HB 1528 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act establishing the Grand-family Assistance Program; providing for payments to area agencies on aging; imposing duties on the Department of Aging; and establishing the Grand-family Assistance Program Fund.

HB 1528 establishes the Grand-family Assistance Program to provide financial support to grandparents and other relatives raising grandchildren. It creates a dedicated fund to make regular payments to local area agencies on aging, which will administer the program and assist eligible families. The bill requires the Department of Aging to manage the program and oversee fund distribution, ensuring direct support reaches affected relatives caring for children. This policy change directly affects grandfamilies and local aging services agencies through structured financial aid and administrative responsibilities.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Nov 2025
House Passage
Nov 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced May 30, 2025 Last action Nov 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN1785 Printer's No. PN2621 · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was significantly expanded from a simple grant system to a comprehensive financial assistance program with a dedicated fund. It now includes specific eligibility criteria for grandparents, sets a maximum reimbursement limit of $2,000 per family, establishes strict income limits, and mandates the use of opioid settlement funds to finance the program.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from providing general grants to establishing a specific 'Grand-family Assistance Program Fund' with defined funding sources, including restricted opioid settlement money, and detailed operational rules for reimbursement.
FISCAL

Established a new 'Grand-family Assistance Program Fund' in the State Treasury with a dedicated appropriation and authority to accept various funding sources, including opioid settlement funds.

ELIGIBILITY

Defined specific eligibility criteria for individuals, requiring them to be 40 or older, the grandparent of a child under 18, and the primary caregiver due to parental opioid use disorder.

REQUIREMENT

Set a maximum one-time reimbursement limit of $1,000 for the first grandchild and $500 for each additional child, capped at $2,000 total per family.

Introduced an income limitation requiring the household's annual income to not exceed 250% of the federal poverty guidelines.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new provisions for denying applications, requiring agencies to provide documentation upon request, and allowing the department to audit records or recover misused funds.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from 60 days to 90 days.

Floor votes · House Nov 18, 2025

How they voted

2020
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 203
Nov 18, 2025
D Democratic102
102 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican101
100 Yea 1
99% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
11
Key actions
4
Committee
5
Nov 24, 2025
Committee
Referred to Aging & Youth
upper
Nov 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
Nov 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
Nov 18, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (202-0-1)
house
Nov 18, 2025
Committee
Re-committed to Appropriations
lower
Oct 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as committed
lower
May 30, 2025
Committee
Referred to Aging & Older Adult Services
lower
1 primary · 42 co-sponsors

Sponsors