Ortitay, Fleming Introduce Bill to Fund Pennsylvania’s Early Literacy Law

May 27, 2026

House Bill 2541 would raise up to $150 million for reading instruction with no new taxes and no General Fund impact

HARRISBURG – Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) and Rep. Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) today introduced House Bill 2541, the Keystone Literacy Investment Tax Credit, a bipartisan plan to fund the implementation of Pennsylvania’s landmark structured literacy law without raising taxes or adding new spending to the state budget.

“The hard part is done,” Ortitay said. “Last November we passed one of the most significant education reforms in Pennsylvania in years. Now we have to give schools the tools to actually make it happen.”

House Bill 2541 uses a financing model Pennsylvania already uses for economic development. The state would authorize the sale of up to $150 million in insurance premium tax credits to qualified insurance companies through a competitive bidding process. The upfront capital raised would go directly into a dedicated fund, which is continuously appropriated to the Pennsylvania Department of Education to award grants to school districts for evidence-based reading instruction.

The credits are not usable until 2029, are capped at $50 million per year and expire after 2034, meaning there is zero impact on this year’s state budget.

“This is how you finish the job,” Ortitay added. “We already made the decision to fix how Pennsylvania kids learn to read. This gives schools the resources to actually do it. Long-term return on kids who can read is one of the best investments government can make.”
Fleming said the bill reflects what both parties should be able to agree on.

“Making sure our kids know how to read well is a bipartisan issue, as reading is the foundation of every other subject in school from word problems in math to history and science,” Fleming said. “This is a smart, fiscally responsible way to make sure the reform we passed last year actually works. I’m proud to join Rep. Ortitay in getting this done.”

“Gov. Shapiro ran on a platform of getting things done,” Ortitay said. “This bill is exactly that. The law is passed. The framework is in place. The only thing missing is the money. House Bill 2541 provides it in a way that is fiscally responsible, bipartisan and ready to move.”

Ortitay said he hopes the bill will be included in this year’s budget negotiations.

The 46th Legislative District includes South Fayette Township and McDonald and Oakdale boroughs in Allegheny County. It also encompasses Cecil, Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant and North Strabane (Districts 6,7,8 and 9) townships and Canonsburg, Houston and McDonald boroughs in Washington County.

The 105th Legislative District includes Susquehanna and most of Lower Paxton townships and Penbrook Borough.

Representative Jason Ortitay
46th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tracy Polovick
717.260.6358
tpolovick@pahousegop.com
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