PA Capitol Digest Blog: February 2018

Pennsylvania courts collected nearly $471 million in fees, fines, costs and restitution in 2017, including a record $114 million paid online through PAePay®.

PAePay® allows people to conveniently make payments via the Internet with a debit or credit card. Online payments increased by 11 percent this year, with a 13 percent increase in the number of transactions or users.

Most of the money collected by the courts is sent to state and local governments and victims of crime; a small portion of the money is sent to various entities such as airports, parking authorities and libraries.

Over the past 10 years, the judiciary has collected over $4.6 billion.

The judiciary’s case management computer systems have helped the courts improve collections by:

-- Generating customized court payment delinquency letters;

-- Sharing information with PennDOT for suspension of the driver’s licenses of defendants failing to pay court costs related to traffic violations;

-- Providing defendant case financial data to outside collection agencies, which are currently used by 44 counties; and

-- Facilitating a statewide, collection agency contract, at the request of PA counties.

The state received $227.3 million of the total $470.6 million collected by the courts. Counties received $157.5 million and municipalities $44 million to support local government programs. Crime victims received a total of $37.8 million in restitution, and various entities received $4 million. (See Financial Dashboards for more information.)

The money distributed to support government programs and crime victims came from fees, fines, costs and restitution collected by 516 magisterial district courts and the criminal divisions of the 67 Common Pleas Courts and the Philadelphia Municipal Court.

Legislation to establish the Keystone Scholars program was unveiled in Harrisburg Monday by Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia), Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) and State Treasurer Joe Torsella.

Under the program, every child born in Pennsylvania would receive an automatic, one-time $100 scholarship payment to his or her own PA 529 savings plan. That money will compound over time and would assist in paying for post-secondary education or job training costs in the future.

The program would be administered by the state Treasury Department and be funded through investment returns from its Guaranteed Savings Plan, as well as philanthropic endowments.

“Millions of jobs have been added since the end of the Great Recession in 2009,” said Sen. Gordner. “A vast majority of those jobs require some sort of post-secondary education, whether it be a college education or training attained through a trade or technical school. These funds would become the seed for achieving that necessary education and demonstrates the Commonwealth’s strong partnership with every young person in our state.”

A related demonstration program, to be carried out by the Treasurer in six counties across the state, was also announced at the press conference. Luzerne County has been included in that initial program.

“I look forward to working with Treasurer Torsella, Sen. Hughes and the rest of my colleagues in the General Assembly to pass this important legislation and to give each of Pennsylvania’s children a head start on their future,” added Sen. Gordner.
NewsClip:
Murphy: Pilot Program Tosses In $100 To Begin Babies’ Savings For College

February 28, 2018

Wednesday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

February 27, 2018

Tuesday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

February 26, 2018

Pennsylvania Courts Collect $471 Million In 2017

Treasurer Torsella, Senators Gordner & Hughes Announce Keystone Scholars Savings Program Legislation

Monday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

February 25, 2018

Sunday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

February 24, 2018

Saturday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips