Notice

Governor Shapiro Unveils 2024-25 Budget Proposal

February 6th, 2024

Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal invests in economic development and higher education, funding K-12 education and Pre-K, building healthier, safer communities, and creating opportunities.
 
Governor Shapiro’s proposal provides a balanced budget and does not raise taxes – and if every initiative is funded, Pennsylvania will still have an $11 billion surplus by the end of FY2024-25.

Today, Governor Josh Shapiro presented his 2024-25 budget proposal to the General Assembly and to the people of Pennsylvania – sharing his ‘get stuff done’ approach and vision to create more opportunity and continue delivering real solutions to the most pressing issues Pennsylvanians face. By prioritizing economic opportunity and access to higher education, making historic investments in public education, supporting law enforcement and public safety, ensuring people receive the care they need, and funding critical initiatives to help Pennsylvanians from cities to farmlands.
 
“This year, we have a real chance to build safer communities, become more competitive economically, and invest in our students and their success – and this budget lays out a comprehensive and aggressive focus on doing just that without raising taxes and maintaining a surplus of $11 billion at the end of June 2025,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Since my first day in office, I’ve been focused on getting stuff done – and this budget will continue to create opportunity for every Pennsylvanian with historic investments in economic development, education, healthier and safer communities, and much more. I look forward to working with the General Assembly to continue to get stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania, solve the most pressing problems we face, and meet this moment responsibly and with bipartisan compromise.”
 
The Governor’s 2024-25 budget proposal takes advantage of the Commonwealth’s significant surplus to invest in Pennsylvanians and their future. The Governor maintains that his proposal does not raise taxes and even if every initiative is funded, the Commonwealth will still have an $11 billion surplus by the end of FY2024-25.
 
During his first year in office, Governor Shapiro and his Administration implemented many proposals from his first budget address – including expanding the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program for the first time in nearly 20 years, delivering universal free breakfast for 1.7 million K-12 students, implementing the largest-ever increase in basic education funding, providing mental health resources for students, investing in vo-tech and apprenticeship programs, allocating first-ever statewide funding for indigent defense, and more.
 
“As the Governor and I have traveled the Commonwealth since taking office, we’ve heard from Pennsylvanians about the most pressing challenges they face – and the Governor’s budget proposal makes critical investments to make their lives better and create ladders of opportunity,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. “The Shapiro-Davis budget will create more economic opportunity for all, make our communities safer and healthier, support students from Pre-K through high school and beyond, invest in our workforce, and help working families across the Commonwealth build generational wealth.”
 
Watch the Governor’s full budget address to a joint session of the House and Senate here. See herefor the Governor’s full remarks as prepared for delivery.
 
Below, you can read more about how the Governor’s 2024-25 budget proposal affects boroughs, and you can read the full budget in brief here.
 
 
Creating Opportunity by Making Pennsylvania a Leader in Economic Development, Job Creation, and Innovation
  
To continue growing the economy, create jobs, foster innovation and economic opportunity, and build vibrant communities, Governor Shapiro and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) created the Commonwealth’s first comprehensive economic development strategy in nearly two decades.
 
Implementing the First State Economic Development Strategy in Nearly 20 Years
 
The Governor’s 2024-25 budget calls for significant investments directly tied back to this ten-year strategy and issues a strong call to action for partners across all sectors to join in with their support. This budget invests $600 million in total new and expanded investments that will enhance DCED’s ability to implement the Commonwealth’s new ten-year strategic plan for economic development and better serve Pennsylvania’s business community. The investments include:
 

• $500 millionin PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites online and ensure companies have options for attractive business environments where they can move quickly and thrive in Pennsylvania.

 

• $25 millionfor the Main Street Matters program, tosupport small businesses and commercial corridors that are the backbone of communities across our Commonwealth. This new program will build upon and modernize the Keystone Communities program.

 

• $20 millionto support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets. This funding will be used to incentivize additional private venture capital, positioning Pennsylvania as a national leader in innovation while proactively investing in entrepreneurs who have historically lacked access to venture capital funding.

 

• $3.5 millionto create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge, which will incentivize regional growth, build vibrant and resilient regions, and support communities by investing in the development of comprehensive strategies to propel entire regions forward.

 
Supporting Public Transportation
 
Those employers and employees need to get to work safely and affordably – and hundreds of thousands of people across the Commonwealth rely on public transit every day to commute to work, go to school, and travel where they need to go.
 
To ensure Pennsylvanians can reliably and safely do so, thus budget makes significant investments in public transit, including:
 

• Increasing the state share of public transit funding by 1.75% – a $282.8 million increase in investment, and nearly $1.5 billion in new state funding over five years, in transit systems that Pennsylvanians rely on.

 

• Public transit is particularly critical in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Over the last several months, the Governor worked closely with the Southeastern Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the General Assembly, local leadership, and public transit partners to assess their needs and prepare a serious proposal to address them – and this budget proposes over $160 million to support SEPTA.

 

• Additionally, PRT in Allegheny County will receive nearly $40 million in additional funding this year and LANTA in Lehigh and Northampton counties will receive an additional $6 million this year. Transit systems across Pennsylvania will receive millions in additional funding this year. 

 
This increased funding will help to attract new companies to Pennsylvania, make it easier for folks to get to work and do business, and will be critical as millions of visitors come to Pennsylvania for many high-profile events in the years to come.
  
Creating Opportunity by Cutting Costs for Pennsylvania Families
  
Addressing Critical Housing Needs
 
In addition to significant investments in education, workforce development, and infrastructure, Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget is focused on continuing to cut costs for Pennsylvanians.
 
To fight back against those high costs, we need to do more to help Pennsylvanians stay in – and take care of – their homes. The 2024-25 budget:
 

• Proposes $50 million for the Whole Home Repairs program, to continue to provide direct assistance to homeowners and keep more families in their homes.

 

• Increases the cap for PHARE funding by $10 million every year for the next 4 years to help rehabilitate properties in need of repair and build new homes and apartments.

 
Safeguarding Pennsylvania’s Environment & Natural Resources
 
Supporting Commonsense Investments in Environmental Innovation and Monitoring
 
In his first budget address, Governor Shapiro promised to draw down as much federal funding as possible to cap and plug the orphaned and abandoned wells that leak methane and endanger our air, our land, and our homes.
 
After just one year in office, the Shapiro Administration capped and plugged 169 wells – more than the previous eight years combined – and the Administration has plugged 18 wells since January 1. The 2024-25 budget will continue this progress by:
 

• Allocating $11 million from the General Fund to continue the important work of finding and capping abandoned wells. This funding will help the Commonwealth continue its work to address climate change and draw down as much funding to cap and plug as many orphaned and abandoned wells as possible.

 
Improving Pennsylvania’s Public Lands and Inviting a New Generation to Engage in Service
 
Governor Shapiro is also investing in our outdoor recreation industry because it’s a key driver of economic growth, especially in rural areas. In 2022, outdoor recreation added $17 billion to our economy – a $4 billion increase from the year before.
 
When we put money into our parks and trails, we’re helping Pennsylvanians stay healthy and enjoy the great outdoors while creating outdoor recreation jobs and supporting the local businesses near those parks and trails that benefit from increased foot traffic.
 
The Shapiro Administration will continue supporting outdoor recreation and opening up more opportunity for Pennsylvanians to get outdoors by investing:
 

• $8.5 millionto improve and expand the Commonwealth’s outdoor trail system to encourage outdoor recreation, benefiting Pennsylvania’s tourism industry, public health, and the economic competitiveness of local communities.

 

• An additional $5 million in the Outdoor Corps to provide a growing pathway for Pennsylvanians to engage in meaningful and impactful work improving natural habitats, trails, and environments, and gain important job skills and experience. Pennsylvania’s trails and natural lands are national treasures in part because of the hard work of the Outdoor Corps and crews across the Commonwealth who help make Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation sector impactful.

 
Combatting Gun Violence and Ensuring Access to Effective Emergency Services
 
$100 Million Investment to Reduce Gun Violence
 
All Pennsylvanians deserve to be safe and feel safe in their communities. That means living in a community free from the crime and violence impacting too many families, and having a criminal justice system that enforces the las in a fair and consistent manner.
 
This budget continues the Governor’s work to create safer communities and includes new initiatives to support our first responders and ensure they have the tools and personnel they need to succeed.
 
To address and prevent gun violence in our communities, this budget provides a $100 million increase in Commonwealth initiatives to reduce gun violence, including:
 

• A $37.5 million increase for the successful Violence Intervention and Prevention program in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). This program supports a wide range of models focused on reducing community violence and relies on community groups that are most in tune with specific local needs.

 

• A $37.5 million investment in the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution program through PCCD to make grants to support district attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crimes related to gun violence.

 

• A $5 million increase for the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund at PCCD, which provides resources for places of worship, community centers, and other entities to equip themselves with security measures – because all Pennsylvanians deserve to worship peacefully if they choose to.

 

• $1 millionfor a Firearm Injury Prevention Program within the Department of Health (DOH) to enhance data collection and analysis around gun violence, engage in community education initiatives, support evidence-based interventions, and collaborate with county coroners and law enforcement.

 

• $11.5 millionto create a statewide Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program, which will aim to reduce community violence by providing more after-school learning opportunities for young people.

 

• $11 millionwithin PCCD to create more welcoming environments by building parks, addressing blight, and improving shared spaces, such as parks, streets, and playgrounds to promote safer communities.

 
Ensuring the State Police Are Equipped to Continue Protecting Pennsylvanians
 
In the 2023-24 budget, Governor Shapiro invested in four new state trooper cadet classes – and PSP is already well on its way to hiring and training those 384 new state troopers. In 2023, PSP saw a 258% increase in the number of applicants taking the test to become a state trooper.
 
For many, especially in our rural communities, the Pennsylvania State Police routinely aid municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. At a time when our state troopers are asked to do more in communities across the Commonwealth, it’s our responsibility to ensure they have the tools, the flexibility and the personnel to succeed.
 
To ensure police departments are well-staffed, well-funded, and well-equipped, this budget:
 

• Invests $16 millionto create four more new cadet classes for the Pennsylvania State Police and support PSP’s mission to protect the safety of Pennsylvania communities and residents, building on the action undertaken by the Shapiro Administration to enable more individuals to qualify as Troopers through the elimination of college degree requirements.

 
Investing in First Responders and Emergency Services
 
Law enforcement is not the only class of first responders facing workforce shortages that place a burden on local communities – staffing shortages impact all of Pennsylvania’s first responders.
 
Our emergency medical services (EMS) workers and firefighters put their lives on the line each day to help Pennsylvanians when they are in crisis – and we need to have their backs.
 
To support EMS companies, who can use grants for many things including equipment, facilities upgrades, training, recruitment, and more, Governor Shapiro’s budget:
 

• Proposes a $30 million increase for EMS and firefighter funding in the 2024-25 budget through the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program – doubling last year’s investment of $30 million to a total of $60 million.

  
Learn more about Governor Shapiro’s budget here: shapirobudget.pa.gov