|
The economic development portion of Governor Rendell’s Plan for a
New Pennsylvania took a significant step forward this week when the Senate
unanimously passed legislation to create the Business In Our Sites and First
Industries Programs.
Senate Bill 1026
was amended on the floor to change the name of entity funding the programs from
the Economic Development Authority to the Commonwealth Financing, and to change
the number of votes needed for the Authority to approve any action. Individual
applicants to the First Industries Program would be considered for planning
grants of up to $250,000 or loans totaling up to $2.5 million. These state
monies would help defray the cost of predevelopment activities, feasibility
studies, and development projects related to tourism or agriculture.
Under the Business in Our Sites Program, municipalities,
municipal authorities, redevelopment authorities and industrial development
agencies would be eligible for individual planning grants of up to $250,000 to
defray the cost of predevelopment activities and feasibility studies. Project
grants totaling up to $5 million or half of the total project cost, along with
low-interest loans, would also be available for municipal activities involving
environmental assessment and remediation; site preparation and installation; or
rehabilitation of infrastructure.
The bill
was sent to the House.
* * *
By a 48 to
1 vote, the Senate this week approved
Senate Bill 200, which would enable
retired teachers, coaches and administrators to return to work to fill emergency
shortages.
Currently,
retired teachers may return during emergencies for up to 95 days per year
without their pensions being suspended. The bill would allow such certified
teachers -- along with coaches, advisors and administrators -- to help fill
emergency public school vacancies without penalty for up to an entire school
year.
While holding pension payments harmless, the measure would also
prohibit any additional credited service or contributions during the annuitant’s
period of service. As a result, the pension system would be unaffected.
The bill now goes to the House.
* * *
In Other
Senate action:
- The
Senate unanimously approved
Senate Bill 971, which would amend the
state’s Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act to require that a school
district employee forfeit his or her pension when convicted of certain
sexual offenses against a student. The current statute requires pension
forfeiture for a list of crimes including theft by extortion, records
tampering, retaliation against a witness and perjury. The bill has been sent
to the House.
- The
Senate this week approved
House Bill 1130 by a vote of 49-0. This
bill would require that child booster seats be included in the Pennsylvania
Qualified Loaner Program. The measure authorizes PENN DOT to purchase
booster seats for the program and would provide immunity to lenders of
booster seats. The bill also repeals Section 4584 of Title 75, relating to
oral hazard warnings, which expired on January 1, 1985. Additionally, this
bill provides that persons who are licensed to drive the same class vehicle
must accompany holders of learner’s permits. But unlike the existing law,
this measure does not require that they be licensed in Pennsylvania. The
amended bill now returns to the House.
- The
Senate approved
House Bill 2007 by a vote of 36-13. This measure
would allow Pittsburgh’s City Controller to audit the accounts of
authorities that have board members appointed by city officials. The bill
would require annual reports of such audits to be submitted to city council
within 120 days following the end of the fiscal year. The legislation
further provides that all statements of receipts and expenditures of city’s
departments and those affected authorities, normally forwarded to the
controller by the third Monday of each month, would be required to be
forwarded to the city council and the State Department of Community and
Economic Development. In addition, reports would be made available to the
public upon request and also made available on the department’s Website. The
amended bill now returns to the House.
- The
Senate approved
House Bill 2008 by a vote of 49-0. This Bill would
prohibit Pittsburgh or any of its authorities from adopting a balanced
budget that includes projected tax revenues from an unauthorized tax source.
The amended bill now returns to the House.
- The
Senate unanimously passed legislation that defines misleading statements
regarding privacy on the Internet as a fraudulent business practice. Under
Senate Bill 705, making a false or misleading statement in a privacy
policy, which is published on the Internet or otherwise distributed to the
public, regarding how personal information submitted by a member of the
public will be used, would be a summary offense punishable by a fine of not
less than $50 or more than $500. The bill was sent to the House.
###
|