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| The Latest News from Your State Representative |
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| Please do not reply to this e-mail, as I am unable to respond to messages sent to this address. You can contact me directly at vgaydos@pahousegop.com or here. |
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Desmond Tutu once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: One bite at a time.” What he meant is that everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming and even impossible can actually be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time.
The many unprecedented events of 2020 may have added far too many hurdles in the personal lives of far too many people, but it has not hindered our efforts to continue to fight for greater transparency and accountability in government.
This week, I am pleased to report that the House State Government Committee passed House Bill 104, legislation I sponsored which would require state agencies to review all their programs and expenditures, and assess whether they are highly, moderately or unlikely to be susceptible to an improper payment. This assessment is sent to the governor, the budget office, the independent fiscal office, the General Assembly and the state inspector general.
As stated in federal law, an “improper payment” is defined as an overpayment, an underpayment, a payment for an ineligible service or a payment to someone who was ineligible to receive it. House Bill 104 requires the inspector general to review at least one state agency per year starting in 2022. If the state agency has an improper payment rate which exceeds 3%, the agency must adopt a corrective action plan to reduce the improper payment rate to 3% or less. This requirement is necessary for the Commonwealth to comply with federal law.
Under the bill, if an agency has failed to reduce the improper payment rate five fiscal years after the inspector general’s review, the governor will move funds from the agency into budgetary reserve.
The bill now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
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Sincerely,
Valerie Gaydos |
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Check Out the New Office!
Government is designed to serve the people. Being an accessible and effective representative is one of Rep. Gaydos’ top priorities. The representative invites constituents to stop by her new district office in Moon Township to share questions or concerns about legislation issues that affect them in everyday life.
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Gaydos Appointed to Four House of Representative Committees
Rep. Gaydos has been appointed to serve on the House Commerce, Education, Health and Liquor Control committees for 2021-22 Legislative Session.
Gaydos says that committee work is one of her major responsibilities as a lawmaker. Each of these committees addresses issues important to all of us. Before any bill comes to the House floor, it must be reviewed and refined at the committee level. This is where the real legwork is done in the legislative process.
In addition to serving on these committees, Gaydos will chair the House Cancer Caucus, which creates awareness about the disease, the diagnosis, available treatment options, funding sources and innovative therapies. She will co-chair the Life Sciences Caucus, which supports education and dialogue between policymakers, industry, patient groups and the general public in the effort to attract more jobs and investment to the Commonwealth. The representative will also chair the Cyber Security Caucus, which will provide members an opportunity to hear from authoritative figures and learn more about the various types of cyber crime, cyber attacks and data breaches that occur, how it can affect government data, and how best to protect our constituents, our businesses and ourselves.
During a recent interview, Gaydos talked about her priorities for this Legislative Session. Click here to watch.
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Gaydos to Reintroduce Association Health Plan Legislation
Rep. Gaydos will soon be reintroducing her Association Health Care Plan. It is legislation that would provide for a mechanism for employers to join together and negotiate for discounted health insurance coverage in the same way large businesses purchase group insurance benefits. This would reduce costs for small businesses and help employers attract and retain a talented workforce.
It is very important that we must assist small businesses in providing health care benefits to their employees.
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Important Vaccination News!
This week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health unveiled the fourth version of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
Further details are available here.
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Vaccine Information for Veterans
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) will host walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Saturday, Jan. 16 and Monday, Jan. 18, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University Drive campus in Oakland.
To receive a vaccine on these dates, Veterans must:
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Be 75 years or older. |
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Be eligible for and enrolled in VA health care. |
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Receive health care at VA Pittsburgh. |
If you meet all three of the above criteria, please stop by the University Drive campus during these walk-in clinics. No appointment is necessary. If you meet all three of the above criteria but cannot make it to these walk-in clinics, please reach out to your primary care team to request an appointment to receive the vaccine.
VAPHS is providing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine requires two doses, given approximately 21 days apart.
VA worked with the CDC to develop a phased distribution plan to maximize the benefit of COVID-19 vaccines. In these first weeks, there is limited vaccine available. As vaccine supply increases and move through the distribution plan, care teams will contact Veterans to let them know of their options. The goal is to eventually offer a COVID-19 vaccine to all Veterans and VA health care personnel who choose to be vaccinated.
For the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines at VA, visit www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine. For information about how COVID-19 vaccines work, possible side effects, and answers to common questions, go to www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines.
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Local Spotlight
Rep. Gaydos interacts with many people and businesses throughout the 44th District. She has said over and over again that this is a very special community. Her goal is for you to get to know who impacts our area in a positive manner. This week, we meet the new mayor of Sewickley. Click here to read about George Shannon.
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2020 Property Tax and Rent Rebate Applications Available Now
Forms for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program are now available for eligible Pennsylvanians to begin claiming rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2020. Remember – you do not need to pay anyone for assistance to apply for the rebates. Help is available from my office at no charge.
The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded.
The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975. The Revenue Department automatically calculates supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners.
The deadline to apply for a rebate is June 30. Rebates will be distributed beginning July 1, as required by law. Additional information, as well as claim forms, are available here.
PLEASE NOTE: If you missed the deadline to apply for the 2019 program, you have a few more weeks to do so. The Department of Revenue has agreed to accept 2019 applications submitted through legislative offices until Jan. 29.
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Applications for 2021 Pennsylvania House Scholarship Available
High school seniors interested in receiving financial assistance to help pay for college can now apply for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Scholarship.
Each year the program awards a four-year scholarship to two students preparing for post-secondary education. It is open to graduating high school seniors who are Pennsylvania residents with plans to attend a Pennsylvania college, university or career school as a full-time student.
To qualify, students must have attained a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in high school. Other factors taken into consideration for the awards are a student’s commitment to community, leadership qualities, extracurricular activities and financial need.
The scholarship program is administered through the Foundation for Enhancing Communities. More information and the application are available through the foundation’s website here.
The application deadline is March 1.
The scholarship is privately funded by individual and corporate donors; no tax or other public funds are used. Scholarships are awarded through an independent panel of judges chosen by the foundation.
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| Office Locations |
| District Office: |
| 1005 Beaver Grade Road, Suite 106, Moon Township, PA 15108 | Phone: (412) 262-3780, Fax: (412) 262-3783 |
| Capitol Office: |
| Room 428, Irvis Office Building, House Box 202044, Harrisburg PA 17120-2044 | Phone: (717) 787-6651 | |
| Email: vgaydos@pahousegop.com |
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