Senate of Pennsylvania
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SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR THE WEEK |
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HARRISBURG-- The "Safe Havens" bill, Senate Bill 654, passed the Senate unanimously. The legislation would exempt parents from child endangerment charges if they voluntarily leave their newborn in a designated "safe haven." Once the child is dropped off, the county Children and Youth Social Services agency would assume custody and authorize any necessary medical treatment. Safe havens would be granted civil immunity on any medical care or treatment they provide. The bill now goes to the House **** Senate Bill 221, which passed the Senate unanimously, would make it a third-degree felony for a person who knowingly has AIDS to have sexual intercourse or share a hypodermic needle with a non-consenting person. It would also be a felony for such a person to donate or sell blood or other bodily fluids except for medical research. The bill now goes to the House. **** The "College Campus Credit Card Marketer Act," Senate Bill 137, was unanimously approved in the Senate. The proposal would require the State Board of Education to compel all accredited colleges to adopt a policy aimed at regulating credit card marketing on college campuses. Requirements could range from requiring credit card marketers to register to prohibiting marketers from offering gifts to students who apply. The bill now goes to the House. **** House Bill 23, which gives a Second Class County (Allegheny County) or any political subdivision within the county the authority to adopt a resolution or ordinance to utilize tax-neutral assessed value of property, passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0. The bill would effect the real property tax of a homestead of persons who qualify to receive a property tax rebate under the "Senior Citizen's Rebate and Assistance Act," following the completion of mandatory court-ordered county wide reassessment. The bill was referred to the House, which approved it and returned it to the Senate for concurrence in amendments. The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 193, which would clarify that all Commonwealth departments and agencies are able to consider councils of governments, consortiums or similar entities established by two or more municipalities under Chapter 23 of Title 53 as legal entities when performing their administrative duties. The bill awaits the governor's signature. **** The Senate unanimously passed a package of legislation (Senate Bills 218, 219, 220) which would amend the First Class Township Code, the Second Class Township Code and the Borough Code, respectively, to clarify that a municipal elected official is not disqualified from voting on an issue solely because the person has previously expressed an opinion on the issue in either an official or unofficial capacity. The legislation would apply to members of borough councils, boards of commissioners and boards of supervisors. |