What does Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget pay for?

Delivering on K-12 Education & Ensuring Pennsylvania Students Have the Freedom to Chart Their Own Course

The 2024-25 Shapiro budget makes the largest investment in Commonwealth history in K-12 public education – $1.11 billion in total – and drives those dollars out in a more equitable manner to the schools that need it most.

Making another $100 million available for student mental health funding in K-12 schools and building upon one-time federal funds to ensure schools have the continued resources to provide mental health services to students and staff.

A $10 million increase for student teacher stipends – doubling last year’s investment.

A $100 million increase in special education funding, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to equitable education for all students.

$3 million for pads and tampons in schools at no costs to students. This is the first budget in Pennsylvania history to address period poverty.

Governor Shapiro knows that parents and families in our workforce cannot succeed if we have a lack of affordable childcare – and this budget also makes a critically needed $17.7 million increase for early childhood education. This $17.7 million increase includes a dedicated $15 million for the Pre-K Counts Program and $2.7 million for the Head Start Supplement Assistance Program to support early learners and stabilize our workforce.

Continued funding for universal free breakfast for 1.7 million students.

$100 million in sustainable funding for environmental repair and other facilities in schools to create safe and healthy environments for students to learn in and teachers to teach in, including $25 million for Solar for Schools.

$11.5 million to create the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program. The program aims to increase access to before- and after-school programming to create safe environments for Pennsylvania kids.

Spurring Economic Growth and Development

This budget delivers on key elements of the Governor’s Economic Development Strategy and spurs job creation, fosters innovation, and provides the funding to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale with new and expanded investments, including:

$500 million in site development, including $400 million to create the Pennsylvania strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (PA SITES) program to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania. PA SITES received bipartisan support in the House and Senate to help sites across the Commonwealth become “shovel ready” in order to attract more businesses and good-paying jobs.

$20 million for the Main Street Matters program, to support 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.

This budget invests $20 million in state funding for small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses across the Commonwealth.

$15 million for tourism marketing to boost our economy, attract more visitors, and support good-paying jobs – building on the Governor’s launch of the Great American Getaway brand to encourage tens of millions within a few hours’ drive to visit Pennsylvania.

This budget also continues to cut taxes for Pennsylvanians and provides tax credits to support further job creation and investment.

Continuing Pennsylvania’s Legacy as a National Leader in Agriculture

The Governor’s Economic Development Strategy puts agriculture front and center in the conversation.

$31 million to help poultry farmers impacted by the hi-path avian influenza (HPAI) crisis pay for testing and get reimbursed for losses to their flocks.

The budget invests in a new state laboratory in western Pennsylvania that will provide much needed testing capacity, helping with rapid diagnosis and mitigation of future HPAI outbreaks across the state.

$10 million in agriculture innovation to help support new solutions and technologies, including energy and conservation endeavors, and to continue to build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania.

Supporting our Workforce and Opening Doors of Economic Opportunity

This budget opens doors of economic opportunity and gives Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course – investing in all paths to success, from vo-tech and apprenticeship programs to college and continuing education:

Includes a $30 million increase in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming and equipment and continues Governor Shapiro’s work to invest in apprenticeship programs.

Secures an additional $10 million for student teacher stipends, doubling last year’s investment.

$7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students allowing them to take advanced courses for college credit and chart their own course.

Provides $2 million in first-time state funding for nursing apprenticeships.

Creating Opportunity for Every Student, Delivering a Bold New Vision for Higher Education Grounded in Access and Affordability

Governor Shapiro has made higher education a priority in Pennsylvania for the first time in 30 years, and brought together stakeholders from across Pennsylvania to have meaningful conversations about how Pennsylvania can build a stronger higher education sector that delivers real opportunity for our students and contributes to our Commonwealth’s success for generations to come.

This budget creates the State Board of Higher Education to provide greater support and coordination and ensure our institutions of higher education meet Pennsylvania’s workforce needs.

Creates a performance-based funding formula for state-related universities.

The budget provides critical investments in our community colleges and PASSHE schools, including $15.7 million increase – or a 6 percent increase – for community colleges and $35.1 million increase for PASSHE schools – also a 6 percent increase.

This budget delivers over $120 million in increased funding for scholarships and grants to make college more affordable, including $54 million increase in PHEAA student grants and $5 million for disadvantaged students’ scholarships.

Supporting Pennsylvania’s Intellectual Disability and Autism Community and Direct Support Professionals

For years, the ID/A community has demanded real help. Governor Shapiro heard them loud and clear – and this budget finally stands up Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism, and the direct support professionals who care for them with major investments:

$354.8 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community based service providers, a 7 percent rate increase. This $354.8 million includes:

$280 million to help raise wages for the direct support professionals who care for Pennsylvanians in the ID/A community; and

$74.8 million to begin the process of clearing the emergency wait list entirely – ensuring more Pennsylvanians receive the care they need and deserve.

Supporting Law Enforcement and Creating Safer Communities

Governor Shapiro believes Pennsylvanians deserve to be safe and feel safe in their communities – and that’s why this budget funds our Pennsylvania State Police and makes critical investments in gun violence prevention efforts. This budget:

Ensuring Our Law Enforcement is Well-Staffed, Well-Equipped, and Well-Funded

This budget will continue to sustainably fund the Pennsylvania State Police by reducing PSP’s reliance on the Motor License Fund, delivering an additional $125 million for road and bridge projects while ensuring law enforcement has the resources they need to keep our communities safe.

$16 million to create four more new cadet classes for the Pennsylvania State Police – funding nearly 400 more State Troopers – supporting 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 credits requirements.

Investing in Gun Violence Prevention and Creating the Office of Gun Violence Prevention

Invests $45 million in proven community-based programs to reduce violence through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), including a $5 million increase for the successful Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program, which 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.

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

Includes 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.

Increases funding for domestic violence services by an additional $2.5 million through the PA Department of Human Services (DHS).

Investing in Public Transit and Infrastructure

Governor Shapiro knows millions of Pennsylvanians in rural, urban, and suburban communities rely on public transit every single day to get to work, go to school, see their families, and travel – and clean, safe, on-time public transit is a key driver of economic development. This budget delivers:

An $80.5 million increase to help bridge the funding gap for public transit agencies across the Commonwealth until the legislature returns to develop a permanent solution, as leaders in both parties have committed to doing.

$80.5 million in new funding to repair our roads and bridges, a key priority for Senate Republicans.

Protecting Health Care and Delivering for Seniors

Governor Shapiro knows that too many Pennsylvanians are worried about the high cost of health care – and the Commonwealth is currently facing a health care crisis as hospitals close in rural communities. This budget will help ensure Pennsylvanians’ access to quality, affordable health care with $34.5 million in support to rural hospitals.

Helping Pennsylvania Seniors Age with Dignity

$75 million in increased funding for the care of seniors and adults with disabilities living in skilled nursing facilities. Nursing homes will receive a 7.04 percent annualized rate increase that will support facility staffing and quality of care.

$2.95 million to support PDA’s implementation of Aging Our Way, PA. Through these initiatives, the Commonwealth can enhance accessibility, empower caregivers, bridge disparities, and build a resilient and compassionate community for everyone.

$1.9 million to create the first Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Division within the Department of Aging to support Pennsylvanians living with these conditions and their caregivers.

Increasing Access to Pads and Tampons in Schools

The Governor’s proposal to make pads and tampons available at no cost in Pennsylvania schools received bipartisan support in the legislature and was championed by First Lady Lori Shapiro.

This budget delivers $3 million to provide pads and tampons at no cost to our students.

Combatting Maternal Mortality

This budget more than doubles last year’s investment with a $2.6 million increase for maternal mortality prevention.

Investing in Affordable Housing

This budget raises the cap for PHARE funding to $100 million per year by 2026, nearly doubling the Commonwealth’s investment in building more affordable housing.

A $5 million increase for the Homeless Assistance Program, where rental assistance, bridge housing, emergency shelter, eviction prevention, and other innovative supportive housing services can be provided.

The first-ever state investment of $2.5 million in access to counsel for those facing eviction proceedings.

$2.5 million to create a Local Government Emergency Housing Support program for our cities and counties.

Supporting Commonsense Investments in Environmental Innovation and Monitoring

Investing $50 million in funding to clean waterways across Pennsylvania, including local streams that feed the Chesapeake Bay.

Allocating $11 million in state funds to continue the important work of finding and capping abandoned wells.

Investing $10.5 million to speed up permitting processes at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and clear permit backlogs.