SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR THE WEEK OF
November 24, 2003

The Senate this week unanimously concurred in House amendments to House Bill 888, which makes an additional 100,000 more senior citizens eligible for Lottery-funded PACE and PACENET benefits.

The bill increases the limits for a single person in the PACE program to $14,500 and for couples to $17,700. The PACENET income limits increase to $23,500 for a single person and $31,500 for couples.

The governor signed the bill into law.

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By a 41-8 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 940, which would establish an intergovernmental cooperation authority to assist Pittsburgh with its fiscal concerns.

The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) would consist of a five-member governing board; one appointed by each of the state legislative caucuses and one appointed by the Governor.

The ICA would be required to review and approve the City of Pittsburgh’s annual budgets and five-year financial plans and present an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly. The ICA could also recommend actions such as consolidation or merger of services, agreements with other governmental entities, sale of assets and other budgetary practices.

     The bill now goes to the House.

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     The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 68, the 2003-2004 capital budget. The legislation authorizes the state to incur $897 million in debt in order to fund public improvements in five project categories.

The amount of debt in each project category is as follows:

          Buildings and Structures  -        $538,000,000
          Transportation Assistance -     186,000,000
          Redevelopment Assistance  -    120,000,000
          Flood Control  -                   3,000,000
          Site Development Capital Projects 50,000,000
          Total                          $897,000,000

The House and Senate both have signed the bill, which awaits the Governor’s signature.

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The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 892, which would allow for attorney fees to be included when municipalities enact subdivision and land development ordinances for the review and processing of plats by the municipality.

Current law provides that review fees may include reasonable and necessary charges by the municipality's professional consultants or engineer for review and reporting to the municipality. The bill expands the language to include fees paid to an attorney for the review of plats or development plans submitted to the municipality.

     The bill now goes to the House.

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     By a 47-2 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 46, which would toughen penalties against those who desecrate historical burial places.

     Under the bill, the crime would be upgraded from a Second Degree Misdemeanor (up to two years in jail and $5,000 fine) to a First degree Misdemeanor (up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine).

     Following unanimous House concurrence, the bill now goes to the governor.

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