Gov. Shapiro touts $24.1 million for Pa. rape crisis centers in new state budget

• Katie Knol/WITF
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  Katie Knol is WITF's General Assignment Reporter & Host.
  
  She graduated from Penn State University in 2024, earning bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science. She has also worked at WPSU, the News Lab at Penn State, The Daily Collegian and CommRadio.

Gov. Josh Shapiro joined advocates and community leaders at the YWCA Carlisle and Cumberland County to tout nearly doubling funding for Pennsylvania’s 47 rape crisis centers in the 2026-27 budget.

Funding will jump from $12.1 million to $24.1 million. It had remained relatively flat for several years, with allocations staying at $11.9 million before getting a $250,000 boost in last year’s budget.

“When we were at the table, working on negotiating between Democrats and Republicans, I made clear that we need to have this funding as part of a final package,” Shapiro said. “There’s always a give and take on that, but ultimately, we were able to put together a bipartisan consensus to get it done.”

Advocates say the increased funding will go toward additional training and pay staff members who accompany survivors to hospitals or police stations, and provide therapy and guidance. It will also help with education about consent and assault prevention.

“We are the front-line providers who are available at 10 o’clock in the morning, 10 o’clock at night, two o’clock in the afternoon, two o’clock in the morning,” said Maddie Young, CEO of the YWCA Carlisle and Cumberland County.

Shapiro praised the work of rape crisis center workers and advocates, many of whom have spent years urging lawmakers to increase funding through rallies and lobbying efforts at the state Capitol. 

Andrea Greene, a YWCA board member, shared her own experience with sexual assault as a child. It pushed her to become an advocate and eventually get therapy for her trauma.

Greene said the increased money will allow more survivors to ask for help.

“With this funding, we continue to draw a line in the sand and say not one more child, woman or man suffers on our watch,” Greene said.

While advocates welcomed the funding boost, they said more work remains to support survivors of sexual assault.

Shapiro said he supports legislation that would create a two-year window for adult survivors to sue their abusers in civil court. The state House has passed bills several times with this language, but it has been held up in the Republican-controlled state Senate.