State Senate Committee Approves Bill To Raise PA National Guard Pay

HARRISBURG — A measure that would increase the minimum wage for active-duty Pennsylvania National Guard personnel has advanced out of a state Senate committee.

Senate Bill 1286, which is being sponsored by Democratic State Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat representing the 44th Senatorial District, was unanimously passed this week out of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, Muth's office reported on Tuesday.

Muth proposed the measure last month.

Related: State Lawmakers Look To Raise Minimum Wage For PA National Guard

Muth on Tuesday praised the bill's movement out of committee and onto the full Senate.

"As the cost of everything continues to rise, it is imperative that we increase the minimum daily pay rate for members of our National Guard to reflect a more livable wage and to enable the National Guard to recruit and retain Guard members who provide so much critical support to our Commonwealth," Muth said in a statement. "I appreciate the support of my colleagues on the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and hope that this bill is brought up for a vote by the full Senate prior to leaving Harrisburg this Summer."

Muth says that the measure is supported by both the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations.

If signed into law, the measure would increase the minimum daily special state duty and state active duty pay rate for National Guard members from the current rate of $100 per day to $180 per day.

Pennsylvania National Guard members are entitled to special state duty or state active duty pay whenever they're deployed to active duty for service by the governor for any in-state community event, activity, mission or disasters and emergencies.

The pay rate for Guard members was last increased back in 2016, jumping from $75 to $100, according to Muth's office.