Senate of Pennsylvania
SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR
THE WEEK OF
NOVEMBER 25, 2002
HARRISBURG-- The 2001-2002 legislative session has ended, but the red-faced search for House Bill 2860 continues.
Somewhere between using their majority position to make it harder for Governor-elect Rendell to appoint his own people to boards and commissions, and giving Republicans control of the Philadelphia convention center, the presiding Republican leaders in the House and Senate “lost” legislation that would protect the prescription drug benefits of thousands of older Pennsylvanians.
Even though the governor enacted House Bill 2860 and no one is expected to challenge the legality of the measure, it remains questionable whether the governor could legally enact the measure without the legislative signatures.
The bill will extend for one year a moratorium that has allowed senior citizens to continue receiving PACE benefits despite Social Security COLAs that pushed them over the program’s income limits.
Senate Republicans also used the bill to take their revenge against Treasurer Barbara Hafer for her support of Rendell in this year’s gubernatorial election. Their amendment, which slowed passage of the bill, will remove Hafer from the 11-member board that invests Pennsylvania’s share of the national tobacco settlement.
In
all, the Senate passed over 90 bills in the three days before Thanksgiving.
****
In a blatant political move that virtually eliminates the incoming governor’s role in administering the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, the Senate voted along straight party lines to approve a last-minute, extensively amended version of Senate Bill 1100.
In its final version, the bill would threaten the city’s control of the center and further expand the powers of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which Senate and House Republicans seized in last year’s power grab.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center Reform Amendment portion of the bill repeals the existing Convention Center Authority Act and dramatically restructures the Center’s administration and operation. The measure would increase the center’s governing board from nine to 13 members, with a board selection process that virtually ensures Republican and suburban control. The governing bodies of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties would each appoint a member, as would the two party leaders of both the Senate and the House. The mayor would appoint two members – one resident and another from a list of four candidates selected by the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. City Council also would appoint two members – one by the council president and one by the minority leader. The chairperson would be the 13th member and would be selected by at least seven of the other board members.
The governor would appoint no board members, except interim chairpersons who would be replaced when a board majority agreed on a permanent candidate. The Secretary of the Budget would be on the board, but only as a non-voting, ex-officio member.
Under the Parking Authority section of the bill’s amendments, the agency’s powers would be expanded to regulate taxicabs and limousines – removing that power from the Public Utility Commission. Also, any authority budgets, contracts, bonds or obligations approved or entered into after Jan. 1, 2003 would not be subject to city approval.
The
Senate vote on the final version was 27-21, the House vote was 172-23, and the
bill is now before the governor.
****
The
Senate unanimously approved House Bill 976, which would lengthen the maximum
prison time for child rapists. Under the bill, the maximum sentence for raping a
child under the age of 13 would double to 40 years. Those who commit rape or
involuntary deviate sexual intercourse while causing serious bodily injury to a
child could face life imprisonment.
The
measure now goes to the governor.
****
By a unanimous vote, the Senate
approved House Bill 1331, which would prohibit more than three members of the
five-member Public Utility Commission from being from the same political party.
The bill also would require a simple Senate majority, rather than two-thirds
Senate vote for appointment to the Milk Marketing Board, Fish and Boat
Commission, Game Commission and the Public Utility Commission. The measure would
also require that when an elected official leaves office early, that they be
replaced by an appointee from the same political party by a majority Senate
vote. The measure would not apply to appointees for judge or state row officer.
The bill would also prohibit publication of a state employee’s voting address.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
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By a 48-1 vote, the Senate amended and approved Senate Bill 824, which would implement several election reforms. To curb voter fraud, one provision would require a voter who is new to a polling place to show photo identification. If the voter does not have acceptable I.D., they would be permitted to cast a “provisional” ballot. Some of the other changes include eliminating the need of nomination petition signers to list their occupation, limiting who may assist someone with voting, increasing pay for poll workers, and tracking voter system errors.
The bill now goes to the governor.
****
The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1804, which would create a pooled trust fund for persons with disabilities. Within the trust, a separate account would be maintained for each beneficiary, but, for purpose of investment, the trust would pool the account. Accounts in the trust would be established by the parent, grandparent, or legal guardian of the individual with a disability. Accounts in the trust would also be established by the individual with a disability or by the court.
The interest of any disabled beneficiary in a pooled trust would not be considered as a resource for purposes of determining the beneficiary’s eligibility for medical assistance. Also, no state agency would be permitted to reduce benefits or services to an individual because that person is a beneficiary in a pooled trust.
The bill awaits signature by the governor.
****
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 1325, legislation virtually identical to a House proposal known as "Erin's Law."
The bill would establish sanitation standards for petting zoos and other animal exhibitions and require that incidents of E. coli infection be reported to the state Health Department. It was inspired by the personal crisis endured when four-year-old Erin Jacobs of Montgomery County contracted the E. coli virus from a petting zoo in 2000. Erin eventually required a kidney transplant, and the virus at that particular petting zoo -- transmitted by contact with cattle -- caused 56 illnesses and 19 hospitalizations.
The
House amended the bill to expand the definition of
animal exhibitions to include an events sponsored by recognized dog or cat breed
association, dog or cat clubs, kennel associations, animal rescue organizations,
a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
The bill has been signed in both houses and is now before the governor.
****
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to House Bill 152, an omnibus bill that would change and redefine numerous sections of vehicle law. The measure generally addressed the issue of abandoned vehicles by providing for increased fines and registration fees; requiring vehicle titles to bear new notations on the vehicle’s previous use; giving more authority to police to remove abandoned vehicles; and reducing the time a vehicle may sit abandoned.
Further, the bill bans issuing a driver’s license to non-residents of Pennsylvania (except state or federal employees and their families); permits the issuance of licenses to legal immigrants; authorizes a criminal record check of HAZMAT or tanker endorsement CDL drivers; adds stiffer penalties for drunk driving violations while driving a school bus; and lowers the maximum blood alcohol content for school bus drivers.
The bill now goes to the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 850, which would allow people between
the ages of 18-21 to assist liquor control enforcement officers with compliance
checks. Under the bill, the undercover minor would have to be at least 18 years
old and trained and employed by the State Police. They would not be permitted to
drink an alcoholic beverage.
The
bill now goes to the governor.
-- By a 45-3 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 2070. The bill would make it a second-degree misdemeanor for a person to intentionally conceal a hypodermic needle during pat down searches. Aimed at Internet pedophiles, the bill would also make it illegal to intentionally contact a minor for unlawful or exploitative sexual purposes. The bill would also protect firearm possession rights for certain people convicted under pre-consolidated versions of the penal or vehicle code. Finally the measure would outlaw lobbying on a “contingency fee” basis.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2445, which would toughen penalties
against those who traffic the designer drug “Ecstasy.” The measure would
also make it a misdemeanor offense to maim or kill a “service dog” that
assists handicapped people.
The
bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 807, which would prohibit Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund awards if there are reporting withdraws or delays under certain circumstances. The measure would also transfer $1 million from the Victim Witness Services Fund to the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 1402. The
bill would double the prison sentence for raping a child under the age of 13 to
40 years. Those who commit rape or involuntary deviate sexual intercourse while
causing serious bodily injury to a child could face life imprisonment. The
measure would also include forged electronic signatures under the state's
forgery law.
The
bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
By a 36-11 vote, the Senate concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 1452.
The measure would add two judges in Bucks County; and one judge each in Mercer,
Indiana, Northampton, Monroe and Delaware counties.
The
bill awaits the governor’s signature.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 851. Among various technical changes to the Notary Public Law, the bill would allow for electronic notarization.
The
bill is now in the Governor’s hands.
--
The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 878, which would exempt the state
from competitive bidding requirements when it contracts for supplies
manufactured and services performed by disabled persons, as long as the contract
is less than $300,000.
The
bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
By a 45-3 vote, the Senate concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 406,
which would prohibit local governments from enacting ordinances that restrict
“normal” farm operations.
Since
the measure (See lead story) was not signed in the legislature. It remains
unclear whether the governor has the authority to enact the bill.
-- By a unanimous vote, the Senate concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 879. The bill would establish a surcharge recovery mechanism for electric and telecommunications companies to recover the Gross Receipts Tax surcharge.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to House Bill 235, which would prohibit the unauthorized publication or use of the name, portrait, voice, photograph or other likeness of a person for a commercial or advertising purpose for 30 years following the person’s death.
The bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2411, which would require the State Athletic Commission to license “athlete agents.” Under the bill, agents who violate state regulations could be fined up to $25,000.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- By a unanimous vote, the Senate approved House Bill 2131, which enables the Historical and Museum Commission to sell state publications, and removes five historical sites from the commission’s control.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2674, which would make numerous changes to the state’s Procurement Code. Among the changes are provisions for electronic bidding, restrictions on public access to financial information on bidders, and procedural changes for appeals and reviews.
The
bill is now in the Governor’s hands.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 14, which
would create a uniform procedure for satisfying
mortgages, modernizing present procedures and creating an alternative for
satisfying mortgage records at the county level.
The
bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2863, which would designate the South Office Building (located beside the state Capitol) as the “K. Leroy Irvis Office Building.” Irvis was a House member from 1959 to 1988.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2599, which would clarify and modernize the “Motor Vehicle Sales Finance Act” by providing significant enforcement authority to the Department of Banking and significant consumer protections to purchasers of motor vehicles.
Following
House concurrence, the bill has gone to the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in
House amendments to Senate Bill 460, which would exempt
eating and drinking establishments that receive less than 1 percent of their
gross revenue from cashing checks from the licensing provisions of the Check
Cashier Licensing Act.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to
Senate Bill 1258, which would amend and modernize the
Banking Code of 1933 to reflect changes in the financial services industry and
its supervision and regulation.
The
bill awaits the governor's signature.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 1416, the
Producer Licensing Model Act, which would establish
a new single license known as an “Insurance Producer”
license
that would replace the two separate licenses presently granted to insurance
"agents" and "brokers." The bill would also establish
license reciprocity among all states and create uniform definitions to guide the
licensing process.
The
bill awaits the governor's signature.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1947, which would provide that in any one year no tax in Allegheny, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties be allowed to exceed 40 mills, which is an increase from the prior cap of 30 mills. Commissioners would be permitted to sell for not less than the fair market value or lease any real property belonging to the county. The bill would also enable the county to use eminent domain for the purpose of establishing multi-use recreational trails.
The
bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2196, known as the Shaken Baby Education Act, which would establish a program focusing on parental awareness, education and prevention of shaken baby syndrome. The program would provide free educational materials to parents, and require them to sign a statement prior to discharge acknowledging that they read and understood the material.
The
bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2424, which would expand the definition of “person with disability” to provide for free telecommunication devices to disabled individuals who need TTV technology to access telecommunications services.
The
bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2456, which would increase reimbursements paid to counties for deputy sheriff training and education.
The bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
-- The Senate voted 39-9 in favor of House Bill 2574, which would amend the Liquor Code to permit a licensee to transport alcoholic beverages from the licensed portion of a hotel, golf course and/or bowling center to the unlicensed portion of the premises. The measure would also make it unlawful for a ski resort, golf course or amusement park to have minors 14 and 15 years of age working in areas where alcohol is being served or stored. Also, no licensee would be permitted to sell any information derived from a transaction scan to any third party.
The
bill now waits signature by the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2614, which would establish the
“Unsolicited Telecommunication Advertisement Act” prohibiting the
transmission of unsolicited commercial faxes, email, or wireless text/graphic
messages. In addition to assessing penalties for violations of the act,
the Attorney General would be required to provide consumers with 10 percent of
the penalty awarded in a civil action.
The
bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2971, which would bring an incorporated town’s elected officials’ salaries under the same salary guidelines as borough elected officials. Bloomsburg is the only incorporated town in Pennsylvania.
The bill now awaits signature by the Governor.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 315, which
would grant active members of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
eligibility for state service credits while they were employed by the
commission’s predecessor, which expired in 1976.
Also, supplemental annuities for certain eligible benefit recipients
would be granted for individuals who retired between January 1, 2002, and July
2, 2002. The legislation, which the
Senate unanimously adopted in June, was amended to enable school system retirees
like sports coaches to serve in extracurricular duties without losing retirement
benefits.
The
bill has been signed in both houses and is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 958, which would clarify provisions requiring out-of-state corporations that invest in Pennsylvania-based unincorporated business entities to file reports and pay taxes in Pennsylvania. The provision would not apply to a corporation’s interest in a business trust that qualifies as a real estate investment trust or is a qualified real estate investment trust subsidiary or a business trust that qualifies as a regulated investment company and is registered with the SEC.
The bill has been signed in both houses and is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 1478, which would establish a process enabling applicable political subdivisions to enhance existing sub-zones within that area’s designated Keystone Opportunity Zone or Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone. A key element of the extensive House amendments is the establishment of Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zones.
The bill has been signed in both houses and is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1700, which would amend existing law to increase – from $5,000 to $10,000 -- the maximum income a person may earn and still receive the low-income exemption on state income taxes.
The
bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2350, which would authorize the Department of Agriculture to inspect school cafeterias and to train cafeteria personnel.
The bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously adopted House Bill 2595, which would expand the list of service credits that can be purchased by members of the Allegheny County Employees’ Retirement System to include credit for previous service with the county Redevelopment Authority. Individuals may not purchase the service credit if they will receive a benefit in another retirement system for the same service.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously adopted House Bill 2772, which would create the Targeted Community Revitalization and Crime Prevention Advisory Committee. “Targeted communities” are high-crime and distressed areas that receive funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to support concentrated law enforcement efforts. The new committee would advise the commission about the targeted communities program.
The bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate voted 46-2 to approve House Bill 2842, which would allow the Department of Agriculture to pay a farmer for cleanup and disposal costs whenever a condemned domestic animal, domestic animal product or other condemned property is slaughtered or destroyed by order of the Department to eradicate or prevent the spread of dangerous transmissible disease or contamination by a hazardous substance.
The bill also includes – from Senate Bill 1158 -- cervidae livestock operations (farm-raised elk and red deer) as farm operations and expands representation on the Food Employee Certification Advisory Board.
The
bill is now before the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2729, formally creating the
Pennsylvania Travel and Tourism Partnership that presently serves in an advisory
capacity to the Governor and was initially established by Executive Order.
The 34-member, public-private board will be chaired by the Secretary of
the Department of Community & Economic Development and provide advice to the
department and the Governor on tourism policies.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1370, which would expand the Community and Economic Development Loan Program to provide loans to small businesses specifically designed for retail services. The Department of Community and Economic Development would develop criteria for measuring community impact of a project, which is a condition of a loan. Production agriculture would now be eligible for funding under the Small Business First Program.
The bill now goes to the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 204, which, as amended, requires the
Pennsylvania Department of Education to create a state report card related to
the performance of schools and school districts consistent with federal
requirements under the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.”
The bill was amended to strengthen prospective teacher background checks
and to require schools to provide information about the Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP).
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2644 giving Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology greater autonomy in its operations. As amended, the bill also: specifies that school districts that are both financially distressed and on the empowerment list be governed by a special board of financial control; extends the “Operation Recognition” program to veterans of the Korean War, so they can get honorary high school diplomas; and allows disruptive students in the Philadelphia School District who were adjudicated delinquent for non-violent, non-drug-related offenses to return to the classroom without first being placed in an alternative education program.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1696, amending the Conservation and Natural Resources Act to use a portion of the Forestry Stumpage Sales Restricted Receipts Account for forestry research.
The
bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2190, extending the sunset date until Jan. 1, 2009 for the recycling fee for municipal waste landfills and resource recovery facilities. The current fee of $2 per ton on municipal waste disposal sunsets on October 15, 2004.
The
bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate passed House Bill 2302, which, as amended, would create the state’s first water-use-management plan in 25 years. The bill passed 43-6, over the objection of some members who warned that the plan could be vetoed by the newly-created board that environmentalists claim could be made up of representatives from industries that use large amounts of water.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1525, which would prohibit waste tire recycling facilities from operating within 500 feet of an existing school, playground, park, residential housing area, church or childcare facility.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 401, which would provide relief for homeowners who suffer damage from mine subsidence. According to the bill, if a homeowner believes that their dwelling has sustained mine subsidence damage, they would apply to the Department of Environmental Protection for assistance. If the department determines that the dwelling is unsafe for occupancy, grants may be awarded.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 463, which would require boaters to
take a safety course before being permitted to operate a boat. The measure would
exempt people who are currently over the age of 21, those who already hold
safety certificates, landowners operating boats on their own property, people
temporarily visiting Pennsylvania and those who have boats with engines of 25
horsepower or less.
The
bill is now in the governor’s hands.
--
By a unanimous vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 1242, which would list the
capital projects that would be funded through the Fish Fund and the Boat Fund.
The
bill now goes to the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1255, which would enable shoe
repairers to dispose of unclaimed footwear under the same rules that laundry and
dry cleaning services are permitted to dispose of unclaimed items.
The
measure now goes to the governor.
-- By a unanimous vote, the Senate approved House Bill 2256, which, under certain circumstances, would exempt from licensure examinations candidates in the fields of marriage, family therapy and professional counseling.
The bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 591, which would prohibit prisoners from receiving unemployment compensation (UC). While current law does not “require” UC payments to prisoners, the new language states specifically that an incarcerated employee is not eligible for benefits. In addition, an employee will be ineligible for compensation if his work loss is due to failure to submit and/or pass a drug test pursuant to an employer’s established substance abuse policy.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 731, which would increase the
penalties on both the employer and employee for knowingly and willingly
committing unemployment compensation fraud. Fines for employee fraud are raised
from $30 minimum and $100 maximum to $100 minimum and $1,000 maximum.
Employer fines are $100 minimum and $1,500 maximum, up from $50 and $500.
In addition to the fine, employers may receive a prison sentence up to 30 days,
or both. Under current law, an
employer can only receive a prison sentence if he defaults on payment of the
imposed fine.
The bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 974, which would prohibit youth peddling, which is defined as the unsupervised selling of goods and services by minors (under age 16) to customers at their residences, places of business, or public places after 6 p.m. It does not include minors who sell products or services as volunteers without compensation on behalf of nonprofit organizations. Also, minors who deliver newspapers or who sell products under adult supervision are exempted.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2183, which would allow “first-level” supervisors employed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to settle all disputes by engaging in collective bargaining in good faith and by entering into settlements by way of written agreements.
The
bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2444, which would allow local coordinators of emergency management services to collect workers compensation if they are injured while actually responding to or engaged in their duties at an emergency. This would include travel to and from the emergency.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2778, amending the Workforce Development Act by creating the position of chief operating officer, staff and operations, critical job training grants, and TAP workforce development scholarship accounts.
The bill now goes to the governor.
--
The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 813.
This bill would extend the discount rates on worker’s compensation
insurance policies for employers who provide safety committees. Current law
provides employers, who have certified safety committees, a 5 percent discount
on worker’s compensation insurance policies for a maximum of 5 years.
This bill would remove the 5-year cap and extend the discount
indefinitely.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1742, which would amend the state’s Veterinary Medicine Practice Act by changing provisions on veterinary drug prescriptions, providing new categories for veterinary personnel, changing the statutory list of definitions and providing for the approval of schools and procedures by state Veterinary Board.
The
bill was sent to the governor.
-- House Bill 2296, which would name various sections of the Mon/Fayette Expressway, was approved unanimously by the Senate and sent to the governor for his signature.
-- Legislation to create the “Elder Care Payment Restitution Act” was approved unanimously by the Senate. House Bill 2055 would require senior living and/or care facilities to reimburse to the family or estate of a resident any unused payments within a 30 to 60 day period after the client’s death.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate gave unanimous approval to House Bill 967, which would permit the State Board of Medicine to issue licenses to board-approved physician assistants.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- The Philadelphia Wage Tax and Business Privilege Tax (BPT) were reduced under House Bill 2892, which was approved unanimously by the Senate. The bill would eliminate the current practice of collecting the BPT in advance of the same-year-generated gross receipts and taxable business income. Further, the measure includes a reduction in the Wage Tax from 4.5 percent to 3.4 percent for city residents and from 3.9 to 3.0 percent for non-residents over the next six years. The BPT will drop from 4.5 to 3.45 percent over the same period.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1945, which would amend the state’s “Improvement of Deteriorating Real Property or Areas Tax Exemption Act” to provide for exemption schedules for purposes of deteriorating dwellings improvement and deteriorating area improvement.
The bill now goes to the governor.
-- Members of reserve units of the U.S. Armed Forces would be added to the current eligible military personal whose active duty pay is exempt as income for unemployment purposes under House Bill 1900, approved unanimously by the Senate.
The bill awaits the governor’s signature.
-- Legislation that would give the state Board of Nursing exclusive jurisdiction over its own licensees and certified registered nurse practitioners was approved unanimously by the Senate. Senate Bill 1208 would also expand the scope of nursing definitions, duties, certification and educational requirements for registered nurse practitioners and creates the “Drug Review Committee.”
The bill is now before the governor.
-- The Senate voted 47-1 to approve an omnibus bill amending Title 75 of the state’s Motor Vehicle Code. House Bill 1553 would address motorcycle safety requirements, licensing of motorcycle operators age 16 and 17, automobile insurance requirements and the Liquid Fuels Tax, among other code changes.
The bill has been sent to the governor.
-- The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 2741, which would itemize additional local and state bridge projects under the Highway-Railroad and Highway Bridge Capital Budget Act.
The bill is now in the governor’s hands.
-- By a 47-2 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 806, which would have changed the Senate confirmation requirement for numerous boards, commissions and elective offices from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority.
The bill received no action in the House, but its provisions are included in House Bill 1331.
--
By a unanimous vote, the Senate amended and approved Senate Bill 818, which
would have expanded public access to juvenile records for individuals who commit
serious juvenile offenses. The measure would also have clarified rules for
deficiency judgments when the property is located in more than one county.
The
House did not act on the amended legislation.
-- By a 49-0 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 1401, which would have permitted felony drug offenders to receive cash assistance and food stamps provided they enter a drug treatment program. The bill also would have established the Woman’s Pregnancy Support Service program as a means to promote childbirth as a positive alternative to abortion.
The
bill was amended in the House, but received no further Senate action.
-- The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1265, which would have amended provisions relating to living wills and created comprehensive health care powers of attorney.
The
House did not act on the measure.
-- The Senate voted 42-6 to adopt an amended version of House Bill 930, which would amend the law on water and sewer connection fees, also called “tapping fees.” The bill contains provisions sought by the Pennsylvania Builders Association and the Municipal Authorities Association.
The House did not act on the amended legislation.
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