Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

February 14, 2025

New Law Reunites Pennsylvanians with Unclaimed Property Sooner

One simple transaction could result in you being owed money through the Pennsylvania Treasury’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property.

Perhaps you satisfied a vehicle loan and you didn’t realize it, but you actually paid your regular monthly balance thinking it was your last payment. Yet, as it turns out, you had already made that final payment.

You were sent a check for the refund, but mistaken as junk mail, it got thrown away. 

The company turned over your monies to the Pennsylvania Treasury. This is just one reason that you could be owed a refund.

Under Pennsylvania law, unclaimed property is turned over to the Treasury after three years of dormancy. Included are things like inactive bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks and bonds, insurance policies, and contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.

It is estimated that about one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed a portion of the more than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property held by the Treasury. The average value of a claim is $1,600. In fact, during the 2023-24 legislative session, my staff and I successfully processed more than 1,100 claims.

Fortunately, a new bipartisan law, Act 81 of 2024, makes it easier for Treasurer Stacy Garrity and her staff to reunite Pennsylvanians with unclaimed property.

Under the previous law, the Treasury is required to advertise routinely, suggesting that Pennsylvania residents check if they are owed unclaimed property by visiting their website. However, with the passage of PA Money Match, which I was happy to support when it passed the General Assembly unanimously, the Treasury is allowed to automatically return certain unclaimed property.

Because of the new law that aims to eliminate red tape, Treasurer Garrity announced recently that more than 8,000 Pennsylvanians will receive letters, indicating that unclaimed property will be automatically returned to them.

As a result, over $2 million worth of unclaimed property is being returned to its rightful owners and checks are scheduled to be sent out in about 45 days. PA Money Match eligible properties must be valued at $500 or less and belong to a single owner.

Everyone is still encouraged to search PA Treasury’s website regularly for property that may belong to them, because PA Money Match will not automatically return properties valued above $500 or those that may have more than one owner, such as a dormant joint checking or savings account.

Visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property to search anytime, or contact my Washington Township/Export office at 724-387-9113 or my New Kensington office at 724-472-4102 if you would like our assistance.

If you lived and/or worked in other states, it is also recommended that you visit missingmoney.com. Operated by the National Association of State Treasurers, missingmoney.com is a national database of unclaimed property. Similar to the Pennsylvania Treasury website, using the site is free.

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.

Planning to Pursue Higher Education - February is Financial Aid Awareness Month, and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is reminding students and their families of a series of webinars that aim to help with understanding financial aid.

The webinar titled “Advance Planning for Financing Higher Education” is offered Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m. This one-hour session will help participants understand education costs and what is available to help them plan and make affordable decisions.

The webinar titled “Improve Your Credit – Get Your Loan” is offered Thursday, Feb. 27, at noon. This one-hour session will help participants increase their financial literacy and knowledge on the process of credit, how to maintain or improve ratings, and comparison points to help make informed and affordable education borrowing decisions.

Webinars highlighting financial aid timelines and understanding offer letters are scheduled in March. For a full schedule, and to register your participation, visit pheaa.org/virtual.

Get Real Facts About REAL ID - The deadline for enforcement of the REAL ID Act is fast approaching. Because of federal law, as of May 7, you will have to present a federally accepted form of identification to board a commercial domestic flight or visit a secure federal building that requires ID at the door.

Join my staff and me for a REAL ID Assistance Clinic on Wednesday, March 12, from 4-6 p.m. at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Ave. in Murrysville. My office has helped many constituents make quick work of getting the documents needed to get a REAL ID and we can help you as well! Registration is encouraged but not required. Register by calling 724-387-9113.

House Fellowship Program Application Deadline Approaching - The Pennsylvania House Legislative Fellowship Program is accepting applications for its summer 2025 semester. 

The program is based at Pennsylvania’s Capitol Building in Harrisburg where fellows are as-signed to work in House standing committees or leadership offices; are compensated for their work (which may also include college credit); and are provided the opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the Commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few.

Qualified applicants must be undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students or law school students; enrolled in a Pennsylvania college/university or a Pennsylvania resident enrolled in an out-of-state institution; and students of any major with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

For more information or to apply, visit pahousefellowship.us. Applications can be submitted via email to pahousefellowship@pabmc.net. The deadline to apply is March 1.