Robinson, Hughes, Santarsiero Bill to Implement a Bell-to-Bell Ban on Student Cellphone Use During School Day Passes Senate
HARRISBURG – February 4, 2026 − The Pennsylvania Senate today passed legislation sponsored by Sens. Devlin Robinson (R-37), Vincent Hughes (D-7), and Steve Santarsiero (D-10) to require public schools across the commonwealth to adopt policies prohibiting student...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $1.5M in Apprenticeship Investments for Philadelphia
December 15, 2025 — State Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, announced over $1.5M in apprenticeship grants for Philadelphia-area organizations. The grants were awarded by the Department of Labor and Industry, as part of a nearly $4.2...
Senator Hughes’ Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone Bill Moves Forward in the Senate
December 12, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA –This week, Senate Bill 1014, bipartisan legislation prime-sponsored by Senators Vincent Hughes, Steve Santarsiero, and Devlin Robinson, passed the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee with a unanimous vote. The legislation would...
Bipartisan Bill to Prohibit Student Cellphone Use During School Day Passes Senate Education Committee
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee advanced bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Vince Hughes (D-7), Steve Santarsiero (D-10), and Devlin Robinson (R-37) to require public schools across the commonwealth to adopt policies...
The CROWN Act Passes in Pennsylvania
The CROWN Act Passes in Pennsylvania Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed the CROWN Act (HB439) with a vote of 44-3. This legislation ensures that no one in Pennsylvania will be denied access to professional, educational, or public spaces and opportunities because of...
Senator Hughes Celebrates Passage of Pennsylvania CROWN Act
Harrisburg, PA – November 19, 2025 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed the CROWN Act (HB439) with a vote of 44-3. This legislation ensures that no one in Pennsylvania will be denied access to professional, educational, or public spaces and opportunities because of...
Senator Vincent Hughes on the Senate Passage of Pennsylvania’s 25/26 Budget: ‘We Delivered on Affordability’
Harrisburg, PA – November 12, 2025 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate and House lawmakers passed a $50.1B budget for the 25-26 fiscal year. Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, shared the following statement: “While this process took much longer...
Senate Democratic Caucus Policy Committee Holds Hearing Regarding Supporting Home Care Workers & Consumers
PHILADELPHIA, PA − November 10, 2025 −Today, Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing to examine direct care employee wages, and the trends observed in the Commonwealth over the last decade. “Earlier this year, I walked a day in the life of a home care worker...
Pennsylvania Leaders Call on Republicans to Put People Over Politics
Philadelphia, PA − October 31, 2025 − Senators Vincent Hughes and Art Haywood, and Representative Tarik Khan, hosted a press conference at Share Food Program in Philadelphia to demand that Republican lawmakers help the people they serve. Lawmakers, advocates,...
Committee Advances Bipartisan Measure to Study the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Pennsylvania’s Workforce
HARRISBURG – The Senate Labor and Industry Committee approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia and Montgomery) and Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) to study how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping Pennsylvania’s workforce...
PA Senate Democrats Share Statement on ‘Unserious’ Budget Exercise from Senate Republicans
Harrisburg, PA – October 21, 2025 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus issued a statement following more budget delays that were led by Senate Republicans. “It is deeply frustrating to see Senate Republicans waste more time instead of coming to the table...
Senator Vincent Hughes Issues Statement Following Release of 2026 PA Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Rates
October 15, 2025 – Following the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s (PID) release of the 2026 Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Rates, Senator Vincent Hughes, state Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, shared this statement: “Healthcare is about to get...
PA Senators Collett, Hughes, Pisciottano Urge Feds to Protect Vaccine Access, Introduce Bill to Require Vaccine Insurance Coverage
Harrisburg, PA − September 20, 2025 − Following Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings last week, Pennsylvania State Senators Maria Collett (D-Montgomery), Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) and Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny)...
Senator Hughes Calls on SEPTA to Cancel Planned Fare Increases
Philadelphia, PA − September 11, 2025 − Today, Senator Vincent Hughes shared a letter with SEPTA Board Members to express his disapproval of fare increases that are still planned to go into effect on September 14, 2025. A full copy of the letter is below and...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $14.9M in Funding to Support Victim Services in Philadelphia and Montgomery County
September 10, 2025 – Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, announced more than $14.9M in funding for Philadelphia and Montgomery County to strengthen victim support and provide critical recovery resources. The grants were awarded by...
Senator Vincent Hughes Releases Statement on Ongoing Public Transportation Negotiations
August 31, 2025- Philadelphia, PA – Today, Senator Vincent Hughes, state Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, issued a statement following SEPTA’s announcement that fare increases and regional rail cuts will be paused in accordance with a Common Pleas...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Urge Senate Republicans to Return to Negotiations as House Votes Down Unserious Budget and Transit Bills
HARRISBURG, PA – August 13, 2025 – Today, the House Rules Committee and the House Appropriations Committee voted down HB 257 and SB 160, respectively. Passed in the Senate yesterday evening, these bills represented unserious and unagreed-to budget proposals that were...
Lawmakers, and Advocates Sound the Alarm on Looming Burdensome SNAP Rules
PHILADELPHIA, PA – July 18, 2025 – On Friday morning, State Senator Art Haywood (D-4) was joined by fellow lawmakers and nonprofit leaders at a press conference in Philadelphia to sound the alarm on new federal work requirements for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition...
Senate Democratic Leaders Urge Senate Republicans to Act After House Passes Budget Bill
HARRISBURG, PA – July 14, 2025 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed HB 1330, an important step to closing out this year’s...
PA Senator Vincent Hughes Issues Statement on Passage of Republican “Big” Bill in the US Senate
July 1, 2025 – Today, Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, issued the following statement in response to the passage of President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” in the US Senate. If the legislation now passes in the US House of...
Senate Democrats Continue to Sound Alarm on Catastrophic Impacts of Trump’s Reconciliation Bill on Healthcare, Hospitals, and Food Access Across Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, PA − June 30, 2025 − On Monday, June 30, members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus gathered in the East Wing Rotunda to draw attention to the urgency of stopping Trump’s domestic policy bill from becoming law. In its current form, the bill poses an existential threat to Medicaid, SNAP, and rural hospitals across Pennsylvania.
Hands Off Food Assistance
Hands Off Food Assistance Senator Hughes recently held a telephone town hall with experts from across Pennsylvania to discuss how federal cuts to food assistance would hurt Pennsylvanians and our economy. He was joined by: Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture,...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $14M for Affordable Housing Development in Philadelphia and Montgomery County
June 13, 2025 − Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, announced over $14M in Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE) grants for affordable housing projects in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. The...