PathWays PA Policy Blog

Last week, the federal government announced a proposed change to the Health Care Rights Law (part of the Affordable Care Act) that would overturn healthcare protections for transgender people. Under the rule change, gender identity would no longer be protected by federal laws preventing discrimination in health care. Requirements that insurers give notice of a patient's rights to translation services would also be eliminated. According to the ACLU , the new rule would also remove "termination of pregnancy" as a reason to make a legal claim of sex discrimination in health care. Both the specific protections for transgender people and termination of pregnancy have been the subject of lawsuits and were stopped under federal injunction. While there are other protections for transgender people in the ACA , repealing this part of the law could lead to further rollbacks later. Take Action: The Protect Trans Health Campaign has a link to submit a comment to the Dep...

*** Sign the Petition !*** On Wednesday June 5, a bipartisan group of State Senators and Representatives will be hosting a press conference at the PA State Capitol in Harrisburg to announce "The Family Care Act" - a bill that will establish a statewide family and medical leave program. PathWays PA is proud to support the  Family Care Campaign  along with the Women and Girls Foundation and countless partners. We have been working hard to get this bill introduced in the legislature, and now we need your help to get it passed!  We invite you to join us for this special day of action – please let us know if you will be attending !

If you live in Pennsylvania, please make a plan to vote in the primaries on May 21. You can see a list of upcoming elections in all states here . Please use and share our guide to make it easier to prepare for Election Day. *** If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Issues  may include (but are not limited to): being told the wrong date/time to vote; not being allowed to cast a  provisional ballot ; being intimidated or challenged at the polls.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote! *** Who is running for office? In Pennsylvania, voters will choose candidates for judges, school boards, and local government positions. The candidates who win will go on to the General Election in November. You can only vote for candidates running in your party in the Pennsylvania primaries unless there is a special election. Several districts will be holding special elections on May 21 - you can find the list here . There are a...

In October 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) put out a final rule to protect consumers and borrowers from excessively high interest rates on payday loans, car title loans, and other predatory lending. According to Prosperity Now, these rules  represented "the first-ever attempt at the federal level to regulate an industry that each year siphons off more than $8 billion dollars from the pockets of hard-working individuals and families. Built on over five years of CFPB research, community and stakeholder engagement—including more than one million comments submitted during the public comment process last year—this landmark regulation ensures that consumers everywhere are protected from the many predatory practices that plague the payday lending industry." But today, unfortunately, these rules are in jeopardy. Earlier in the year, CFPB announced plans to change the payday lending rule. We are now in a comment period to allow stakeholders to offer feedbac...

Are you planning to be a voter this May? If you live in Pennsylvania, you need to register to vote by April 22, 2019. If you are not registered by April 22, 2019, you won't be able to vote in this election. To vote in Pennsylvania, you must be: Age 18 or older on Election Day (May 21, 2019) A US citizen A resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the election If you are on active duty in the military, or you are a hospitalized or bedridden veteran, you can register at any time. See www.fvap.gov for more information. How do I register? You can register to vote online or by sending this form to the county voter registration office. You can also register in person at your voter registration office . P ennDOT and some other government agencies can also take your registration. I voted before. Do I still need to register? If you already registered to vote in Pennsylvania, you shouldn't need to do it again unless you need to change your name...

(from our friends at the Keystone Counts Coalition ) Pennsylvania is at risk of an undercount in the 2020 Census, and this could mean a significant loss of federal funds for healthcare, nutrition assistance, transportation, housing, education, programs for children and parents, and much more! We can't afford to put these programs needlessly at risk. That's why Pennsylvania needs to take immediate action to prevent an undercount. If you're concerned about about health care, nutrition assistance, transportation, housing, education, child welfare programs and more. tell lawmakers to support a public fund in the state budget to ensure a fair and accurate #2020Census .  Take action today!

Last week, two mosques in New Zealand became the sites of terror attacks. At least 50 people were killed and another 50 wounded in Christchurch, New Zealand. The main suspect in the shooting may have posted a manifesto containing "anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim" sentiments minutes before the attack. PathWays PA sends our thoughts and support to families in New Zealand and to all those affected by gun violence and xenophobia. Please read on to learn more about what you can do to support families and stop violence and hatred. How You Can Help Victims The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh set up a fund for Christchurch victims . Last year, Muslim communities in Pittsburgh and across the world raised money for victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. CNN recommends supporting the New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups , which has launched a crowdfunding campaign .  As always, please research any organization carefully before donating to them How You C...