Senator Martin E-Newsletter

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In this Update:

  • Celebrating Chesapeake Bay Week in PA
  • Providing Critical Information in Emergencies
  • DELAYED: Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Vouchers
  • Download PA’s Happy Traveler Guide for Summer Fun
  • Celebrating the Health Benefits of Dairy

Celebrating Chesapeake Bay Week in PA

June 3-11 is designated as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week in recognition of the importance of the more than 100,000 streams, creeks and rivers that make up this critical watershed. As Chair of the multi-state Chesapeake Bay Commission, I encourage community residents to celebrate the cultures, history and natural beauty of the nation’s largest estuary.

Earlier this year, I hosted an informational briefing exploring ways we can improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and across the state. The briefing included discussion of the new Clean Streams Fund I created with my Senate colleagues last year to support healthy aquatic habitats throughout the watershed.

You can explore other steps taken to promote the health of the Chesapeake Bay here.

Providing Critical Information in Emergencies

Pennsylvania offers two free voluntary programs to save the lives of residents in emergency situations: the Yellow Dot program and the Emergency Contact Information program.

PennDOT’s Yellow Dot program allows participants to fill out the program form with emergency contact, medical contact and medical information, insert it in the program’s folder and then place it in their vehicle’s glove compartment. A yellow dot sticker affixed to the rear window alerts emergency responders to the availability of information to help them provide better care to crash victims.

The Emergency Contact Information program offers Pennsylvania driver’s license and PennDOT-issued ID holders the opportunity to log into a secure database and list two emergency contacts. Participants can update their records as needed, but only law enforcement officials can view the information in the system. In an emergency, law enforcement can use a participant’s ID to find his or her emergency contact information.

The Yellow Dot program is used only in vehicle crashes, but the Emergency Contact Information program can be used in other emergencies as well as crashes.

DELAYED: Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Vouchers

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reports that, due to vendor issues, the mailing of Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers will be delayed until the end of June. Vouchers are good until Nov. 30.

Eligible participants will receive five $10 vouchers and a list of participating farmers and farmers’ markets where vouchers can be used to purchase Pennsylvania grown fruits and vegetables. Call your County Aging office to find out when and where it will distribute the vouchers. Learn more here.

Download PA’s Happy Traveler Guide for Summer Fun

Pennsylvania has thousands of places for summer fun, and the state’s official travel guide, the Happy Traveler Guide, is available for downloading here.

Categorized by region, the guide includes nearly 100 pages of attractions, lodging options, dining and many other recreational activities all across the state. Things to see and do are grouped by area, taking the work out of planning a vacation.

Tourism is one of the state’s largest industries. In 2021, Pennsylvania welcomed 180 million travelers, which generated more than $66 billion and supported nearly half a million jobs.

Celebrating the Health Benefits of Dairy

Every June, National Dairy Month highlights the importance of consuming nutrient-rich dairy foods and beverages. Dairy products, like milk, contain nine essential nutrients which may help to better manage weight and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers.

Dairy plays no small part in the state’s top industry: agriculture. The Senate has a few legislative measures to help our hard-working farmers who provide for our dairy needs.

Senate Bill 153 would ensure that milk haulers can travel on highways during a declaration of disaster emergency so the perishable product isn’t lost. Senate Bill 297 would allow whole milk in schools. Senate Resolution 48 urges the United States Department of Agriculture to allow 2% and whole milk in schools.

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