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Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is now open until April 16, Rep. Thomas P. Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) announced today.
The LIHEAP program is administered by the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) and helps income-eligible households pay for heat during the winter months.
The LIHEAP program was scheduled to close April 2, but the program has been extended another two weeks to end April 16.
DPW has helped nearly 500,000 families through cash and crisis grants since the program opened last November for the current season.
Applications will be available at the Montgomery County Assistance Office at (610) 272-1752. Philadelphia residents should contact Philadelphia County Assistance Office at (215) 560-1583. Applications are also available from local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. LIHEAP cash grant applications are available online at http://www.compass.state.pa.us.
The House of Representatives today unanimously passed House Bill 1148, legislation by Rep. Thomas P. Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) to require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to research and publish food allergy management guidelines for school districts in developing food allergy reaction management practices.
Food allergy is believed to be the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside a hospital setting, causing an estimated 30,000 emergency department visits each year in the United States. Between 6 million and 7 million Americans -- or 2 to 2.5 percent of the general population -- suffer from food allergies and it is estimated that as many as 100 to 200 people die each year from food allergic reactions.
Murt noted that food allergies are especially troubling for parents because children spend such a large part of the day away from the safety of home.
“Our children spend a major part of every day at school. In some cases, they eat breakfast and lunch at school,” Murt said. “As parents, even if we pack an allergen-free lunch for our child, we cannot monitor the foods to which they will be exposed at school. As a result, even when we take all the appropriate steps, we cannot protect them from the foods we know will cause an allergic reaction.”
Murt noted that his legislation will ensure that schools have the information they need to react if a child experiences an allergic reaction.
“My legislation would give schools statewide a uniform set of guidelines to follow in order to recognize which foods could trigger allergic reactions in students,” Murt added. “Likewise, it would create a standard protocol to follow if a student should develop an allergic reaction at school.”
Murt’s legislation now goes to the state Senate.
Rep. Thomas Murt (R-Montomery/Philadelphia) is reminding veterans who served on active duty in the Persian Gulf theater in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to apply for the Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Bonus.
The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs offers the Pennsylvania Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Bonus to veterans who served on active duty, including mobilized National Guard and Reserve personnel, between Aug. 2, 1990, and Aug. 31, 1991, with a payment of up to $75 per month for every month of active Gulf War service. Veterans who received a Southwest Asia Service Medal and were legal residents of Pennsylvania at the time of their service are also eligible for the benefit.
An additional bonus of $5,000 is available to surviving families of those killed in action during the same period.
For more information on the Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Bonus, visit Murt’s Web site at RepMurt.com and click on “Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Bonus.”