September 28, 2026 · CHILDREN AND YOUTH · 1,514 words · 5 speakers · 24 segments
Thank you. Thank you. All right. Good morning. I would like to call this meeting of the House Children and Youth Committee to order. Just a reminder that this meeting is being broadcasted and recorded. Please make sure your cell phones are silenced. I ask that members use the microphone when speaking and to make sure that the green light is on as well. Today, we'll be voting on the following legislation. House Resolution 582, sponsored by Representative Benninghoff. House Resolution 602, sponsored by Representative Cerisei, and House Resolution 609, sponsored by Representative Curry. Today, we will vote on these three resolutions. The first is a resolution emphasizing the importance of the Commonwealth serving as a leader in the fight against treatment of TRIP4 and against the treatment of childhood cancer. The second is a resolution promoting evidence-based infant safe sleep practices through year-round public awareness and educational initiatives. Finally, the third is a resolution raising awareness of the global health issue of premature birth. To get started, I would like to ask Brooke to please take roll.
Chair McNeil. On leave. Representatives Bellman. Vote by designation. Boyd. Vote by designation. Serato. Vote by designation. Curry. Vote by designation. Fleming. Vote by designation. Genst. Vote by designation. Hambidge. Vote by designation. Howard Vote by designation Kazim Vote by designation Krijuski Here McAndrew Vote by designation Nelson Vote by designation Parker Vote by designation Chair Clunk I see you were just joined by Representative Fleming Chair Clunk Here Representatives Barger Vote by designation. Flick? Vote by designation. Hogan? Vote by designation. Mackenzie? Here. Margitas? Vote by designation. Mihalik? Vote by designation. Pugh? Vote by designation. Schlegel? Vote by designation. Borobish? Vote by designation. Wallen. Vote by designation. Walsh. You have a quorum.
Thank you, Brooke. The chair calls up House Resolution 582, printer number 3718. Danielle, please provide a summary of the resolution.
Good morning. House Resolution 582, sponsored by Representative Benninghoff, is a resolution designating the month of September 2026 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. The following third-party interest group is neutral on this legislation. The Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, and Family Services. There is no known opposition.
All right. Thank you, Danielle. So on that resolution, I believe that it will be unanimous. I'll pass it to you. Chair Klunk.
Thank you, Chairman Krzyzewski. On behalf of Chair Benninghoff, he is currently chairing a transportation meeting at this moment. But I know this resolution is deeply personal to him in light of the fact that his late daughter unfortunately lost her battle to childhood cancer a number of years ago. But he brings this up every single year in her honor. And for all of the children who are fighting childhood cancer, Pennsylvania is a leader in fighting childhood cancer with our THON, with all of our children's hospitals across the state. And just a few miles away is Penn State Children's Hospital that has served so many families, especially in my district. And I just want to personally say thank you to all of those doctors who do that each and every day for our families. And I would ask our members for an affirmative vote. And it's my understanding that we are all voting yes.
Thank you, Chair, for providing remarks on behalf of President Benninghoff. So if there are no opposition votes, then we'll report the bill as unanimous. Yes? That's committed. Yes. Thank you. Okay. The chair calls up House Resolution 602, printer number 3842. Danielle, please provide a summary of the resolution.
House Resolution 602, sponsored by Representative Cerisi, is a resolution designating the month of October 2026 as Infant Safe Sleep Month in Pennsylvania. The following third-party interest group is neutral on this legislation. the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, and Family Services. There is no known opposition.
Thank you, Danielle. So on the question, I believe this will also be an unanimous vote. Yes? Yes. All right. So then the House Resolution 602 will be reported as committed. Thank you. Next up the chair calls up House Resolution 609 printer number 3857 Danielle please provide a summary of the resolution
House Resolution 609, sponsored by Representative Curry, is a resolution designating the month of November 2026 as Prematurity Awareness Month and November 17, 2026 as Prematurity Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. The following third-party interest group is neutral on this legislation. The Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, and Family Services. There is no known opposition.
Thank you, Danielle. The question is, will the committee report the resolution? Representative Curry has shared some brief remarks on her resolution, which I will read now. Thank you, Chair McNeil.
House Resolution 609, Prematurity Awareness Month and Day, is a call for witness to the significant negative impacts of preterm and premature birth on babies, their mothers, and their families. It is an important step in recognizing how common premature birth here is in our Commonwealth and how each of us can work to improve health outcomes. Each year, about one in 10 infants are born prematurely in the United States. In Pennsylvania, over 12,000 babies were born preterm in 2024, the last time data was collected. Prematurity is not as simple as a baby being born before its due date. It can lead to serious health complications for newborns and remains a leading cause of infant death. Mothers of premature babies face a higher risk of anxiety and postpartum depression. And for families, the medical care needed for some premature newborns only adds to the high financial strain already associated with labor and delivery. Many premature births are preventable when a pregnant mother has access to timely, quality maternal health care, which, sadly, we don't always have here in Pennsylvania. Right now, six counties are deemed maternal care deserts. Residents living in Cameron, Forest, Green, Juniata, Sullivan, and Wyoming counties have no access to prenatal practitioners, birthing centers, or midwives. In these counties, it is likely that premature birth and all the negative impacts it can have is higher than elsewhere. We also know that black infants die at higher rates than others, largely due to complications like premature birth, low birth weight, and respiratory distress. These mortality rates are not carried equally. By designating November 2026 Prematurity Awareness Month and November 17, 2026 Prematurity Awareness Day in Pennsylvania, I'm asking everyone to think critically about how we can improve maternal care access so that every growing family can get the quality care they deserve throughout their pregnancies and deliveries. It can look like more support for midwives and nurse practitioners in the birthing process, cultural competency education for health care providers, and practical solutions to our failing health care systems. Every baby deserves a healthy start. Thank you.
The question recurs. Will the committee report the resolution on that question? I'll recognize Chair Clunk.
Thank you Chairman I would like to recognize that Representative Jamie Flick has joined us here for the meeting today I would like to thank Representative Curry for bringing this up My daughter Grace was our preemie She thriving and doing so well in third grade But we know those challenges and we're thankful that the good Lord brought her through with no problems and that she's doing so well. But all of our preemies across Pennsylvania, it's great to have this resolution honoring them, their families, and trying to work forward to make sure that we have less preemies each and every day delivered here in Pennsylvania. So thank you very much, and it's my understanding all of our members will be a yes.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
With the unanimous vote, then the House Resolution 609 will be reported as committed. Thank you. Under any other business, the Chair calls up House Bill 2520 to be re-referred to the House Professional Licensure Committee. Danielle, can you please provide a summary of the bill?
House Bill 2520, sponsored by Representative Venkat, amends the Act of December 20th, 1985, or the Medical Practice Act of 1985, further providing for definitions and for midwifery.
Thank you, Danielle. We now move to discussion on re-referral of House Bill 2520 to the House Professional Licensure Committee. Members are reminded that discussion should be limited to whether the bill should be re-referred and not on the merits of House Bill 2520. Is there any discussion? Chair recognizes Chair Clunk.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate this motion. I do believe that the Professional Licensure Committee is the best committee for this particular bill, considering it deals with licensure of midwives. And I would ask my members for an affirmative vote, and it's my understanding we will all be yeses.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
Seeing no further discussion, the question before the committee is whether House Bill 2520 should be re-referred to the House Professional Licensure Committee. That is the chair's understanding that this motion will be unanimous, and so the re-referral will be reported as committed. With no further business before this committee, we stand adjourned. All right, thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.