HARRISBURG – Following the lead of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, led by Chairman Sen. Pat Stefano (R-32), today the Senate unanimously approved a resolution to extend the disaster emergency declaration of Jan. 28 until Sept. 30 for the collapse of the Forbes Avenue/Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh.
The bridge’s collapse caused adverse impacts within the City of Pittsburgh, and traffic patterns are still disrupted.
House Resolution 188, which also received unanimous support from the committee today, is necessary to help ensure the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is eligible to receive emergency relief funding from the Federal Highway Administration.
In May 2021, the people of Pennsylvania adopted an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania requiring that a disaster emergency declaration not last any longer than 21 days unless the General Assembly votes to extend it.
“While there was some concern before last year’s primary about the Constitutional Amendment’s impact on Pennsylvania, this response to the bridge collapse is the perfect example of how the General Assembly can work cooperatively with the governor,” Stefano said. “Some naysayers worried that legislators would oppose any extensions as a way to thwart the governor, but that’s not the case at all.”
CONTACT: Nathan Silcox, 717-787-7175, nsilcox@pasen.gov