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By a 47 to 3 vote, the Senate this week approved House Bill 1423. The measure would amend the state’s Adoption Act to revise various time limitations to expedite the adoption process.  The bill limits the period for revocation of a birth parent’s consent to an adoption to 30 days.  The bill also reduces the time from 30 days to 3 days that the child must be in the home of a prospective adoptive parent prior to a birth parent filing a voluntary relinquishment petition. The amended bill now returns to the House.

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The Senate this week unanimously approved Senate Bill 979, which would enable victimized or traumatized children to testify by an alternative means in criminal cases.

            Under the bill, a child under the age of 13 could testify by closed circuit television or video tape if the court determines that testifying in a face-to-face confrontation with the accused or certain witnesses would cause the child to suffer serious emotional trauma that would substantially impair their ability to communicate.

            The measure comes on the heels of overwhelming voter support that changed the state’s Constitution to allow for alternative forms of providing testimony in criminal cases.

            The bill now goes to the House. 

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In other action:

• The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 100, which would establish a freestanding act known as the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Stabilization Act to provide grants to accredited trauma centers. The measure would also require the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation to establish accreditation standards for level III trauma centers.  To be accredited, these centers must be located in underserved communities and must be 45 minutes away from level I and Level II centers. The bill has been sent to the Governor.

·        By a unanimous vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 922, which would require childcare businesses that care for seven or more children to develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive disaster response and emergency preparedness plan. Childcare providers would also be required to conduct at least one disaster response drill every year. The bill now goes to the House.

• The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 349. This legislation would amend the definition of “city” to include any borough with a population large enough to qualify for a charter as a city—separately from any town, township or other borough—under Pennsylvania’s Third Class City Code. The bill has been sent to the Governor.

• The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1235, which would amend Section 3021 of Act 331 of 1931 (known as the “First Class Township code”). This section provides for the composition of the Shade Tree Commission. The bill would increase the number of persons on the commission from three to five.  The appointments would be staggered, with one appointment term expiring every year.  The township commissioners would make appointments. The bill now goes to the governor.

• The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1236, which would amend Act 69 of 1933, (known as the “Second Class Township Code”). The measure would increase the number of persons to be appointed to the Shade Tree Commission from three to five. The measure now goes to the Governor.

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