HARRISBURG – A bipartisan bill called the Keystone Literacy Investment Tax Credit from Rep. Jason Ortitay of Washington & Allegheny Counties and Dauphin County Rep. Justin Fleming would fund implementation of PA’s landmark structured literacy law without raising taxes or adding new spending to the state budget. House Bill 2541 uses a financing model the state already uses for economic development. PA would authorize the sale of up to $150 million in insurance premium tax credits to qualified insurance companies through a competitive bidding process. The upfront capital raised would go directly into a dedicated fund, which is continuously appropriated to the PA Department of Education to award grants to school districts for evidence-based reading instruction. The credits are not usable until 2029, are capped at $50 million a year, and expire after 2034, meaning there is zero impact on this year’s state budget. They hope the bill will be included in this year’s budget negotiations.
REP. JUSTIN FLEMING
REP. JASON ORTITAY