Parliamentary Summary: Shapiro warns of fraud as Pennsylvania recovers from hurricane damage

Wilkes-Barre-Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued a consumer warning this week in the wake of the hurricane “Aida” to warn Pennsylvania residents of home repair and improvement fraud. He also reminded homeowners of their rights when interacting with home refurbishers.

“As Pennsylvania rebuilds and recovers from the wreckage of Hurricane Aida, scammers try to take advantage of consumer panic to make a profit,” Shapiro said. “I’m asking my Pennsylvania homeowner to report a suspicious offer to my office. If you’re concerned about an unsolicited home refurbishment contractor, or register as a contractor before paying for home refurbishment. If you would like to confirm the information, please contact my office by email [email protected] Or call 1-800-441-2555. “

As part of the Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, homeowners need to keep in mind:

• Home refurbishers must provide a free copy of the full contract.

• You have the right to cancel your home renovation contract within 3 business days from the date of signing without penalty, unless required by law in case of an emergency such as a power outage or water outage.

• A home renovation contract is not enforceable on the consumer if it does not contain all the information required by law.

• The contractor may not request or receive payment for the home improvement prior to the conclusion of the home renovation contract. After the contract is signed, the contractor may not request more than one-third of the contract price totaling more than $ 5,000 before the project is completed.

• All contractors are required to display the official registration number on all contracts, quotations, suggestions, and advertisements distributed within the federal government.

The Attorney General’s office reminded Pennsylvanians:

• After a storm like Hurricane Aida, homeowners may see more cases of fraud related to home renovation contracts and government loans and grants.

• Legitimate contractors and government agencies do not send unilateral offers to Pennsylvania.

• Legitimate organizations also do not demand large sums of money and provide written quotes and contracts before concluding a contract.

• Pennsylvania law requires contractors who make a total of more than $ 5,000 a year to renovate their homes to register with the Office. Pennsylvanians are advised to call or email the office to confirm their contractor registration.

Pennsylvanians are also encouraged to take proactive steps to protect themselves from home renovation scams in the following ways:

• Contact your insurance company to ensure that your improvements are covered by your insurance company’s policies. Do not sign an insurance check or charge a contractor after the homeowner has selected a contractor to complete the repair.

• Coordinate the certificate of completion with the bank or credit union. The bank pays the contractor for each stage of work after the contractor approves it.

State programs respect them

Lost due to substance use disorder

Jen Smith, Secretary of the Drug and Alcohol Program Authority (DDAP), said this week at Team Sharing, Inc., a national non-profit organization of parents who lost their children due to substance use disorder (SUD). Participated in the Pennsylvania branch of. Respect the lives of Pennsylvania citizens lost due to overdose deaths.

State legislators and other stakeholders also participated in the event on the steps of the State Capitol.

Held in compliance with the International Overdose Awareness Day, held annually on August 31, the event acknowledges the sadness of loss due to overdose of loved ones, reduces stigma associated with substance use disorders, and overdose of drugs. Spread the message of ingestion. It is preventable.

“Today is a day of reflection and memory in Pennsylvania,” said DDAP Secretary-General Jen Smith. “It is important that we come together to respect the lives of those lost due to overdose and continue to provide support and hope to individuals on their recovery journey.”

Advocacy groups, community members, and individuals who have lost their loved ones have joined the eventhsd. In addition to demonstrating Narkan training, the event will provide information on how to get life-saving medicine, release butterflies, and compartmentalized areas for friends and family to put photos and shoes on, lost loved ones. The fight against substance use disorders.

“The opioid administration has made great strides in dealing with the opioid epidemic at the state level. To continue to manage this crisis, we must re-commit to those efforts,” Smith said. Told. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on this public health crisis, and overdose deaths in 2020 have returned to near-record levels. To reduce the stigma surrounding SUD and for those struggling. We need to double down to secure resources for what we know to work. “

According to preliminary figures, Pennsylvania reported 5,063 drug overdose deaths between 2020 and July 21, 2021, a significant increase from recent years, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. .. This is the increase in deaths from overdose of more than 600 drugs reported in 2019, second only to 2017 with 5,403 overdose deaths.

Individuals looking for treatment options or resources for substance use disorders on their own can call DDAP’s Get Help Now Hotline (1-800-662-HELP (4357)).

State grants promote race

Pregnancy / child health fairness

This week, the Human Services Department (DHS), in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, awarded the federal funding of more than $ 249000 over two years from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to better study the effectiveness of work. Was announced. Promotion of racial equality in pregnancy and child health care.

“We know that our country needs to work to reverse the dire trend of maternal mortality, and we improve the outcome of colored races compared to the white population. We need to, “said Deputy Secretary-General Meg Sneed of the Department of Homeland Security. “This grant gives us a first-hand look at the impact of our policies on maternal and child health inequalities. DHS has the ability to review and evaluate health care policies, so people in pregnancy and child health. It is our duty to promote species equality. “

The state’s health care program is the largest single payer in the United States, covering 65% of black births. In Pennsylvania, there is a large disparity between white and African-American women in terms of maternal mortality.

DHS and the University of Pittsburgh will collaborate with Healthy Start, Medical Assistance Managed Care Organizations, and other community partnerships to conduct interviews with recipients of Medical Assistance. Interviews attempt to learn about participants’ experiences in health care support, find desirable policy changes in health care support, especially those that help promote health care fairness, and gain insights into new Medicaid policies. ..

With this study, DHS will determine how equity-focused obstetric care affects racial equity in health outcomes, and the next steps and communities to implement other policies. I hope we can identify our partners. The full results of the study will be available at the end of the two-year grant period.

The department is also developing new lump sum payments for obstetric care that create specific incentives to promote racial equality in care.

For more information, please visit www.dhs.pa.gov.

PennsDOT invites students to help

Tra
nsport planning strategy

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced this week that grades 9-12 students will be invited to the 5th Annual Pennsylvania Innovation Challenge. Global transportation challenges in peer competition.

The Innovation Challenge is open to all students in grades 9-12, regardless of the school’s learning model.

Taking into account Pennsylvania’s diverse demographics, this year’s Innovation Challenge goes beyond current public engagement procedures (detailed in Publication 295) using innovative technologies and tools that PennDOT can implement. We encourage students to develop targeted and cost-effective public engagement strategies. More effectively engage and connect with all age groups during the transportation planning and project development process.

“Public involvement is essential to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation planning and project development efforts,” said Yasmine Gramian, Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. “But it can be difficult to bridge the gap between technology and generations to ensure that all demographics are involved and involved in planning the needs of the state-wide transportation system.”

“In addition to the challenge itself, I hope this experience will open up students to the potential for a career in transportation after graduation, perhaps even with PennsDOT,” Gramian added.