HARRISBURG, PA – July 12, 2026 − State Senator James Andrew Malone (D-36, Lancaster) today applauded the passage of the 2026-2027 Pennsylvania budget.
“This budget is a responsible spending plan that funds education, invests in first responders, and lowers costs for people in Lancaster,” said Senator Malone. “I’m proud to have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to approve a plan that focuses on what people need.
This year’s budget takes another historic step towards fairly funding our public schools to make sure every child in Lancaster has a bright future. It also delivers $1 billion in property tax relief for homeowners. From investments in local roads and bridges to increased funding for child care worker recruitment and retention, we delivered on priorities my constituents in Lancaster County care about.
I’m also proud that language from my bill to close a reporting gap to protect kids from sexually explicit AI deepfakes was adopted into the fiscal code. Now, mandated reporters, like school personnel, will be required to immediately report all incidents of children sharing sexually explicit images of other children to the appropriate authorities.”
This budget delivers for Lancaster families and supports several of Senator Malone’s priorities, including:
Properly funding public education
- $565 million for adequacy and equity funding to build on three years of work in Pennsylvania to address our unconstitutional funding system
- $58 million increase over last year in Basic Education funding
- $50 million increase in Special Education funding
- $154 million for Career and Technical Education
- $1.5 million for the hunger-free campus initiative
First responders and public safety
- $62.15 for Violence Intervention and Prevention Programs to reduce violence in our communities
- $16.23 million for four new State Police cadet classes (480 cadets)
- Increases maximum loan amounts for Fire & EMS companies
Reducing costs for people in Lancaster
- $1 billion in property tax relief for homeowners, with an average of over $350 back in the pockets of homeowners
- Continuing the recent expansion of the Senior Citizens Property Tax & Rent Rebate Program to put more money back in the pockets of seniors
- Over $200 million in tax relief for Lancastrians under the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit
- Builds on last year’s investment in the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit for a total of $386 million
- $30 million for child care worker retention bonuses to help meet the demand for child care in Lancaster and lower the cost of this essential service