During a recent session focused on the state budget, the Pennsylvania Senate advanced two bills authored by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) with bipartisan support, while a third bill moved out of committee.
“In addition to our efforts to end this unnecessary budgetary crisis, I was pleased to see these commonsense measures received bipartisan support,” said Argall. “There are few issues I hear more about than the workforce shortages affecting many segments of our economy. Our votes today will assist two labor forces that play crucial roles in our communities – long-term care workers and corrections officers.”
Senate Bill 114 aims to address workforce shortages in long-term care by expanding access to training courses for nurse aides and broadening eligibility for individuals wishing to take the nurse aide competency exam. The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 31-18, sending it to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Senior advocates have expressed strong support for these changes, stating that they would reduce employment barriers at long-term care centers while maintaining qualification standards.
Senate Bill 111 seeks to help alleviate staffing shortages among state corrections officers by removing residency requirements for these positions. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the bill with a 13-0 vote, moving it forward to the full Senate. Argall noted that he introduced this legislation at the request of local corrections officers and their union.
A third measure, Senate Bill 460, proposes updates to procedures governing when a governor or lieutenant governor is unable to perform official duties. This follows findings from a review by the Senate State Government Committee—chaired by Argall at the time—that identified inconsistencies in how the existing Governor and Lieutenant Governor Disability Procedure Law has been applied since its enactment in 1974. The law also contains outdated language such as references to telegrams. The bill passed with a vote of 35-14 and now advances to the House.
