HARRISBURG – October 9, 2024 – Today, the Pennsylvania General Assembly gave final approval on legislation by Sens. Pat Stefano (R-32) and Jay Costa (D-43) that would allow magisterial district judges to grant Pennsylvania drivers who are unable to pay the fees and fines of their suspended license the option to pursue community service as a payment alternative. This initiative would only apply to drivers whose suspension resulted from routine violations.
“The ability to drive is essential in rural Pennsylvania,” Stefano said. “This legislation will empower Pennsylvania drivers struggling to escape the prison of debt, created by those fines and fees from traffic violations, to get back on the road so they can continue to contribute to our local communities.”
Senate Bill 1118 would also allow those who currently have suspended licenses – due to inability to pay certain fines and fees – to be provided with the option of community service if a judge sees fit. The community service payment alternative could additionally apply to suspensions related to driving with a suspended license.
“Today is a great day for justice reform in Pennsylvania,” said Costa. “This bipartisan legislation stands to make an enormous difference in the lives of low-income drivers who cannot afford the fines to reinstate suspended licenses. By allowing judges to assign community service instead of financial penalties for drivers already struggling to make ends meet, we can ensure workers get to jobs, patients get to doctor’s appointments, kids get to school and families can live their lives. I look forward to seeing this legislation put to work in our communities.”
During the bill’s passage in the House of Representatives, a variety of amendments were added to the legislation for structural changes. Alterations to the bill included increasing the response time for an individual to receive notice of a license suspension and reducing the soon-to-be law’s effective date from 26 to 18 months.
“This has been many years in the making. Sen. Costa and I first introduced this legislation, three legislative sessions ago, following a study that showed that failure to pay fines and fees and failure to appear in court are the two most common reasons for a license suspension among young drivers,” Stefano said. “I’m happy to see this initiative finally come to fruition.”
The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for enactment.
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HARRISBURG – June 26, 2024 – The Senate Transportation Committee voted today in favor of a bill sponsored by Sens. Pat Stefano (R-32) and Jay Costa (D-43) that would provide an alternative solution for Pennsylvania drivers who are unable to pay the fees of their suspended license: community service.
Senate Bill 1118 would allow for a magisterial district judge to determine if someone is financially unable to bear the costs of the fines/fees associated with a traffic offense and then instead assign community service as a payment alternative to an indefinite license suspension.
“Too often, young and economically disadvantaged drivers carry the burden of insurmountable amounts of debt, restricting their potential. Those individuals deserve a solution to retain their driver’s license so that they can continue to contribute to our communities,” said Stefano. “Providing this alternative for drivers to avoid a suspended license will not only empower those individuals to pursue employment or education opportunities but further enhance our workforce and aid the betterment of neighborhoods across the commonwealth.”
The bill would also allow those who currently have suspended licenses – due to violations of driving without a license, failure to appear in court or failure to pay fines – to be provided with the option of community service if a judge sees fit. The community service payment alternative could additionally apply to suspensions related to driving with a suspended license.
“I am delighted to be supporting this bill as we move the needle on justice for low-income drivers,” said Costa. “We know that members of our community who struggle financially rely on their cars to get to work, care for family, and manage day-to-day tasks. By allowing those drivers an alternate pathway for reinstituting their license, we are delivering a justice system that works for every Pennsylvanian. I look forward to getting this over the finish line.”
The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
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HARRISBURG, PA – March 19, 2024 − Today, members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus gathered to celebrate “Arts Advocacy Day” along with Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, a nonprofit advocacy group.
The four co-chairs of the caucus – Senator Jay Costa, Senator Pat Stefano, Representative R. Lee James, and Representative Joe Ciresi – joined advocates to praise the artists who contribute their talents to their communities, and called for continued investments in arts and culture in order to boost local economies, tourism, and downtown revitalization.
“There’s power in numbers and it’s so encouraging to see advocates from all corners of Pennsylvania come to the capitol to shine light on the vast impact of the arts,” said Senator Pat Stefano. “Support for the arts provides an opportunity for economic growth, as the arts touch multiple industries across the commonwealth. An investment in local art is an investment in our local businesses, so funding creative endeavors propels our economy to thrive.”
“I’m honored to add my voice to the chorus of leaders and activists lifting up our artists,” said Senator Jay Costa. “Supporting the arts means supporting our communities, our economies, and our families. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to continue supporting those advancing arts and culture in Pennsylvania.”
“The arts are an essential part of our lives and the fabrication of our world,” said Rep Ciresi. “We must continue to support our local art organizations, not only for the goodness of our souls but for the economic impact they bring into our society.”
“The Arts inspire,” said Rep. R. Lee James. “The Arts provide cultural knowledge for future generations. The Arts are ageless.”
“PA CultureCheck, our study with Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, highlights the innovation and creativity of Pennsylvania’s cultural organizations and their need for additional support as they face ongoing economic challenges and changing audiences,” says Laurie Zierer, executive Director of PA Humanities.
“Pennsylvania’s vast arts and culture community are facing multiple challenges of increased operational and programming costs, changes in attendance and uncertain revenue streams. Now is the time for increased state support to stabilize creativity, tourism, and arts education across the Commonwealth,” said Mitch Swain, Citizens for the Arts in PA
Footage of today’s presser is accessible here.
More information about the caucus is available at PAArtsCultureCaucus.com.
HARRISBURG, PA − April 26, 2023 − Today, Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to celebrate “Arts Advocacy Day” along with Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, a nonprofit advocacy group.
The four co-chairs of the caucus – Senator Jay Costa, Senator Pat Stefano, Representative R. Lee James, and Representative Joe Ciresi – joined advocates to praise the artists who contribute their talents to their communities, and called for continued investments in arts and culture in order to boost local economies, tourism, and downtown revitalization.
“Art is a communication tool that humans have used for centuries, connecting us to one another,” said Senator Pat Stefano. “People are instinctively drawn to beautiful things because we crave the release that’s triggered when we see or hear something that resonates with us. That in its simplest form is connection.”
“We all deserve to live in communities full of artists and art,” said Senator Jay Costa. “I am a proud patron of the arts and I was proud to join with advocates today to celebrate Pennsylvania’s contribution to the arts. I look forward to working with this bipartisan, bicameral caucus as we continue supporting a thriving arts hub in our beautiful commonwealth.”
The press conference included performances by Harrisburg poet Rick Kearns, Poetry Out Loud State Champion Peachy Lee, and the Altoona Area High School Jazz Ensemble.
“The Arts matter in PA,” said Kelley Gibson, Board Chair for Citizens for the Arts advocacy group. “Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania strongly believes that it is time for Pennsylvania to take the lead in supporting Arts and Culture. PA’s creative sector added more than $28.6 BILLION to the commonwealth’s economy in 2021, and these creative jobs and businesses are in every county in our community. The dance classes, local music festivals, and hands-on arts experiences that PA citizens experience are supported by these critical funds.”
Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania praised Governor Josh Shapiro for a 2023-24 fiscal budget that includes an increase to the Grants to the Arts line item, administered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, for the first time since the 2015-2016 budget. The advocacy group also supports several other initiatives such as:
- The Pennsylvania Arts Education Association in support of their advocating for the need to update the Arts & Humanities standards.
- The Pennsylvania State Task Force for Music Therapy in supporting Professional Licensure of Music Therapy.
- Funding to support the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Footage of today’s presser is accessible at PASenate.com. More information about the caucus is available at PAArtsCultureCaucus.com.
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Harrisburg, Pa − December 6, 2019 −Senator Pat Stefano (R-Fayette) and Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. (D-Allegheny) announced plans to introduce legislation that would reform the process of license suspension for driving violations.
The legislation would provide alternative mechanisms for individuals to retain their driver’s license in cases where they are financially unable to pay fines and fees imposed for routine traffic violations. The alternative arrangements will include community service.
“Many drivers, especially young and low-income drivers, are overwhelmingly burdened by this provision,” they wrote jointly in a co-sponsorship memorandum to Senate colleagues. “It creates major barriers to pursuing employment and educational opportunities, as well as burdens their ability to access healthcare and other necessary services, essentially creating a debtor’s prison.”
According to The Buhl Foundation’s analysis Driver’s License Suspensions and the Impact on Young People in Pennsylvania, among young drivers ages 16-24 years old, failure to pay fines and fees and failure to appear are the most common reason for license suspensions. In the period between 2014 and 2017, 172,006 young people in Pennsylvania received driver’s license suspensions. Of these, 124,650 suspensions given were of an indefinite length. Under Section 1533 of Title 75, license suspension for failure to pay a fine is indefinite; until fines associated with the underlying citation are paid, a person has no recourse for reinstating their driving privileges.
As highlighted in the Buhl report, license suspension exacerbates “the vicious cycle of needing a license to get to a job but needing a job to pay the costs associated with getting a license or paying the fines resulting from driving without a license.”
Senators Costa and Stefano are seeking cosponsors for the legislation before its formal introduction.
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