For our servicemembers, physical fitness is more than part of a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to job performance and saves lives.  In the near future, we will introduce legislation to provide tax credits to members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, Reserve, and Active-Duty military members for the cost of physical fitness facility memberships, personal fitness subscription services, or physical fitness equipment, professional development costs which are currently borne by members themselves.
 
Similar to the Educator Expense Deduction established by the IRS, our legislation would allow current members of the National Guard, Reserve, and all active-duty military members to deduct up to $600 of qualified gym and physical fitness expenses per calendar year on Pennsylvania state tax returns. Qualified expenses include memberships to physical fitness facilities, online physical fitness subscription services, and the purchase of home physical fitness equipment.

In addition to personal deductions, our legislation would also allow physical fitness facilities and gyms in Pennsylvania to receive tax credits for offering free gym memberships to eligible National Guard, Reserve, and active-duty military members.         

The health and fitness of service members directly impacts the readiness of our Guard and military to effectively train, prepare, and mobilize in response to all domestic requests and national contingency operations. This legislation will incentivize our military service members to maintain their fitness and aid in our preparedness.
 
Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 3403: P.L.6, No.2
Printer's No. 3670: P.L.6, No.2