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Pennsylvania waiving birth certificate fees for homeless

Pennsylvania will no longer charge homeless people the $20 fee for a birth certificate.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks after signing legislation into law at Muhlenberg High School in Reading, Pa., Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks after signing legislation into law at Muhlenberg High School in Reading, Pa., Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019.Read moreMatt Rourke / AP
    by Associated Press, The Associated Press
    Published 

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s governor is announcing that the state will no longer charge homeless people a $20 fee in order to obtain their birth certificates.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf announced the policy change on Monday during a news conference on efforts to help vulnerable people in the state.

Wolf says the fee can be a barrier to helping homeless people obtain jobs or qualify for government services.

A similar waiver for Pennsylvanians seeking help for substance use disorders has provided free birth certificates to 3,530 people since the start of 2018.