House OKs Expansion to PACENET Program
House OKs Expansion to PACENET Program
A proposal to allow 32,000 more senior citizens to enroll in the state’s PACENET prescription drug assistance program cleared the House this summer, and is now in the state Senate for consideration. This would be the first expansion of the program since 2002.
House Bill 2069, which I supported, would increase the annual maximum income limits in the PACENET program to $31,000 for a single person and to $41,000 for a married couple. Current maximum income requirements for the PACENET program, which covers those individuals with incomes exceeding PACE maximums, are $23,500 for a single individual and $31,500 for a married couple annually.
An adjustment in the reimbursement formula would allow the program expansion without additional costs on enrollees or additional funds from the Pennsylvania Lottery or taxpayers. The PACE and PACENET programs provide low-cost prescription drugs to nearly 282,000 Pennsylvanians age 65 and older.
Both programs are funded from proceeds of the Pennsylvania Lottery. For more information on the programs, visit
RepPayne.com, and click on the “PA-At Your Service” icon.
DEP Accepting Applications for Small Business Advantage Grants
The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting manufacturers, retailers, service providers, agricultural businesses and other small businesses to apply for Small Business Advantage Grants to finance pollution prevention and energy-efficiency projects.
The grants provide funding to projects that include auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks, HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery systems and waste recycling systems.
The grant program is funded by the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, which is financed by the state Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and Act 13 impact fees, as well as hazardous waste transportation and management fees, and hazardous sites cost recovery.
Applicants will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will be accepted until fiscal year 2016-17 funds are exhausted or April 17, 2017, whichever occurs first.
For eligibility requirements and more details, visit
RepPayne.com, and click on “PA-At Your Service.”