My Legislation
Comprehensive Modernization of the Minimum Wage
Senate Bill 19 represents the 19 long years since Pennsylvania last raised its minimum wage. It’s time to change that. The bill would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026, with annual cost-of-living increases, raise the tipped wage to 70% of the minimum, and strengthen enforcement against wage theft. Too many Pennsylvanians—working in health care, childcare, hospitality, and more—are doing essential work without a wage they can live on. This is about basic fairness, stability for families, and a stronger economy for everyone. I’m ready to work across the aisle to get this done.
Wage Equity
Everyone deserves equal pay for equal work. I’ve reintroduced legislation to make it illegal to discriminate against workers based on their rate of pay. This bill ensures fair wages for comparable work, while still allowing differences based on merit, experience, or seniority. In a time when wage gaps, especially for women, have barely improved in decades, it’s long past time to make fairness the law in Pennsylvania.
Expanding the Family Medical Leave Act in Pennsylvania
No one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and keeping their job. I’ve reintroduced legislation to extend FMLA protections to include siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren in limited cases, because families come in many forms. Inspired by a Pennsylvanian who left her job to care for her terminally ill sister, this bill offers six weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to those stepping in when no one else can. It’s a small but meaningful step toward a more compassionate family leave policy.
Protecting Workplace Safety
Too many public workers in Pennsylvania still don’t have the same basic safety protections that private sector workers get under OSHA. I’ve reintroduced legislation to change that by creating a state Occupational Safety and Health Review Board and extending OSHA standards to public employees—like transit workers, school staff, and municipal workers—who often face serious risks on the job. Every worker deserves a safe workplace. It’s time we make that true for everyone.
Prohibiting Safe Injection Sites in the Commonwealth
The Senate recently passed my bill to prohibit safe injection sites in Pennsylvania. As someone in long-term recovery I believe we need real treatment and real support, not sanctioned spaces for drug use. This bill won’t affect harm reduction tools like naloxone or syringe services, but it will make clear that our state does not support facilities for illegal drug use and will not subject our communities to further victimization during the opioid crisis. Recovery is possible. I’ve lived it, and I know that with the right resources, people can rebuild their lives.
Disability Legislation Package
Senate Bills 592, 593, and 594
As a person with a disability, I’m always fighting for increased accessibility and inclusion in Harrisburg which is why I’ve reintroduced a package of legislation to advance the rights of people with disabilities. SB 592 permanently establishes the Office for People with Disabilities so that we always have a voice to advocate for people with disabilities in any current or future Governor’s administration. SB 593 creates a hiring preference in the civil service for people with disabilities who have an unemployment rate approximately three times higher than people who do not have a disability in Pennsylvania. SB 594 requires insurers to cover two annual wheelchair maintenance well-visits under their policies in order to address any issues with a wheelchair before any accident or loss of function can happen.