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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 8, 2025 09:33 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Lindsey M. Williams and Sen. Carolyn T. Comitta |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Protecting LGBTQ Students from Discrimination |
| In the near future, we will be re-introducing legislation to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination. Year after year, the General Assembly has increased funding for the Educational Improvement and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits (EITC & OSTC). Since 2001, Pennsylvania has given billions in tax breaks to corporations and its wealthiest citizens in exchange for scholarships to private and religious schools. Students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community are often denied this financial support because private schools can and do discriminate against them in the admissions process. We are introducing legislation that will protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination by schools that receive funding through EITC and OSTC. It would require schools which receive funding through these programs to have a written policy of nondiscrimination. This bill was Senate Bill 554 in 2023-24, companion to Representatives Benham and Kenyatta’s HB1046. Senate Bill 554 was previously co-sponsored by Senators Haywood, Hughes, Kearney, Fontana, Tartaglione, Collett, Schwank, Cappelletti, Costa, Muth, Kane, Street, and Santarsiero. No student – no person - should be discriminated against by institutions who receive tax breaks. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Memo Updated: January 8, 2025 09:34 AM