Jan. 17, 2018
WARRINGTON – After serving the residents of the 144th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for 17 years, Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks/144th) announced today that she will complete her current legislative term on Nov. 30. She will not seek re-election in 2018.
“Serving the 144th District and Bucks County for the past 17 years has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Watson, who has chaired the House Children and Youth Committee for the past five years. “At my family’s request, I have made the difficult decision to step away from the House. However, I will continue my public service. The location may be different, but my heart and soul have been dedicated to helping make our communities and our Commonwealth an even better place for children and families.”
During her tenure in the House, Watson has been the driving force behind legislation and policy changes to improve the safety and well-being of children. Her first priorities signed into law include those to improve child safety seats in vehicles. She authored Act 81 of 2011, the most comprehensive update to the Graduated Driver’s Licensing Law since 1999 – that seeks to reduce distractions caused by teen passengers, expand behind-the-wheel training for permit holders, and ensure that minors are buckled up.
More recently, she helped shepherd more than a dozen child protection bills into law and continues to revisit those laws to make any necessary updates. In 2015, her legislation to further clarify child abuse and criminal background checks for volunteers was signed into law. Other major policy initiatives she has helped spearhead in the House have included penalties and treatment for repetitive DUI offenders, banning texting while driving, a new licensure system for assisted living facilities, a law against flying while impaired and the legal ability for adult adoptees to access their original birth information.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank all of the people of the 144th who have instilled their trust and support in me over the years,” Watson said. “I am also grateful to the members of my staff, at the Capitol and at my district offices. Over the years, we have helped thousands of residents get the assistance they need. Of all the things I will miss the most will be the people with whom I have met and spoken. I’m not one to retire, as I will continue my work to help improve the lives of children and their families.”
Watson is a former chairman of the House Subcommittees on Care and Aging within the House Aging and Older Adults Services Committee and Highway Safety within the House Transportation Committee. She also previously served on the House Ethics Committee and is a past co-chair of the House Health Care Policy Task Force.
For her legislative efforts, she has received numerous awards, including the 2011 State Farm Insurance Champion of GDL Award, the Children’s Champion Award from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Legislator of the Year Award from AAA, along with being named a Partner for Change by the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance in 2016.
She and her husband, James, reside in Warrington Township, Bucks County, and have one adult son, Derek.
Representative Kathy Watson
144th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
717.705.2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
KathyWatson144.com /
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