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In this Update:

• Report Reveals Disparity in College Savings Between Rural, Urban Counties
• Renewed Efforts Underway to Reunite Lost Children With Families
• How to File PA Income Tax Returns Online
• Educational Gratuity Program Helps Children of Fallen Military Members
• Entries Accepted for Statewide “Art of the State” Exhibition
• Watch PA Wildlife Anytime from Home

Report Reveals Disparity in College Savings Between Rural, Urban Counties

A new report from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department highlighted differences between urban and rural counties in terms of the amount of money families are saving for college.

Findings of the report include:

• More than 60% of all contributions in PA 529 accounts between January 2018 and March 2022 went to Investment Plan accounts in urban counties.
• Rural beneficiaries received an average $56 less per quarter than their urban counterparts – even after controlling for income, education and age.

As a result, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced her department will increase rural outreach to promote college savings. You can watch a discussion of the findings here. More details about the Pennsylvania Treasury’s college savings options are available at www.pa529.com.

Renewed Efforts Underway to Reunite Lost Children With Families

Last week, I announced a renewed effort with my colleague Senator Camera Bartolotta to help reunite lost children with their families. In the near future, we will introduce legislation that would offer free child ID kits to parents that include a DNA sample, inkless fingerprints and other vital information.

If a child goes missing, parents could provide this information to law enforcement quickly so they have the tools necessary to help identify and return a missing child. The information would be kept exclusively by parents and would not be entered into any sort of government or law enforcement database to ensure the private information of families is fully protected.

More information about our bill is available here.

How to File PA Income Tax Returns Online

Tax-filing season has opened, and the state Department of Revenue reminds taxpayers of the free online option to file their Pennsylvania personal income tax returns: mypath.pa.gov.

Taxpayers do not need to create a username or password to perform many functions in myPATH. That includes filing the Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Return (PA-40), making a payment, responding to department requests for information and checking the status of a refund.

The deadline to submit 2022 personal income tax returns is April 18. Personal income tax assistance is also available through the department’s Online Customer Service Center and by calling 717-787-8201 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Taxpayers may also visit a Department of Revenue district office for state personal income tax filing assistance.

Educational Gratuity Program Helps Children of Fallen Military Members

We owe a debt of gratitude to Pennsylvanians who served in the military, especially those disabled or killed during conflict. Part of paying that debt is helping to care for the impacted families.

The Educational Gratuity Program provides education financial assistance for children of honorably discharged veterans with service-connected disabilities who served during war or armed conflict, or children of veterans who died during war or armed conflict.

Children of eligible veterans must be between the ages of 16 and 23, living in Pennsylvania five years prior to application and attend a school within the commonwealth. You can read more about eligibility and applying here.

Entries Accepted for Statewide “Art of the State” Exhibition

Artists and craftspeople are invited to submit applications to show their work in the 56^th annual “Art of the State” exhibition.

“Art of the State” is a juried exhibition open to Pennsylvania residents at least 18 years of age. Artists will compete in five categories: painting, work on paper, sculpture, craft, and photography and digital media. Entries must be submitted online. Additional information and the link to enter are available at statemuseumpa.org/artofthestate. The application deadline is May 5.

More than $4,000 in cash awards will be presented. “Art of the State” is scheduled to open to the public at The State Museum on Sept. 10.

Watch PA Wildlife Anytime from Home

You can watch black bears, eagles and snow geese this winter through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s round-the-clock livestreams.

A new 24-7 livestream from a black bear den in Pike County brings to four the number of livestreams the Game Commission plans to run into the spring of 2023. Also showing are the Farm Country Eagle Livestream, which provides a bird’s-eye view into a long-established nest in a giant sycamore overlooking scenic farmland, the popular Hanover, Pa. Eagle Livestream and the agency’s Snow Goose Livestream capturing the migratory action at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Pennsylvania’s black bears usually are born in January and begin walking in about eight weeks. They leave the den when three months old. Bald eagles typically lay eggs in mid-February and the eggs hatch in mid- to late March. Snow goose migration typically peaks at Middle Creek from mid-February to March.

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