SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR THE WEEK OF
June 12, 2006

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            The State Senate this week unanimously approved House Bill 2443, which would protect angioplasty units from being idled at 11 smaller community hospitals throughout Pennsylvania.

The state Department of Health had wanted to mandate that the cardiac care units comply with a Maryland-based randomized clinical trial. Bill supporters called the department’s new rules lengthy, cumbersome and an unreasonable threat to the viability of those cardiac care units.

The legislation enables the angioplasty units to continue offering the procedure by meeting strict selection, safety and consent criteria.  Furthermore, the legislation sets forth additional safety criteria for lower-volume hospitals to continue offering the life-saving procedure.

Supporters of the bill also said the success of angioplasty in the 11 community hospitals is demonstrated by the fact that their mortality rate is lower than both the state and national averages.

The bill now returns to the House for concurrence in Senate amendments.

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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 414, which would establish the Science Technology Partnership Program between higher education institutions and nonpublic or public schools, including at least three public schools or school districts.

Under the bill, a college could also subcontract with a nonprofit organization in order to implement the partnership agreement.

The Department of Education would award grants to qualified higher education institutions that have entered into partnerships with schools.  Grant funds would be used to purchase technical equipment and instructional programs.

The bill now goes to the House. 

The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 153, which would organ and bone marrow donations by providing a tax credit and special leave of absence for donors.

The bill now goes to the House for concurrence in Senate amendments.

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By a vote of 29-19, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1134, which would update the Tax Reform Code to change the definition of “tangible personal property” to exclude canned software and exempt it from sales tax.

This bill is in response to a Commonwealth Supreme Court decision that held all prewritten or “canned” computer software purchases were subject to state sales tax.

The bill now goes to the House.

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