CRIME GRANTS: The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency has awarded three grants totaling $370,382 to assist crime victims and for a crime-prevention program.

“These grant awards will have a positive impact on our community through funding critical programs that assist crime victims and a youth mentoring program designed to develop strong, caring relationships and life skills for our region’s youth,” Sen. Lisa Boscola said.

Grants through the programs listed below were approved today by PCCD:

State Endowment Act Funds

• Lehigh County, Victim Advocacy for Lehigh County’s Children, $100,000

Endowment Act – DVSOs (Category 4)

• Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley: Services for Victims of Child Sexual Abuse, $100,000

State Violence and Delinquency Prevention Programs

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley: Sports Buddies College Partnership Expansion, $170,382

SNAP FRAUD: Senate Bill 362, Sen. Lisa Boscola’s legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s response to SNAP and EBT skimming crimes, passed the Pennsylvania Senate by unanimous vote (49Y:0N).

Senate Bill 362 updates Pennsylvania’s Human Services Code to better address criminals who steal SNAP and EBT benefit information through skimming, scanning devices, reencoders, and other methods used to replicate or misuse a recipient’s access device information. The bill was developed in consultation with the Office of the State Inspector General and the Department of Human Services to reflect how these crimes are actually being committed and prosecuted.

“SNAP skimming is not petty theft. These are calculated crimes that can wipe out a family’s food budget in minutes,” Boscola said. “This bill gives prosecutors clearer tools to go after the people stealing food assistance benefits from Pennsylvania families.”

AGRICULTURAL GRANTS: Agricultural Innovation Grants totaling $150,607 have been awarded to two projects in Northampton County.

“The Commonwealth’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program provides important funding to projects that assist Pennsylvania agricultural businesses enhance efficiency and production, while also protecting soil and water resources as these two Northampton County projects demonstrate,” Sen. Lisa Boscola said.

The following were awarded grants:

• Pennsylvania Saffron – $116,807 (regional impact): Development of an Ai-enabled weeding system for small farms

• Kenneth Barleib – $33,800: Farm water-usage efficiency system

The two grants were announced as part of the second round through the first in the nation’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. Across the Commonwealth, the second round of grants will see $9.7 million investment supporting 97 projects and leveraging an additional $4.8 million in private investment. The first two rounds funded 185 projects at a total investment of $30 million.

Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program helps farmers and other agriculture businesses implement new agricultural technologies, conservation, and renewable energy innovations – expanding their potential to generate profits, enrich soil and water resources, and produce energy on the farm.

TRANSPORTATION GRANT: State funding totaling $1,565,885 for two transportation projects in the 18th Senatorial District has been approved through PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund.

“I’m pleased to announce the approval of these state funds to help expedite these critically important transportation projects in Bethlehem and Easton that will improve our local transportation infrastructure and increase public safety for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists,” Boscola said. “I will continue to seek state funding and resources for local projects seeking to make our community a better place to live and work.”

PennDOT approved the following projects for funding in the 18th Senatorial District:

• City of Bethlehem - $1 million – Broad Street Activation Project will implement safety and multimodal improvements along Bethlehem’s Broad Street corridor, advancing Vision Zero goals by reducing crashes, calming traffic, and improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and drivers.

• City of Easton - $565,885 – 611 Sidewalk Project will implement pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of S. 3rd Street and S. Delaware Drive (PA611) as well as the crosswalk along Route 611, leading to Delaware Canal Park and the trailhead to the D&L Trail.

SAFETY LIGHTS: Pennsylvania has a new law that would allow more vehicles to use blue safety lights in order to increase the visibility of roadside assistance vehicles. Previously, only vehicles identified as “tow trucks” were permitted to operate blue lights while the truck is stationary on the side of the road or highway while responding to a disabled vehicle.

Rep. Bob Freeman introduced H.B. 1830 to extend to light-duty service trucks the same ability as provided to tow trucks, to display blue lights on their light bars and taillights while they are stationary on the side of the road rendering assistance.

Freeman learned of the narrow interpretation of state law regarding blue safety lights from the Northamp-ton County AAA Club, which is active in his district.

DIGITAL TAX: Rep. Jeanne McNeill (D-133) said she was pleased to vote June 11 in favor of the Digital Ads Tax Bill (H.B. 1678), which passed the House Tuesday and would update Pennsylvania’s gross receipts tax to include the sale of digital advertisements. By implementing a digital advertising tax, Maryland raised $170 million from Big Tech companies to fund public education in just a few years. Pennsylvania can do the same and gain revenue to prevent property tax hikes for seniors, McNeill said.

The bill is now with state Senate for further consideration.

DATA CENTERS: State Sen. Lisa M. Boscolamade the following statement Sept. 9 in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s executive order on data center protections:

“Gov. Shapiro is right to act, and I applaud his decision to issue this Executive Order today … Data centers must pay the costs they create, utilities must not shift those costs onto existing customers, the PUC must have the tools to protect grid reliability, and local communities must have a meaningful voice before development moves forward.

“This executive order is an important and necessary step. Now, the General Assembly should work together to codify these protections into law so they are clear, consistent, and durable for Pennsylvania ratepayers and communities. I stand ready to work with Gov. Shapiro and colleagues in both parties to get that done.”