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In this Update:
Regan Marks Anniversary of Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Hill’s Line-of-Duty Death
During floor remarks on Tuesday I recognized the fourth anniversary of my former colleague Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Hill’s tragic shooting death while serving an arrest warrant in Harrisburg. Chris’ passing was a difficult loss for me. We had developed a friendship during my tenure as the U.S. Marshal of the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, and I greatly admired his commitment to serving and protecting his community and our nation. He was the epitome of a dedicated law enforcement officer. In remembering Chris, I urge you to think about those men and women who run towards danger day in and day out in order to keep all of us safe from harm. We need them, and they need our support. Senate Education Committee Approves Regan’s School Choice Expansion Legislation
The Senate Education Committee approved legislation on Wednesday that I am sponsoring, which will expand school choice for thousands of students across Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 527 would automatically raise the caps for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Scholarship (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs by 25% annually, so long as at least 90% of the credits were claimed in the year prior. Each year, arbitrary caps on the EITC/OSTC programs force the state to turn away nearly 43,000 students seeking financial aid to attend the school that best meets their educational goals. The restrictions also limit the number of businesses that can donate to the programs and receive tax credits in return. I had the opportunity to speak on the bill during Wednesday’s committee meeting, which you can watch above. In my comments to members I noted that these programs are ultimately about lives. They are an opportunity for kids to lift themselves out of an inevitable life of poverty and crime, and in turn, the proposed increase in funding for the programs could translate into $7.4 billion in additional economic benefit from higher lifetime earnings attained through greater educational achievement and $260 million saved from the reduced social costs associated with crime. Click here to read more. Senate Passes Package to Strengthen Cybersecurity, Protect Victims of Data Breaches
The Senate approved a package of bills this week to improve cybersecurity in Pennsylvania and require timely notifications to citizens of government data breaches. The bills were sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 482 consolidates administration and management of the Commonwealth’s information technology operations under a new Office of Information Technology. The measure would replace the current, uncoordinated approach that led to cases of costly mismanagement, including delayed implementation of a statewide police radio system and bungled upgrades to Unemployment Compensation Call Centers. Other problems included data breaches experienced by the departments of Human Services, Corrections, and Education, which exposed the names and personal information of thousands of individuals, including citizens and state employees. Senate Bill 726 ensures Commonwealth agencies have strong safeguards in place to discourage, combat and recover from ransomware attacks. Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until money is paid. Senate Bill 726 would set state penalties for the possession, use, or threatened use of ransomware and prohibit state agencies from paying ransom. When data breaches do occur, Senate Bill 696 would require state and local governments to notify potential victims within seven days. The requirement applies to any state agency, county, school district, municipality or third-party vendor experiencing a breach. Transition to 5G Service Will Cause 3G Cell Phones to Stop Operating in 2022 |
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