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In this Update:

• ICYMI: Submit Comments on Gov. Shapiro’s Overreach
• Op-ed: Second-Degree Murder Punishment Should Fit the Crime
• New Law Cracks Down on Robocalls, Scam Texts and Caller ID Spoofing
• Phishing Scam Targets “MyChart” Patient Portal Users
• Remembering 9/11 25 Years Later

ICYMI: Submit Comments on Gov. Shapiro’s Overreach

Gov. Shapiro and the Department of Health recently proposed sweeping new regulations that would vastly expand state government’s power over Pennsylvanians. This includes expanding the government’s authority to enter private residences and schools without a warrant, access private citizens’ health information, speak with children without parental consent, enforce mask mandates, and much more.

The full 500+ page proposal submitted by the Department of Health is available here.

Many of these regulations mirror the failed policies of the Wolf Administration during COVID. Like state government’s heavy-handed response during the pandemic, this Governor is attempting to ram through these changes and unprecedented powers being proposed for the Department of Health through the regulatory process – completely bypassing the General Assembly.

This approach is unacceptable and flies in the face of the voters in May 2021 that overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendments that I authored to rein in emergency powers by requiring transparency and accountability to the process.

I encourage all citizens to submit public comments on the regulations to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. Full instructions for submitting comments are available here . The public comment period is open through Monday, September 21.

Op-ed: Second-Degree Murder Punishment Should Fit the Crime

In March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the state’s sentencing guidelines for second-degree murder cases – life without the possibility of parole – is unconstitutional. Without action from the General Assembly, killers already convicted of this crime could petition for resentencing, opening the possibility that they could be set free.

The court gave the legislature 120 days to set new guidelines that ensure fairness, accountability and public safety.

The Senate took this responsibility seriously by working with victim advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors and the Pennsylvania Attorney General to create new guidelines that will ensure the punishments fit the terrible nature of these crimes. House Democrat leaders failed to act until the last minute and fought to include an amendment that was not negotiated with stakeholders and falls well short of our goals of protecting the families of victims and ensuring community safety.

I recently wrote an op-ed about the importance of addressing this issue to avoid putting victims’ families through another painful process that would reopen old wounds. You can read the full op-ed here.

New Law Cracks Down on Robocalls, Scam Texts and Caller ID Spoofing

Legislation we unanimously passed enacting stronger protections from deceptive telemarketing practices will take effect next month.

Under Act 47 of 2026, Pennsylvania’s telemarketing law will now cover modern forms of solicitation, including text messages, voicemails, ringless voicemails and robocalls. It also establishes stronger rules for when and how telemarketers can contact Pennsylvanians, including:

• Prohibiting telemarketing calls before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m. and on Sundays.
• Requiring prior express written consent for most robocalls and telemarketing text messages.
• Prohibiting telemarketers from falsely identifying themselves or using deceptive caller ID information, including spoofed numbers.
• Requiring telemarketers to stop a solicitation when a consumer asks them to do so.

The legislation also prohibits the use of AI-generated messages to deceive consumers. The new law takes effect Oct. 19.

Phishing Scam Targets “MyChart” Patient Portal Users

If you use MyChart — a popular online patient portal used by many hospitals and healthcare providers — please be aware of a phishing scam targeting patients.

State Attorney General Dave Sunday reports scammers are impersonating MyChart by sending emails or text messages that offer patients a chance to claim a reward in the form of a “MyChart Medicare Kit.” No such program or reward exists.

These emails and text messages are attempts to trick recipients into clicking on malicious links, and obtain passwords and personal information from patients, which allows hackers to gain access to the patients’ MyChart portals. Read about how to avoid this and other phishing scams here.

Remembering 9/11 25 Years Later

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists highjacked four airliners on America’s east coast and turned them into deadly missiles, ultimately taking the lives of nearly 3,000 citizens in the name of Islamic fundamentalism.

Filled with passengers, two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and another into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.  The fourth, perhaps destined to strike the White House or U.S. Capitol, was brought down in Somerset County by brave passengers who fought back.

Twenty-five years later, we recall the shock and anger over the attack, the grief over lives taken and the resolve to prevent another act of that scale. I hope we also remember the nation coming together in response, and the power of a unified people facing adversity. As the number of people who experienced this event declines, it becomes more important to dedicate ourselves to never letting that day slip from our nation’s memory.