HARRISBURG -- -- The Senate this week concurred by a vote of 47-0 in House amendments to Senate Amendments to House Bill 815, which reestablishes the Board of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The board has the following duties: to examine subjects it deems necessary, to ascertain the best methods to achieve uniformity of state legislation, and to meet with the National Conference of Commissioners on uniform state laws. The bill now goes to the Governor.

The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate amendments to House Bill 869, which provides for a COLA for retired county employees based upon an actuarial indicator, determined by the Total Funded Status Ratio (TFSR) under the system's actuary. The bill also:

· allows for the utilization of a tax-neutral assessed value when levying the real property tax after a mandated county-side reassessment.

· provides for juvenile detention centers to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Allegheny County chief executive office. This was previously the responsibility of the county commissioners to oversee.

· provides for the furnishing of rooms for meetings of certain veterans and of sons of veterans.

The Senate unanimously adopted Senate Resolution 114, which directing the Joint State Government Commission's task force on the Commonwealth's children and youth services delivery system to conduct its study and present its findings and recommendations by November 30, 2002.

By a 47-0 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 910, which would provide immunity from civil damages to design professionals (e.g. architects, surveyors and engineers) who volunteer their services without compensation during declared emergencies. Immunity would not be allowed if their conduct falls substantially below accepted standards. The bill now returns to the House for concurrence in Senate amendments. The bill eliminates the notice requirement of a bill that eliminates obsolete statutory provisions and makes specific reference in its title of that elimination

Back to Wrap-Ups