Jun. 22, 2016
By State Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill
93rd Legislative District
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Occasionally, I hear people say the only responsibility the General Assembly has is to get the state budget passed. Considering the many issues that are important to Pennsylvanians, I think that statement could not be further from the truth.
Right now, there are 2,203 House bills and 1,327 Senate bills that have been introduced. Not every one of these pieces of legislation will be put up for a vote, but each of them has a purpose and, in some cases, an interesting story that goes with it. Such is the case with House Bill 2078.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of presenting a condolence citation to the family of a highly decorated World War II veteran. Afterward, I was in the kitchen helping to clean up from the cake and coffee that followed the dedication ceremony when I was approached by Marie Hyson, whose father was being memorialized that day. Marie is a teacher who has lived and taught in a number of places, both stateside and around the world, in her career because of her husband Todd’s service to our country in the United States Marine Corps.
Todd has retired and the Hyson’s now reside in York County. In trying to return to the profession she loves, Marie has become frustrated by the number of logistical and financial hoops she has had to jump through in order to resume teaching. The difficulty comes despite her being certified to teach in the states where they have lived.
After my conversation with Marie, I spent some time researching her concern and discovered that Pennsylvania is one of only eight states that does not streamline and reduce the cost for military members, veterans and their spouses to receive educator certification. I then presented the issue and Marie’s concerns to representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Department Secretary Pedro Rivera was surprised to find these obstacles and his staff assisted us in crafting appropriate legislation.
“This policy will ease and accelerate the transition for our veterans, military members and their spouses when they head back into Pennsylvania schools,” he said. “These educators bring tremendous experience and energy into the classroom, and will be an asset in our education community.”
There is another element to this story. The female members of the House have been looking for a piece of legislation that we could all get behind and one that would unite members on both sides of the aisle.
House Bill 2078 is not exclusively a women’s issue, but many of the people it would benefit are in fact female spouses of members of the military. They have a lower labor market participation and a higher unemployment rate than their civilian counterparts. Pennsylvania has the fourth largest population of veterans in the United States. This measure will help military families more easily transition jobs between moves and make the transition from military life to civilian life less bumpy thereby improving the lives of women, men, and families.
I took the lead and reached out to Rep. Pam DeLissio from suburban Philadelphia, who I see frequently through common committee responsibilities. She agreed with the need for the bill and is listed as the first co-sponsor on it.
House Bill 2078 would expedite processing of completed applications for permanent teaching certification by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for the following individuals:
• Member of the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component
or National Guard
• Veteran
• Spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces
• Spouse of a veteran
The legislation reduces the fees associated with re-certification and allows individuals who have obtained out-of-state certification to more quickly resume active certification in Pennsylvania. House Bill 2078 will be a great benefit to these qualified teachers and the students who they will teach, in addition to recognizing the sacrifices made by the members of our military and their families.
The House unanimously passed the bill on June 7 and it now sits with the Senate Education Committee. Judging from Secretary Rivera’s statement, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration appears to be in favor of it. The only thing between what Marie Hyson proposed to me becoming law would seem to be a Senate vote.
If you are like Marie and have an issue you feel needs to be addressed, I would be happy to speak with you about it. The door to my district office on the Susquehanna Trail is always open. Don’t underestimate what your voice can do. I’m certainly glad Marie Hyson didn’t.
Representative Kristin Phillips-Hill
93rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Scott Little
717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com
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