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Brown’s Work with the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women

As a member of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women, and through my legislative initiatives, I have worked to advance important policy that support women, mothers and families across Pennsylvania.

This year, my Midwifery Modernization legislation, Senate Bill 507, was signed into law following five years of collaboration with healthcare professionals, licensing boards and maternal health advocates. The law modernizes Pennsylvania’s licensure requirements for certified midwives, improves collaboration between midwives and physicians, and updates prescription authority, including for the treatment of substance use disorders. These changes will help expand the number of qualified maternal healthcare professionals available to women, particularly in rural and underserved communities, while improving access to care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery.

I have also worked to address the financial pressures facing working parents. I advocated for the expansion of Pennsylvania’s Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit, which helps families offset the cost of childcare and dependent care. The expansion increased the maximum benefit from $630 to $2,100 per family and, in 2024 alone, delivered $136.5 million in tax relief to nearly 219,000 working families across Pennsylvania.

Above, you can see a video further detailing the work we do on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women.

Throwback Thursday: Helping Pennsylvanians Save

This week’s Throwback Thursday takes us back to 2022 and legislation I was proud to sponsor and enact as a member of the Pennsylvania House.

Act 56 of 2022, originally House Bill 331, authorized financial institutions to offer incentive-based savings programs to encourage individuals and families to save money and develop stronger financial habits.

These programs can reward people for making deposits into savings accounts and encourage positive financial practices such as establishing automatic savings, reducing debt, creating a budget and participating in financial literacy programs.

Helping Pennsylvanians build savings and strengthen their financial knowledge can provide greater financial stability and help families prepare for unexpected expenses and future needs. I was proud to work on legislation that gives financial institutions another tool to encourage these important habits.

See a full list of legislation I sponsored and helped enact throughout my service in the legislature

Making Your Voices Heard on Overbearing Health Regulations

Thank you to the thousands of Pennsylvanians who took the time to review the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s proposed regulations and submit public comments. Your participation in the regulatory process matters.

I also submitted a formal letter to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission urging the Commission to review the proposed regulations in their entirety and reject them based on my concerns regarding government overreach and serious constitutional questions.

In my letter, I specifically raised concerns about provisions involving government access to private residences and schools, access to individuals’ health information, interactions with minor children, and the authority to impose public health measures affecting individual conduct. I also asked the Commission to carefully examine the Department’s statutory authority for these proposed changes, along with their potential constitutional and privacy implications for Pennsylvania residents.

I strongly believe Pennsylvanians should not be asked to surrender fundamental expectations of privacy, parental involvement or constitutional protections. Public health is an important responsibility of government, but that responsibility must always be exercised with respect for the individual rights of the people we serve.

Now that the public comment period has closed, the regulatory review process will continue. I will continue following these proposed regulations closely and keep you informed as they move through the process.

Read more about the proposed health regulations.

Celebrating the Latin Scholarship Fund

I had the pleasure of attending the Latin Gala at Mount Airy Casino Resort, a wonderful evening celebrating our community and supporting the Latin Scholarship Fund.

This year, three outstanding students – Jaiden Martinez-Tovar, Michael Malik and Lawrence Cruz – received $5,000 scholarships to help support their college education. Congratulations to all three on this well-deserved achievement! I also want to congratulate Aida Cole, who was honored with the 2026 Community Impact Award for her contributions to our community.

Thank you to the Latin Fund Board, volunteers, sponsors and everyone who attended for making these scholarships possible and investing in the future of our young people.

The evening also featured a fantastic performance from the cast of In the Heights by Rebel Stages, which will be presented at Notre Dame next weekend. It looks like a great show and a wonderful night out for families and friends!

Christian Life Assembly Celebrates New Location

It was a pleasure to worship with Christian Life Assembly on Sunday as they celebrated the opening of their new location at 5261 Milford Road in Middle Smithfield.

This is CLA’s second location in Monroe County, and it was wonderful to see the excitement surrounding this next chapter. Pastor Craig, Liz and Pastor Tim have created a welcoming environment focused on building community through faith, love and service.

I am grateful for the work CLA is doing to bring people together and serve families throughout our community!

Take DRBC’s Water Resource Plan Survey

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is developing a Water Resources Resilience Plan to better understand and prepare for hazards such as flooding and drought that could impact water resources throughout the Delaware River Basin.

Residents are invited to take a brief three-minute survey about their awareness and concerns regarding potential threats to our region’s water resources.

Click here to take the survey.

Scenes from the 40^th Senate District

This week’s photo is courtesy of Ruth from Stroudsburg, with these beautiful summer flowers! These pictures have been shared on my social media and posted to the 40^th Senatorial District Photo Gallery.

I am inviting residents of the 40^th Senatorial District to share their photography and help capture the beauty and character of our community. Whether it’s a stunning landscape, a lively community event, or a cherished historical landmark, I encourage you to submit photos that highlight the unique aspects of our district, which includes parts of Lackawanna and Wayne counties, and all of Monroe County.

Click here to submit your work and learn more.