Latest News
Senator Schwank Speaks on Hunger Action Month
Schwank Applauds Victim Assistance Funding for Safe Berks
Reading, PA — September 9, 2025 — Today, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency award $1.136 million in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funding to Safe Berks. VOCA, established in 1984 at the federal level, created the Crime Victims...
Sen. Schwank Calls on Berkshire Mall Owner to Invest in Property or Sell It
Reading, PA – August 5, 2025 – State Sen. Judy Schwank has sent a formal letter to the owner of the Berkshire Mall requesting an update on the condition of the property and their long-term plans for the site. Since Namdar Realty Group purchased the mall in 2020, the...
DCED Secretary Rick Siger and Sen. Judy Schwank Visit East Penn Manufacturing
Reading, PA — August 1, 2025 — This week, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Sec. Rick Siger joined state Sen. Judy Schwank for a tour and meeting with leaders at East Penn Manufacturing in Lyons Station, Berks County. Siger and Schwank...
PA Senate Passes Counseling Compact Bill to Address Mental Health Care Gap
HARRISBURG, PA – July 17, 2025 — The Pennsylvania Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Sens. Lisa M. Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, and Judy Schwank, D-Berks, to authorize Pennsylvania’s participation in the National Counseling Compact. The bill passed with...
Senator Schwank Announces $500,000 in RFSI Grants for Clover Farms Dairy
Harrisburg, PA – June 27, 2025 – Senator Judy Schwank today announced that Clover Farms Dairy has been awarded a $500,000 Infrastructure Grant through the Shapiro Administration’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. The funding will support the...
Lawmakers and Advocates Rally for Passage of Manufactured Home Legislation
Harrisburg, PA — June 25, 2025 — Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D-Montgomery) joined the Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pennsylvania and the Community Justice Project today to advocate for legislation that would protect manufactured...
Sen. Schwank Speaks on Manufactured Home Bills
Manufactured Home Communities Press Conference
State Lawmakers Introduce Landmark Bills to Protect Abortion Care in PA
HARRISBURG, June 24, 2025 – Marking the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which has dismantled access to abortion health care in states across the country, Pennsylvania lawmakers today introduced two packages of bills to fight back and protect reproductive health care rights in the commonwealth.
Senator Schwank’s SB 604 Floor Remarks
Food Allergy Awareness
Fighting for Safety From Food Allergens
Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus Co-Chairs Statement on the House Passage of HB 1140 Expanding Contraception Access for All
Harrisburg – June 4, 2025 − The co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery), Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Rep. Gina H. Curry (D-Delaware) and Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery) issued the following statement on the House passage of HB 1140, which would ensure that all Pennsylvanians have access to contraception:
Senators Lindsey M. Williams, Judy Schwank and Rep. Jeanne Mcneill Announce Legislation to Address Child Care Worker Shortage
Harrisburg, PA − May 5, 2025 − Today Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny), Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks), and Rep. Jeanne McNeill (D-133) announced their intent to champion Governor Shapiro’s legislation to support working families across Pennsylvania by...
Senator Schwank & PennDOT REAL ID Webinar
Women’s Health with Senator Schwank and Friends
Women’s Health with Senator Schwank and Friends
Schwank and Rusnock Announce Funding for Mt. Penn Fire Company
Reading, PA − March 18, 2025 − Sen. Judy Schwank and Rep. Jacklyn Rusnock announced today that the Mt. Penn Fire Company has been awarded $320,915 in grant funding from the Local Share Account Category 4 Facilities Program. Following its recent merger with the...
Senator Schwank Proposes Naming “My Home Pennsylvania” as Official State Song
State Sen. Judy Schwank has issued a co-sponsor memorandum for legislation to designate “My Home Pennsylvania,” an original song by Berks County native Dave Kline, as the official state song of Pennsylvania. Schwank said the light-hearted gesture would be an honor for...
Senator Schwank Secures Additional $1 Million for Antietam School District’s Stoney Creek Elementary School Project
Reading, PA — February 25, 2025 — Yesterday evening, Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, attended an Antietam School District board meeting to announce an additional $1 million in state funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to support flood recovery...
Schwank and Guzman Announce $850,000 for Penn Square Redevelopment Project
Reading, PA — February 24, 2025 — Today, Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Rep. Manuel Guzman Jr. (D-Berks) announced $850,000 in Multimodal Transportation Fund grant funding for Philly Office Retail’s Penn Square Redevelopment Project. The funding will go toward new...
Schwank & Rusnock Applaud Environmental Grant for Mount Penn Borough Municipal Authority
February 11, 2025 − Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced that the Mount Penn Borough Municipal Authority received $231,361 in Growing Greener grant funding. Growing Greener is a funding program administered by the Pennsylvania...
Sen. Schwank Session Recap Message
Four Senate Democratic Lawmakers Unveil Legislative Package to Improve Foster Care and Child Protection Systems
Harrisburg, PA – January 29, 2025 − Members of the Democratic Caucus have introduced a package of bills designed to tackle systemic issues within Pennsylvania’s foster care and child protection systems. The proposed legislation prioritizes the well-being of children,...
Pennsylvania’s Women’s Health Caucus and the Black Maternal Health Caucus join together to lay out priorities for Pennsylvania’s 2025-2026 legislative session
Harrisburg, PA − January 27, 2024 – Today, the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus (WHC) and the Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC) released a joint statement after holding a press conference to lay out their legislative priorities for the 2025-2026 session. Watch the...
Senator Schwank Speaks at Women’s Health Caucus Kick-Off Event
Sen. Schwank Interviews Sec. Russell Redding at 2025 PA Farm Show
Senator Schwank is Sworn in to Serve the 11th Senatorial District
Senator Schwank Applauds CRIZ Designation for the City of Reading
Reading, PA — December 30, 2024 — Today, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that the City of Reading’s application for a City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) was accepted. The CRIZ program, established by Act 52 of 2013, is administered by the Pennsylvania...
Senator Schwank Issues Statement on NTSB’s Hearing on the R.M. Palmer Explosion
Reading — December 11, 2024 — Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, issued the following statement in response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s hearing on the investigation into the cause of the R.M. Palmer natural gas explosion that occurred on March 24, 2023:...
Sen. Lindsey Williams and Sen. Judy Schwank Reintroduce Universal School Meals Legislation
Harrisburg, Pa. − December 5, 2024 – Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny) and Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) joined the School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania (SNAPA) today for a Day of Action in support of the Senators’ Universal School Meals legislation....
Schwank Retains Senate Democratic Caucus Leadership Role for 25-26 Legislative Session
Harrisburg, PA — November 14, 2024 — Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) announced today that she has retained her role as the Caucus Administrator for the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus for the upcoming 2025-26 legislative session. Schwank, who has held the Caucus...