Rep. Robert W. Godshall traces his roots back to the North Penn area of Montgomery County more than 250 years. He was raised on the family farm near Souderton and graduated from Souderton High School, where he played football and baseball. After high school, he attended and graduated from Juniata College, after which he helped to run his family’s poultry business. He also attended graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.

 

Bob has served the residents of the North Penn area in a number of different ways. He served as a member of the Souderton School Board for 17 years, including a term as president; is a long-time member of the Hatfield, Indian Valley and North Penn Chambers of Commerce, a past president and former board member of the Perkiomen Valley Watershed Conservancy, he spent five years developing the Montgomery County park system along the Perkiomen Creek, he serves on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center, board member of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, a former board member of the Harleysville Senior Adult Activity Center, a former board member of the American Red Cross (North Penn Branch) and a member of the Indian Valley Public Library Steering Committee. He also was recognized for his work as a legislator when he was selected as Best Area Politician three times in the last few years by the readers of The Reporter.

 

From 1980-1983, Rep. Godshall served the citizens of Montgomery County as comptroller, and in 1982, he was elected state representative for the 53rd District. He was appointed chairman of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee in the 1995-96 session and chaired the committee through 2006. Under his leadership, the committee crafted a variety of legislation designed to invigorate Pennsylvania’s $26 billion travel and tourism industry. He currently is serving as Republican Chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee.

 

There are numerous service awards and citations that Bob has received for his work in the community, including the following: PA Society of Biomedical Research Leadership Award; PA Cancer Alliance Recognition Award; Prestigious Pete Wickett Memorial Award; the Telford Diving Unit Service Award; the Colmar Fire Company Service Award; numerous NFIB Guardian of Small Business Awards; the Souderton Community Midget Football Association’s Service Award; Franconia Township’s Service Award; Hatfield Township’s Service Award; Hatfield Borough’s Service Award; Souderton Borough’s Service Award; Lansdale Borough’s Service Award; the Montgomery County Libraries’ Service Award; the Souderton Area School Board’s Service Award; the Perkiomen Valley Watershed Association’s Service Award; the Arthritis Foundation’s Service Award; and the Lansdale Cannoneers Community Service Award.

 

He has received community and civic awards for his distinguished contributions to a number of organizations and causes in the North Penn area. He has been recognized by the Citizens Against Higher Taxes, a statewide pro-taxpayer organization, for his pro-taxpayer votes in the legislature. He also received the Government Service Award from the Water Resources Association of the Delaware Valley River Basin, the first such award to anyone in state government during the organization’s 25-year history. The award was given for his leading role in supporting completion of the Point Pleasant Pump and the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant, which are now providing a reliable flow of surface water to the residents and businesses of the North Penn area. He was awarded the 2003 “Legislator of the Year” Award from the Pennsylvania Dietetic Association and the Northern Montgomery County Recycling Commission “Excellence in Governmental Service” Award. 

 

As a senior member of the House Insurance Committee, Rep. Godshall has worked for passage of legislation ensuring that breast cancer patients will have reasonable coverage of the costs associated with reconstructive procedures. He also supported a law guaranteeing in-patient care for new mothers and an HMO patient bill of rights, which establishes consumer protection and managed care accountability measures so Pennsylvanians have access to affordable, quality health care.

 

Rep. Godshall also has been a strong supporter of child day care, which is why he introduced legislation requiring unannounced inspections of child care facilities to provide peace of mind for families. The House  unanimously approved Rep. Godshall’s bill that helps encourage live organ donation by assuring donors a paid leave of absence from work if they donate an organ or bone marrow. And his legislation licensing dietician-nutritionists became law in 2002.

 

Education and senior citizens issues are likewise important parts of Rep. Godshall’s legislative agenda. He strongly supported the expansion of senior citizens benefits, such as the Property Tax/Rent Rebate and PACE/PACENET prescription assistance programs. Recognizing the need to provide financial resources for public schools in Montgomery County and throughout the state, Rep. Godshall helped bring state funding for basic education to record levels. 

 

Enacting effective legislation is only one of Rep. Godshall’s responsibilities as a state legislator. He also maintains an office in Hatfield to help citizens get information on state government programs and cut red tape. He has been an integral part of obtaining the necessary $40 million funding from PennDOT for the Route 309 Connector project and will extend from the Sumneytown Pike to Route 309. Rep. Godshall also led the effort to preserve over 6,800 acres of Montgomery County farmland from development. 

 

Rep. Godshall also serves on the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. An avid hunter and fisherman, he is widely recognized as one of the premier advocates for sportsmen’s issues in the General Assembly. These efforts have been recognized by organizations in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation.

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