Jessica has BA degrees in Political Science and in Communication Studies from Bethel University, an MA in Communication from Minnesota State University, an MA in Bioethics and Ph.D in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in the Southside Slopes with her cat, Ravi and dog, Teddy.

Jessica Benham for PA | About

Jessica Benham earned bachelor's degrees in political science and communication studies from Bethel University, a master's degree in communication from Minnesota State University, and a master's degree in bioethics and a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in the Southside Slopes.

Prior to her election, Jessica was the Director of Development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy (PCAA). Jessica is an alum of the University of Pittsburgh, where she was involved in the effort to organize a union of graduate workers.

Jessica Benham previously worked as director of development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy.

BENHAM, Jessica Lynn, a Representative from Allegheny County; born, 1990 in Allegheny County, Pa.; B.A., political science and communication studies, Bethel University; M.A., communication, Minnesota State University, 2015; M.A., bioethics, University of Pittsburgh, 2019; director of development, Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy; elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2021 term; appointed, Deputy Whip (2021-2022); reelected to the House for the 2023 and 2025 terms; elected, delegate, Democratic National Convention (2024).

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website

Jessica was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2021 term and reelected for the 2023 and 2025 terms.

2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

My focus is straightforward: continue to make it easier for people to afford to live a good life in the Commonwealth. This means continuing to reduce the tax burden on seniors, parents, and working people, increasing investments in housing and childcare, continuing to address healthcare affordability, and building on our work in senior care. Also, since the last transit funding package expired, I don’t think we can keep asking agencies to do more without stable state funding.

Pa. State House 36th District election: Benham v. McCune | 90.5 WESA

I do support the taxation of recreational cannabis. It’s already easy to get a medical card in PA and with states that have legal recreational programs bordering our commonwealth, PA residents are spending their money elsewhere. That tax money should benefit Pennsylvanians, not Ohio.

Workers' Rights

Jessica knows that Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is the lowest of any state in our region, and believes all jobs should pay enough that people are able to afford living expenses. Jessica is pushing for a higher minimum wage, and to protect the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain.

Jessica Benham for PA | Issues

Jessica supports fully funding our Medicaid waiver programs so that kids and adults with disabilities can receive the services they are entitled to under the Olmstead Supreme Court decision. Jessica is fighting for paid family and sick leave, so that workers can take time off to care for themselves or their family members.

Plans to reduce taxes for seniors, parents, and working people while increasing investments in housing and child care.

Supports taxing recreational cannabis sales in Pennsylvania.

Advocates for a higher minimum wage and protections for workers to unionize and bargain collectively.

Advocates for paid family and sick leave so workers can care for themselves or family members.

- Plans to reduce taxes for seniors, parents, and working people while increasing investments in housing and child care.
- Supports taxing recreational cannabis sales in Pennsylvania.
- Advocates for a higher minimum wage and protections for workers to unionize and bargain collectively.
- Advocates for paid family and sick leave so workers can care for themselves or family members.

Economy

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
FISCAL NOTE
HOUSE BILL NO. 1993 PRINTER’S NO. 3435 PRIME SPONSOR: Benham

SUMMARY:
Amends the Pharmacy Audit Integrity and Transparency Act to establish requirements for Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) contracts with the PBM’s network pharmacies and establishes certain prohibited acts.

Approps Mtg Packet 10-26-22.pdf

Affordable & Dignified Healthcare for All

Jessica believes that all Pennsylvanians deserve access to quality healthcare and is fighting to protect the Medicaid expansion that has benefited over 3,000,000 residents.

She is also fighting for people with disabilities and seniors to receive long term health care supports and services in the dignity of their own homes.

Reproductive Justice

Jessica fights to make sure that choice isn’t restricted by harmful laws that take away our rights. That's why she's endorsed by Planned Parenthood PA PAC and EMILY's List.

Sponsored House Bill 1993, which establishes requirements and prohibited practices for pharmacy benefit manager contracts with network pharmacies.

Sponsored a bill that establishes requirements and prohibits practices for pharmacy benefit manager contracts with network pharmacies.

Advocates for protecting Pennsylvania's Medicaid expansion.

Advocates for home-based long-term health care supports and services for people with disabilities and seniors.

Advocates for protecting reproductive health care decision-making from laws that restrict choice.

- Sponsored a bill that establishes requirements and prohibits practices for pharmacy benefit manager contracts with network pharmacies.
- Advocates for protecting Pennsylvania's Medicaid expansion.
- Advocates for home-based long-term health care supports and services for people with disabilities and seniors.
- Advocates for protecting reproductive health care decision-making from laws that restrict choice.

Healthcare

In 2023, Jessica sponsored a bill which passed the House unanimously that would ensure that children being raised by non-parent relatives (kinship caregivers) are able to receive a tuition waiver to attend college free of charge, like kids who are in foster care already can. She is fighting for the bill to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the Governor.

All children should have access to high quality early childhood education. Children who access high-quality early learning experiences are far more likely to succeed in K-12 school and in life. Early education should be public, free, and inclusive for all students. Jessica will work to ensure that early childhood programs and educators have the state resources and supports they need to provide high quality early education to all children.

Kids with disabilities are more likely to be suspended or expelled from school, so Jessica supports an increase in funding for school therapists and counselors, to address school pushout.

Sponsored legislation to give students raised by non-parent relatives tuition waivers comparable to those for students in foster care.

Advocates for public, free, inclusive early education and state resources for early-childhood programs and educators.

Supports increased funding for school therapists and counselors to address suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities.

- Sponsored legislation to give students raised by non-parent relatives tuition waivers comparable to those for students in foster care.
- Advocates for public, free, inclusive early education and state resources for early-childhood programs and educators.
- Supports increased funding for school therapists and counselors to address suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities.

Education

Jessica has acted locally to combat climate change, flooding, and landslides, leading water management projects in parks throughout the district. In Harrisburg, Jessica has ensured the state invests in stormwater management and the reduction of fossil fuel pollution.

I have voted many times to change the way that PA handles data center proposals, including eliminating any access to state tax credits, requirements around utility use, and giving local communities more power over what happens near them. A corporation shouldn’t be able to effectively dictate the terms of development while residents are left to absorb the costs. I want to make sure Pennsylvania’s economic development policy serves Pennsylvanians, and my voting record reflects that priority.

Jessica is working together with Organized Labor to hold oil and gas companies accountable for the ways they treat workers and their disregard for environmental regulations. Fines shouldn’t just be the cost of doing business.

As someone who did not have a car before this job necessitated one to get to Harrisburg often on short notice, Jessica believes firmly in the importance of sustainably funding public transit. She will continue to work with her colleagues to encourage the State Senate to take up House-passed transit funding legislation.

Says she has supported state investments in stormwater management and reducing fossil-fuel pollution.

Says she has voted to limit data-center tax credits, regulate utility use, and give local communities greater authority over nearby development.

Voted to limit data-center tax credits, regulate utility use, and give local communities greater authority over nearby development.

Advocates for holding oil and gas companies accountable for worker treatment and environmental-regulation violations.

Supports sustainably funding public transit and advancing transit-funding legislation passed by the House in the State Senate.

- Says she has supported state investments in stormwater management and reducing fossil-fuel pollution.
- Voted to limit data-center tax credits, regulate utility use, and give local communities greater authority over nearby development.
- Advocates for holding oil and gas companies accountable for worker treatment and environmental-regulation violations.
- Supports sustainably funding public transit and advancing transit-funding legislation passed by the House in the State Senate.

Energy & the Environment

Increasing Public Safety in Our Communities

Jessica Benham has brought back millions of dollars in investment in public safety in our communities, including for violence prevention, victims services, and public safety facilities throughout the district. Moving forward, she is committed to bringing back more state dollars to invest in violence prevention and public safety in House District 36.

She passed a bill through the House to provide additional resources to municipalities who are dealing with the public safety impacts of nightlife areas and is continuing to work to get it passed through the Senate and ultimately signed into law.

Representative Benham is a proponent of commonsense legislation like comprehensive background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm safety training, and safe storage laws, which she has voted for in Harrisburg.

Commits to seeking additional state funding for violence prevention and public-safety investments in District 36.

Sponsored House-passed legislation to provide municipalities with resources for public-safety impacts in nightlife areas and seeks Senate approval.

Supports comprehensive background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm-safety training, and safe-storage laws.

- Commits to seeking additional state funding for violence prevention and public-safety investments in District 36.
- Sponsored House-passed legislation to provide municipalities with resources for public-safety impacts in nightlife areas and seeks Senate approval.
- Supports comprehensive background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm-safety training, and safe-storage laws.

Public Safety

Protecting Our Democracy

Jessica supports a ban on gifts to elected officials, limits on contributions to political candidates, and full disclosure of all spending meant to influence the outcome of elections.

Jessica supports a ban on gifts to elected officials, limits on contributions to political candidates, and full disclosure of all spending meant to influence the outcome of elections. She supports a redistricting commission to draw fair lines for Congressional, State House, and State Senate districts. She supports legislation to ensure transparency, public input and clear, enforceable criteria for redistricting.

She supports legislation to ensure transparency, public input and clear, enforceable criteria for redistricting. Jessica will fight for election day voter registration, automatic voter registration, and more opportunities for early voting.

Jessica will fight for election day voter registration, automatic voter registration, and more opportunities for early voting. Jessica also supports rule changes within the General Assembly so that bills with clear bipartisan support receive a vote in committee and both chamber floors, instead of potentially being left to die without a vote in committee.

Supports banning gifts to elected officials, limiting campaign contributions, and disclosing spending intended to influence elections.

Supports an independent redistricting commission and standards for transparent, public, and enforceable map-drawing processes.

Advocates for election-day and automatic voter registration and expanded early-voting opportunities.

Supports General Assembly rule changes requiring committee and floor votes on bills with clear bipartisan support.

- Supports banning gifts to elected officials, limiting campaign contributions, and disclosing spending intended to influence elections.
- Supports an independent redistricting commission and standards for transparent, public, and enforceable map-drawing processes.
- Advocates for election-day and automatic voter registration and expanded early-voting opportunities.
- Supports General Assembly rule changes requiring committee and floor votes on bills with clear bipartisan support.

Voting & Elections

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Jessica Benham

Says she has secured annual increases in state funding for local schools while in office.

Believes tax dollars should fund public schools accountable to elected officials rather than private schools.

- Advocates for a higher minimum wage and protections for workers to unionize and bargain collectively.
- Advocates for paid family and sick leave so workers can care for themselves or family members.

- Advocates for protecting Pennsylvania's Medicaid expansion.
- Advocates for home-based long-term health care supports and services for people with disabilities and seniors.
- Advocates for protecting reproductive health care decision-making from laws that restrict choice.

- Advocates for holding oil and gas companies accountable for worker treatment and environmental-regulation violations.
- Supports sustainably funding public transit and advancing transit-funding legislation passed by the House in the State Senate.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Jessica has heard from local residents on how the state has cut their funding for public schools, forcing local school boards to increase taxes to avoid cutting services. Every year she has been in office, Jessica has ensured that our schools received an increase in state funding.

In general, I believe that our tax dollars should fund public schools that are accountable to officials elected by the taxpayers. Public money, public schools. Private schools are not accountable to taxpayers and are often not transparent about their admissions process, tuition costs, or how they use funds.

Timothy McCune

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws, including introducing tax bills. 
- State representatives and their staff respond to constituent concerns and questions through emails, phone calls, and website announcements. 
- State representatives oversee the executive branch and can vote to overrule a veto by the Governor.  
- They are elected to two-year terms and have a salary of $106,000, with a 1-3% annual increase

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