Committee advances bill to let Department of Revenue pay property tax/rent rebates as soon as practicable; amended to include life-insurance exclusion increase

Chairman Samuelson brought House Bill 1072 before the House Finance Committee and asked Mark Forman, the committee’s senior executive director, to summarize the bill. Forman described the measure as allowing the Department of Revenue to pay property tax/rent rebate claims “as soon as practicable.”

Representative Johanna Cepeda Freitas, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said early payment of rebates would help “seniors, widows, and folks with disabilities” who face financial uncertainty. She cited committee testimony that more than 522,000 rebate applications had been processed and $319,000,000 had been sent to Pennsylvania residents; she also said roughly 6,000 were first-time filers. "This is a very, crucial program that we offer," she said.

Representative Eric DiVinzo and other members called the bill common-sense and urged prompt delivery of funds to vulnerable recipients. Chairman Samuelson noted the Department of Revenue had previously sent rebates early during the pandemic (2020) and that the department testified recently it can process and send rebates before July 1.

During discussion, Chairman Samuelson offered an amendment (Samuelson Amendment, Amendment 302) to add the increase in the life-insurance exclusion (House Bill 32) to House Bill 1072. The committee adopted the amendment by unanimous voice vote; the amended bill then passed the committee unanimously. Committeemembers stated the amending and passage would not affect payments in 2025; the sponsor said the change would take effect next year if enacted.

The committee did not receive live testimony from the Department of Revenue or the Pennsylvania Lottery director at this meeting due to technical difficulties; the bill passed the committee without recorded opposition.