State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, Your District 38
Update

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*Upcoming Events**

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*Upcoming
July Community Office Hours at the Kingsley Association*

*Friday,
July 12, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM*

Due to the July 4th holiday, we moved
our regular first Friday community office hours at the Kingsley
Association to *Friday, July 12 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm*. Stop by to
meet with a Constituent Relations Specialist and access all the
services that our District Office provides:

-
Property Tax Rent
Rebates

-
Senior Photo Connect Cards

-
PennDOT Forms

-
Connection to Resources

-
Unclaimed Property Searches

-
Voter Registration

-
And much more!

* Please note that we will
*not* have notary services available this month. Please call the
office at 412-364-0469 if you need notary services and we will make
other arrangements for you!

*
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*July
Community Days!*

Summer is in full swing, and we are excited about
attending Community Days in Hampton, Springdale and Larimer in July!
We're looking forward to enjoying some fireworks, bands, car shows,
yummy food, kid's activities, health clinics and more with everyone.
Come by our table to talk with Senator Williams or to pick up some
resources from her staff.

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*Book
Your July In-Person VSO Appointment!*

Our July in-person Veterans
Service Officer (VSO) appointments are filling up quickly! Call us
today to reserve a 30-minute in-person meeting with a VSO this month
or for any month in the future. Appointments alternate between our
Ross and Harrison offices monthly and are held every 3rd Tuesday from
9 am - 1 pm.

Upcoming Dates:

-
Tuesday, July 16, Ross Township
Office

-
Tuesday, August 20, Harrison Office

-
Tuesday,
September 17, Ross Township Office

Whether you have a question or
just need a fresh review of the benefits you've earned, call or email
our office to schedule a one-on-one appointment: 412-364-0469 (Ross),
724-224-2131 (Harrison), [email protected] [link
1].

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*

*Good
News**

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*Changing
Lives One Head at a Time with Heirs Barber and Social Shop*

In
June, I had the chance to meet with Curtis Miller and tour his
Professional Barber and Social Shop serving the Homewood, Larimer, and
East Liberty neighborhoods.

Mr. Miller prides his shop on excellent
service and top-quality haircuts, but he also stresses community
building. The shop's motto is "Changing lives one head at a time" and
they offer so much more than a haircut. They combine social work,
mental health, barbering, and entrepreneurship for the entire
community. Mr. Miller and his barbers are an amazing community
asset.

Check out their services and their mission at
[link removed] [link 2].

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*Pennsylvania
National Guard Promotions*

Congratulations to the Pennsylvania
National Guard officers whose promotions were all unanimously reported
out of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and
the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee!

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[link 3]

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*Senator
Williams Supports School Counseling Services Act*

I joined the
Pennsylvania School Counselors Association to rally in support of SB33
[link 4], the School Counseling Services Act, because our students
need more caring adults in their school buildings giving students the
supports they need and deserve. This legislation, which I'm the prime
sponsor of, will require that school counselors spend at least 80% of
their working time engaged in direct and indirect services to students
on days that students are in school. These services could involve
academic advising, career planning, social and emotional skill
building, intervening with students at risk of dropping out, orienting
new and transferring students, and contributing to decision-making
teams and programs that directly impact students and
families.

Shout out to our AMAZING school counselors, especially
our very own Mrs. D-M from Burchfield Primary School in Shaler Area
School District who joined us in Harrisburg. We are incredibly
grateful for your work and we look forward to supporting
you!

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*July
Community Days*

We had a blast celebrating Hampton and Springdale
Community Days last week! Thanks to Congressman Chris Deluzio, Rep.
Arvind Venkat, and Rep. Mandy Steele for sharing space with
us.

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*

*Legislative
Update**

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[link 5]

*Senate Passes Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform
Legislation!*

I was happy to join my colleagues in voting for HB
1993 [link 6], which passed the Senate this week. This Pharmacy
Benefit Manager (PBM) reform legislation will save Pennsylvanians
money on their prescription medications, support our local pharmacies,
and protect a vital link in our health care chain.

I have been
fortunate to partner with local pharmacies throughout my time in the
Pennsylvania Senate. These incredibly knowledgeable individuals have
participated in my office's Senior Fairs, Community Baby Showers, and
other events to ensure that residents have access to vaccines and
other important health information.

One of the pharmacists I've
worked with closely throughout my time in the Senate, *Kaitlyn
Sullivan, the owner of** Russelton-Palmer Pharmacy* [link 7] in West
Deer, said "PBM reform continues to be needed to ensure that patients
will always have access to local brick and mortar & include all the
unique services we provide as community pharmacies. Today was a small
step in the right direction, but local pharmacies are still in danger
of going away. We thank the lawmakers that have worked hard with us
and we hope to continue to work towards better solutions."

In
April, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee [link 8] heard from
independent pharmacies about how unfavorable reimbursement rates and
monopolies by the larger pharmacies have driven up costs and closed
small pharmacies. Since the beginning of this year, more than 140
pharmacies have closed in Pennsylvania [link 9] because PBM
reimbursements no longer cover what it costs pharmacies to purchase
medications, let alone what it costs to dispense prescriptions to
customers.

I am proud to help protect our local pharmacies and our
health care by supporting PBM reform and I thank my House colleague
Rep. Jessica Benham (D-36) for sponsoring it. I ask the House to move
quickly in concurring with these changes so that this legislation can
move to the Governor's desk and start to benefit Pennsylvanians as
soon as possible."

Learn more here:
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[link 10]

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[link 11]

*Summer-EBT in PA is Open!*

This year, Pennsylvania
opted into the new nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer
program, called Summer EBT or SUN Bucks. This summer grocery benefit
for children will be automatically issued to most eligible children,
but some families will need to apply (see Just Harvest [link 12]'s
graphic above or go to JustHarvest.org/SUNBucks [link 13] for
assistance).

The SUN Bucks benefit is for school aged children who
are income eligible for the National School Lunch Program (see chart
below). Families are provided with $40 per month, per eligible child
to cover the three summer months - June, July, and August.
*Pennsylvania will issue its Summer EBT/SUN Bucks benefit as a single
$120 issuance by October 2024.* SUN Bucks benefits will be loaded on a
family's existing EBT card or a new EBT card will be issued to newly
eligible families.

*Household Size*

*Monthly Gross Income Limit
for SUN Bucks*

*July 1, 2023- June 30, 2024*

(same as
Free/Reduced-Price School Meals)
1

$2,248

2

$3,041

3

$3,833

4

$4,625

5

$5,418

Each
additional family member

+$8,732

*The following children are
eligible and will automatically receive SUN Bucks:*

-
Any child
ages 6-18 who received SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance with
qualifying income during the 2023-24 school year or during the summer
of 2024, including home schooled and cyber school students.

-
Any
child who attends a school that participates in the National School
Lunch Program *and* either:

-
applies for and is approved for
Free and Reduced Price School Meals during the school year;

-
receives SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance with qualifying income at
any time during the school year or summer; OR

-
is directly
certified for free school meals as a foster child, migrant, or someone
experiencing homelessness.

To ensure you receive the SUN Bucks
benefit, be sure your child's school has your current mailing address.
If you receive SNAP, TANF or Medical Assistance with a qualifying
income, make sure that the Department of Human Services has your
current address.

You can use the PA Department of Human Services
Eligibility Navigator [link 14] to see if your child qualifies for SUN
Bucks.

If you don't automatically qualify for SUN Bucks, you can
apply several ways:

-
Complete a school meals application at your
child's school.

-
Just Harvest [link 15] enrolls families in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Contact Just Harvest
online here [link 16] or call 412-431-8960.

-
Apply online
through COMPASS [link 17] or at one of ?DHS' County Assistance Offices
[link 18] for:

-
National School Lunch Program

-
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

-
Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

-
Medical Assistance

-
Paper SUN Bucks applications are available for download here [link
19].

For more information see SUN Bucks - Just Harvest [link 20] or
Summer EBT | Department of Human Services | Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania [link 21].

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[link 22]*

*Summer Meals For Kids Site Finder*

Looking for a
free summer meals program near you this summer? Type in your zip code
on the USDA SUN Meals for Kids Site Finder [link 23] to find USDA
approved sites that serve meals and snacks to kids 18 and younger at
no cost. Meals are served on site or to go. The site finder shows
directions, hours of operation and contact information for every site
in the United States!

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[link 24]

*Updated Unemployment Guide for School Bus
Drivers*

The Department of Labor & Industry has created a new web
page with information for school bus drivers and other seasonal
workers [link 25] about how to apply for Unemployment Compensation
(UC) benefits during the summer break. The page includes information
about how to reopen a claim, how to avoid unnecessary eligibility
issues, and what to expect in terms of payment timing for eligible
claimants.

If you need assistance with your unemployment claim,
please contact my office at 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131
(Harrison) or at [email protected] [link
26].

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*Free
Bin Giveaway this Saturday!*

The Pennsylvania Resources Council
Traveling Glass Bin will be at Allegheny County Parks [link 27]
Hartwood Acres this coming week!

*When:* July 13-18

*Where:
*Hartwood Acres Ampitheater Overflow Lot, 4100 Middle Road, Allison
Park, PA 15101

Drop off all colors of glass bottles, jugs and jars
for six days!

Learn about glass recycling: [link removed]
[link 28].

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[link 29]

*TechOWL Can Help*

Do you or someone you know have a
disability and need assistive technology? TechOWL can help!

Under
the Assistive Technology Act, all states are required to have a
program to help people with disabilities and others explore, find, and
get the tools and technology they need. TechOWL is Pennsylvania's
Assistive Technology Act program. People with disabilities of all ages
can use TechOWL to find the devices and technologies that allow them
to be independent.

Services provided by TechOWL include:

-
A
statewide technology Lending Library [link 30] - "try before you
buy"

-
Answering questions and providing information to
Pennsylvanians about Assistive Technology

-
Demonstrations [link
31] to help people find the best technology to fit your needs

-
Training and Presentations [link 32]

-
ReUse [link 33] accepting
donations and finding homes for lightly used equipment

-
Free
Special Phones [link 34] for people who can't use a typical phone

-
iCanConnect [link 35] for people with both vision and hearing
loss

To access services people with disabilities can communicate
with TechOWL remotely or in-person at one of their nine Pennsylvania
"Assistive Technology Resource Centers [link 36]." In Allegheny
County, the resource center is located in Swissvale at:

Community
Living and Support Services [link 37]

1400 South Braddock Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Voice: (412) 683-7100 ext.
2179

Contact:*
*Rebekah Nesbitt

E-mail:
[email protected] [link 38]

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*Larimer Gala and Larimer Alive! *

Celebrate Larimer!
The LCG Fundraising Gala and Larimer Alive are July 19 and 20. Come
celebrate neighbors, family, and friends with food, raffles, music,
and more! For information on both events, please contact Tuarone
Thomas-Washington at 412-441-1476 x102.

As always, please feel free
to reach out with any questions you may have by phone at 412-364-0469
[link 41] (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 [link 42] (Harrison Office) or
by email at [email protected] [link 43]. My staff
will return your call/email within 24 hours (Monday-Friday).

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Senator
Lindsey Williams

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Contact
Information:

Website:
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Office Location:
District
Office
5000 McKnight Road
Suite 405
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone:
412-364-0469
Fax: 412-364-0928
Monday ? Friday 9-5

Harrison
Office
1826 Union Avenue
Natrona Heights, PA 15065
Phone:
724-224-2131
Fax: 724-224-2145
Monday ? Thursday 9-5

Harrisburg
Office
366 Capitol Building
Senate Box 203038
Harrisburg, PA
17120-3038
Phone: 717-787-6538
Fax: 717-787-8625
By appointment
only


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