Scott Martin is a lifelong Lancaster County resident with deep roots in the community. He was elected to his first term representing the 13th Senatorial District in November 2016 and re-elected in 2020 and 2024.
Scott currently serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which plays a crucial role in negotiating and developing the state budget and is responsible for reviewing all legislation for its fiscal impact. He previously served as chair of the Senate Education Committee and Senate Local Government Committee.
While in the Senate, dozens of Scott’s bills have become law as well as a constitutional amendment, which was approved by Pennsylvania voters in May 2021, that limited the power of a governor to issue open-ended emergency declarations that last longer than necessary.
Some of the laws he has authored include initiatives to:
- Create the Grow PA grant program to encourage more young people to pursue careers in high demand industries in Pennsylvania.
- Improve school safety by creating the School Safety and Security Grant Program and the Safe2Say Something anonymous school threat reporting system.
- Create the Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and allow for donations to the fund.
- Create the Clean Streams Fund and the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program to support clean water in Pennsylvania communities.
- Strengthen penalties against repeat DUI offenders.
- Provide new educational resources for students who are facing extended absences from school due to injury or illness.
- Protect young victims of sexual assault.
- Help more taxpayers benefit from property tax discounts and extended payment deadlines.
- Protect members of volunteer fire companies and EMS services who are injured in the line of duty.
- Provide a sales tax exemption for food and drink sold during volunteer fire company fundraisers.
- Support the redesign of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
- Allow Lancaster County municipalities to opt-out of allowing video gaming terminals.
Outside of his regular Senate responsibilities, Scott also serves as chairman of the PA Athletic Oversight Committee and as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC). He was elected to serve as chair of CBC in 2023.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, Scott served as a Lancaster County commissioner and helped to clean up what had become a dysfunctional and ineffective government. As commissioner, Scott never voted for a tax increase, downsized government by cutting duplicative agencies and departments, reduced debt by $40 million and lowered costs for taxpayers through privatization and public employee benefit reform.
He led many statewide reform efforts through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and was elected chair of the Republican Caucus of County Commissioners for eight years. Before entering public service, Scott was successful in the private sector as a licensed realtor and local landlord. In addition, for 13 years, he worked in the juvenile justice system, including serving as director of the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center.
Running the county’s juvenile detention and emergency shelter-care facilities, he oversaw the effective operation of a $5.5 million budget and 150-employee organization. Scott was also the elected vice president of the Juvenile Detention Centers Association of Pennsylvania and served on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Detention Steering Committee.
Scott served on the board of directors of the Dr. Gene A. Carpenter Football Foundation, volunteers as a youth sports coach in wrestling and football, and gave his time and effort to groups like the United Way of Lancaster County and the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Scott is a graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School where he was a PIAA and national heavyweight wrestling champion, and Millersville University, where he graduated with a degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice and became a three-time, First Team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Defensive Tackle and two-time All-American. After his college career, Scott was a free agent camp invitee of the New York Giants in the NFL and had three different stints in the Arena Football League.
Scott has been inducted into the Lancaster Catholic Athletic Hall of Honor, the Millersville University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Lancaster-Lebanon League Wrestling Hall of Fame, the District III Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Susquehanna Valley Chapter. Recently, in recognition of the 150th anniversary of college football, Scott was named one of the 150 greatest players/contributors in PSAC history, one of ten Millersville Marauders to earn that honor.
Scott and his wife Amber are the proud parents of four children: Alexia, Hayden, Alivia and Gavin.