Nearly 175,000 Pennsylvanians could be eligible for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program after action taken by the PA House Finance Committee on Tuesday.

Taking the first significant step toward increasing income limits for the program in 16-plus years, the committee passed legislation.

House Bill 1100, with Finance Committee Chair Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton, as its primary sponsor, alongside primary co-sponsors Reps. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin/Cumberland, Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, and Maureen Madden, D-Monroe, plus an additional 81 bipartisan co-sponsors, was approved by a unanimous vote and heads to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

House Bill 1100 would increase the income limits for the PT/RR Program to $45,000 for both homeowners and renters. It’s estimated that under these proposed income limits, an additional 173,000 will qualify.

“House Bill 1100 will increase income limits and will provide larger rebates for those who qualify,” Samuelson said. “We also include a cost-of-living increase so recipients will not lose their rebate in future years when they get a modest increase in their Social Security or pension.”

Income limits for the PT/RR Program last increased in January 2007. Without any increase in the income eligibility since then, the number of recipients of the program has dropped from roughly 600,000 individuals to an estimated 398,000 in the current year.