Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Summer 2008
Summer 2008
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 529
Summer 2008
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Rep. Stern held a health care roundtable in Duncansville with local health care ������������������������������� ��������������������������������������
professionals, insurance providers and business owners to gather information and � ���������������������������� ������������������������������������
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share ideas about the House Republican health care plan. Pictured left to right is
Stern; Rep. Scott Boyd (R-Lancaster), co-chairman of the House Republican Policy �������������������������� ���������������������������� �
Committee’s Health Care Task Force; and Rep. Mike Fleck (R-Huntingdon).
JERRYSTERN.COM
New Law Exempts COLA from Under the law, Act 66 of 2008, volunteers actively serving
during the 2008 tax year are eligible to receive a tax credit of
up to $100 against their state income tax liability.
PACE, PACENET Eligibility The state fire commissioner and the director of the Emer-
gency Medical Services Office in the Department of Health
A new law will help ensure that senior citizens enrolled will develop a point system establishing annual requirements
in Pennsylvania’s PACE and PACENET programs do not for certification of active volunteers. The system will consider
lose their prescription drug coverage because of this year’s things like the number of emergency calls, the volunteer’s
Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. Act 69 of 2008, level of training and participation in drills, and time spent on
formerly House Bill 2345 (or Senate Bill 4), was signed into administration and support activities.
law on July 9. According to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner,
As of Jan. 1, senior citizens began receiving a 2.3 percent there were about 325,000 volunteer firefighters in Pennsyl-
COLA in their Social Security benefits. Without this legislation, vania in the late 1970s. Those numbers dropped to about
the relatively small increase would bump some seniors just 75,000 five years ago. The most recent count this year puts
above the income limits for PACE and PACENET, jeopardiz- the volunteer force at closer to 50,000. We hope the tax credit
ing their access to vital prescription coverage. This new law will help retain current volunteers and encourage others to
applies to anyone enrolled in PACE as of Dec. 31, 2008, and join their ranks.
whose maximum income limit is exceeded solely due to the
Social Security COLA.
The legislation will guarantee that seniors currently enrolled
in PACE and PACENET would remain eligible, regardless of Rep. Stern
whether the Social Security COLA pushes their income above recognized
eligibility limits for the programs. The new law will help 15,000 Krystal Edwards
Pennsylvania seniors keep their prescription coverage. on the House
floor in June.
Krystal, a
New Tax Credit Available to resident of
Williamsburg,
JERRYSTERN.COM
Busy in Blair . . .
Rep. Stern had
the pleasure
of presenting
a check to
Hollidaysburg
Borough for the
purchase of radios
for the police
department.
Pictured left
to right is Joe
Dodson, mayor;
Jeff Ketner, chief
Children attending the summer program at the new
of police; Stern;
Hollidaysburg YMCA showing signs of appreciation for Rep.
and John Little,
Stern’s participation in obtaining state funding for the expansion
borough manager.
project.