Comeback Package."

More Vaccine

She voted in favor of legislation passed by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to address concerns about the current limited number of health care professionals who are able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

House Bill 63 would establish the COVID-19 Vaccine Administration and Distribution Act to require those permitted to vaccinate for COVID-19 by the federal Department of Health and Human Services to administer vaccines in the Commonwealth.

The bill would expand the workforce permitted to give the COVID-19 vaccine to include all professionals covered by the federal declaration. The federal declaration includes recently retired health care professionals and health care students, as well as a broader group of health professionals.

House Bill 63 now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

Restoring the Economy

House Republicans recently unveiled a pro-jobs, pro-families and pro-growth legislative package aimed at boosting our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bills would incentivize manufacturers and provide protections to small businesses, as well as offer tax and regulatory reform to bring family-sustaining jobs to Pennsylvania. When our economy is thriving, our communities and our families are thriving as well.

The package includes the following bills:

• Reshore to Restore (House Bill 600) would authorize the Commonwealth Financing Authority to designate strategic and targeted zones in the state to be used as the base of operations for manufacturing. Businesses in those zones would receive tax abatements for state and local taxes and would be eligible for targeted job creation tax credits to bring more quality employment opportunities to our citizens.
• Job Creator Recovery and Reinvestment (House Bill 198) would allow a net operating loss (NOL) deduction up to 100 percent of income to allow job creators a chance to recover from pandemic economic losses and reinvest in PA. The additional deduction would apply only to losses that occurred in 2020.
• Prioritizing Workforce Development (House Bill 602) would encourage companies and employers to invest in workforce development and skilled training programs to better match students with available career opportunities.
• Corporate Net Income Taxes (House Bill 603) would provide tax relief to low-income families and foster a climate aimed to assist struggling businesses and attract new business into the Commonwealth by adjusting the special poverty provisions tax exemption thresholds and reducing the Corporate Net Income Tax over a period of years.
• DEP Permit Predictability (House Bill 604) would establish a permitting framework at the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that decisions on permits are rendered reliably and in a timely manner.
• COVID Immunity (House Bill 605) would help provide an expedited and efficient resolution of lawsuits arising out of exposure to COVID-19.
• Jobs of the Future Study (House Resolution 60) would establish a select committee to review opportunities for the development of new industries in the Commonwealth, including advanced manufacturing.

“We need this type of aggressive legislative package to meet the very real need of reviving the economy and the millions of families and businesses it supports,” Pennycuick said in a press release posted on her website. 

“Pennsylvania needs to be proactive in order to stem the loss of any more businesses and the jobs they provide.”