STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 09/26/06

The Senate State Government Committee met on Tuesday, September 26, 2006,  and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 983 pn 1325 (Wonderling)  The bill amends the Vital Statistics Law to further require the local registrars to transmit, for a person who was at least eighteen years of age at the time of death, a copy of the death certificate to the county board of elections of the county in which the person resided at the time of death.

Senate Bill 1110 pn 1577 (LaValle)  Unless a longer period of residency is required by the Constitution of Pennsylvania or by statute, each member of every independent administrative board and commission, every departmental administrative body, board and commission and every advisory board and commission, must have been a resident of this Commonwealth for a period of at least one year immediately preceding appointment.

Senate Bill 1216 pn 1849 (Erickson)  Vacancies in election boards existing by reason of the disqualification, removal, resignation or death of an election officer, or from any other cause, occurring prior to the fifth day before any primary or election, shall, in all cases, be filled by appointment, by the county board of elections rather than by the court of the county.

Senate Bill 1297 pn 2033 (Kitchen)  The legislation would designate and recognize the third Saturday in June as “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” in Pennsylvania.  The day commemorates the impact of slavery, the abolition movement, and the African-American emancipation in the United States.

House Bill 236 pn 1949 (Pickett)  The legislation amends the Independent Regulatory Review Act to improve State rulemaking by creating procedures to analyze the availability of more flexible regulatory approaches for small businesses.  Consideration shall be given to the impact of regulatory mandates on small businesses before imposing such regulations and further to examine alternatives.

House Bill 632 pn 3824 (Hershey)  The bill amends the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act of 1990 to require that every charitable organization which receives annual contributions of $300,000 or more will be subject to a mandatory audit by an independent certified public accountable.

House Bill 1479 pn 4367 (Pistella) The bill creates the Office for People with Disabilities within the Governor’s Office.

Reported Out as Amended (Unanimously)

House Bill 854 pn 1174 (Rubley)  The legislation would create the Terrorism Infrastructure Disclosure Protection Act.  A09438 (Lemmond) Deletes the language of the original bill and establishes the Public Utility Confidential Security Information Disclosure Protection Act,  which would establish procedures identifying and protecting the confidential information relating to public utilities. Unanimous Amendment Vote

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 06/28/06

The Senate State Government Committee met on Wednesday,  June 28, 2006,  and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended (Unanimous)

House Bill 700 pn 4350  (Maher)  This bill is the Lobbying Accountability Act.  It provides for the registration, regulation and disclosure of all lobbying activities. 

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 06/26/06

The Senate State Government Committee met on Monday,  June 26, 2006,  and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended (Unanimous)

House Bill 28 pn 4142 (Lederer)  Under the legislation, the Department of Transportation is authorized to grant and convey land in the City of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.    The property consists of approximately 0.32 acres.  A08499 – Technical Amendment  Unanimous Vote.

Reported Out as Committed (Unanimous)

Senate Bill 1181 pn 1693 (Jubelirer)  The legislation amends Title 65 (Public Officers) to require that financial interest statements include a list of all official votes from which the person abstained due to receiving personal pecuniary benefit in those votes in excess of $1,300.  Committee Vote:Unanimous

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 06/21/06

The Senate State Government Committee met on Wednesday,  June 21, 2006,  and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

Senate Bill 1230 pn 1819 (Orie)  The bill amends the Gaming Code to delete provisions relating to supplier licenses.  Committee Vote:  7-4   A8385 (Logan)  Would change qualified majority to simple majority.  Amendment Vote:  4-7

Senate Bill 1237 pn 1842 (Mellow)  The bill authorizes the Department of General Services to grant and convey to the County of Lackawanna Transit System Authority certain lands in the City of Scranton in exchange for certain lands in the City of Scranton owned by the Transit Authority.  Committee Vote:  Unanimous

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 03/29/06

The Senate State Government Committee met on Wednesday,  March 29, 2006,  and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended (unanimously)

HB 2054 pn 3333 (Grell)  - Eminent Domain Legislation.  An amendment was offered with unanimous approval, which gutted the legislation and inserted language identical to that of the version of SB 897 that passed the Senate earlier.

Reported Out as Committed (unanimously)

HB 105 pn 3028 (Payne)  - Title 62 (Procurement) is amended to add a new section that would require the Department of General Services  to enter into cooperative purchasing contracts, making approved supplies available to volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance companies. 

HB 2215 pn 3089 (Hickernell) - The legislation authorizes the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, to sell a .3 acre parcel of state land and the motor vehicle building, located in Columbia Borough, Lancaster County, at a price to be determined by competitive sealed bidding.

SB 1068 pn 1467 (Piccola)  - The measure authorizes the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey to Capital Self Storage Associates LLC, certain land in the City of Harrisburg and Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County.  The property consists of .389 acres.

SB 1055 pn 1444 (Regola)  - The legislation would authorize the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, to accept by donation from The Conservation Fund, a tract of land and any improvements in Penn Township, Westmoreland County.  The property is a 34.43 acre parcel. 

SB 238 pn 237 (Wenger)  - Section 618-A of the Administrative Code is amended to provide for a $2 fee to be charged by the Department of State for authentication of a document for recognition by a foreign government (apostille) required in an international adoption proceeding.

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 12/13/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Tuesday,  December 13, 2005,  and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended:

House Bill 1318 pn 3022 (Lemmond)  The bill amends the Election Code to provide changes relating to voter identification, qualifications of electors at primaries, voting procedures, applying to vote, canvassing of official absentee ballots, and for violations relating to absentee ballots and polling places.  Committee Vote:  10-2

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 11/15/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Tuesday,  November 15,  2005, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SB 170 pn 167 (Corman)   The bill amends the Election Code to eliminate the office of Lieutenant Governor from primary elections.  Vote:  6-5

SB 987 pn 1297 (Corman)   The legislation would authorize the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey to Centre County Industrial Development Corporation, certain lands situate in Benner Township, Centre County, for $1.  Vote: Unanimous

SB 999 pn  1327 (Lemmond)   The legislation amends Act 98 of 2004 to include the standards adopted by the Voting Standards Development Board under Section 204 of the Election Code in the 2006 and 2007 elections. This would pertain to all primary, municipal, special and general elections in 2006 and 2007.  Vote:  Unanimous

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 11/01/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Tuesday, November 1,  2005, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SB 881 pn 1180 (Piccola)   The bill prohibits the use of eminent domain by any condemnor to take private property in order to use it for private commercial purposes.  Certain exceptions to this include: when the condemnee consents, when the property is transferred or leased to a common carrier, when a private entity occupies an incidental area within a public project; when the property taken is a threat to public health or safety, when the property is abandoned, and when the property meets the description of “blight”.  Vote:  7-4

SB 897 pn 1187 (Brightbill)   The bill amends the Eminent Domain, Judicial and Military Affairs Codes to consolidate all the eminent domain law within the Eminent Domain Code, and makes several other changes to existing law.  Vote: 7-4

HB 1509 pn 1843 (Tangretti)   The legislation would authorize the Department of General Services to grant and convey an access and utility easement across certain lands in Westmoreland County.  Vote:  Unanimous

Reported Out as Amended

HB 1318 pn 2366 (Gergely)   The bill amends the Election Code to provide changes relating to voter identification, qualifications of electors at primaries, restrictions on voting by convicted felons, voting procedures, applying to vote, canvassing of official absentee ballots, for violations relating to absentee ballots and for polling places. 

A003744 (Lemmond)   Substantive amendment including restrictions on polling places, liquor establishment penalties, voting age, absentee ballots, and photo id requirements after December 31, 2007. Amendment Vote:  8-3  Reporting Out:  8-3

HB 1967 pn 2885 (McIlhinney)   Act 121 of 2004 is amended by the legislation to extend the final date of disposition for the land conveyance of the Doylestown Armory in Bucks County.  The date is extended for another 18 months. 

A03651 (Lemmond)   Changed the extension date from 24 months to 18 months.  Amendment Vote:  Unanimous  Reporting Out:  Unanimous

HR 354 pn 2221 (Steil)   The concurrent resolution would designate the Garden of Reflection in Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, as the official state memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

A03490 (Lemmond)   Technical Amendment Vote:  Unanimous  Reporting Out:  Unanimous

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 10/19/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Wednesday, October 19, 2005, and took action as follows:

Reported as Committed (Unanimous)

Senate Bill 193 pn 182 (Rafferty)   The bill amends the Election Code to provide for the oath of part-day election workers.

Senate Bill 693 pn 830 (Pileggi)   The bill amends the Election Code to eliminate the requirements that circulators of school board candidate petitions be of the same designated party as the candidate.

Senate Bill 875 pn 1130 (Rafferty)   The bill amends Title 4 (Amusements) to prohibit emergency procurement by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Senate Bill 932 pn 1220 (Conti)   The bill extends the final date of disposition for the conveyance of the Doylestown Armory in Bucks County.

Reported out as Amended (Unanimous)

Senate Bill 862 pn 1105 (Pippy)  The bill amends Title 4 (Amusements) to prohibit executive level state employees, public officials or party officers, or their immediate family members from holding any financial interest in gaming venues, their holding companies, affiliates or associated businesses.  A03165 (Lemmond/AWilliams)

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 6/21/05

The Senate State Government Committee met Tuesday, June 21, 2005 and reported the flowing bills as amended:

Senate Bill 644 (Gordner): This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to convey to Montour County two tracts of land situate in the Borough of Danville, Montour County, Pennsylvania.

House Bill 1388 (Hickernell): This legislation would authorize and direct the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor and the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, to grant and convey to the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County, certain lands situate in Columbia Borough, Lancaster County.

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 6/7/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Tuesday June 7, 2005, and unanimously reported out the following bills as committed:

Senate Bill 216 (Greenleaf): This bill would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to require that individuals pass a certification examination before filing nomination petitions or being nominated to fill a vacancy on the traffic court of Philadelphia.

Senate Bill 217 (Greenleaf): This bill would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to provide for retention elections for Justices of the Peace (Magisterial District Justice).

Senate Resolution 124 (Wonderling): This resolution directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study to determine the advantages and disadvantages of creating a separate cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs.

The following bills were reported as amended:

Senate Bill 210 (Greenleaf): This bill makes changes to the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act.  Charitable organizations that raise more than $250,000 in a given year must submit to an audit and report those findings.  Previously audits were required when these organizations raised more than $125,000.  Audits shall be performed in accordance with the Statements on Auditing Standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Senate Bill 688 (Earll): This bill authorizes the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor and the Department of Environmental Protection, to grant and convey to Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority certain lands situate in the City of Erie, County of Erie.

Senate Bill 697 (Stout): This bill authorizes the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey to Basalt Trap Rock Company in Morgan and Franklin Townships, Greene County, Pennsylvania.

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 5/11/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Wednesday May 11, 2005, and unanimously reported out the following bills:

Senate Bill 600 (D. White) This bill authorizes the release of restrictions of the Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act from the lands owned by Indiana County.  This is in return for the imposition of Project 70 restrictions on land to be acquired by the Department of Transportation and deeded to Indiana County. 

Senate Bill 636 (Wenger) This bill authorizes the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to grant and convey land to the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County. 

The committee also discussed the 2005 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Real Property Disposition Plan and removed two properties from consideration.

STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE 4/12/05

The Senate State Government Committee met on Tuesday April12, 2005, and unanimously reported out the following bills:

Senate Bill 1 (Jubelirer) This bill is the Lobbying Accountability Act.  It provides for the registration, regulation and disclosure of all lobbying activities.  Individuals must register with the Department of State within ten days of acting in any capacity as a lobbyist.  Registration will coincide with the terms of members of the House of Representatives.  The Department of State will make available to the public, at cost, a directory of all registered lobbyists.  The Department will also make available to the public all registration statements and expense reports filed by registered lobbyists.  Nothing in this act shall be construed as restricting the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ability to discipline attorney’s acting as a lobbyist.

Senate Bill 596 (LaValle) This bill authorizes a land conveyance in Ambridge Borough, Beaver County.  The land will be donated by Harmonie Associates, Inc.  This bill will authorize the Department of General Services to accept the donation with the approval of the Governor and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.