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Senate of Pennsylvania
SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR
THE WEEK OF |
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The Senate this week voted unanimously in favor of legislation that would help returning soldiers find employment in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 262 would permit the state Department of Transportation to waive the driving test for active-duty soldiers, reservists, and veterans who are applying for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). To be eligible for the CDL test waiver, veterans must have at least two years of experience in the military driving a vehicle similar to the one they would be driving as civilians. This legislation is part of the Helmets to Hardhats program, which helps veterans transition back into civilian life with new careers in the building and construction trades. This initiative got a boost last summer when the state Department of Labor and Industry provided it with a $200,000 grant. The bill is now headed to the House.
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Senate Democratic-sponsored legislation honoring the heroes who fought back against terrorists on September 11, 2001, earned unanimous Senate support this week. Senate Bill 760 would designate Somerset County’s portion of State Route 219 as the Flight 93 Memorial Highway. Similar legislation passed the Senate unanimously in the last legislative session, but stalled in the House. Senate Bill 760 now heads to the House for its consideration.
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By a 48 to 1 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 112, which would require schools to be more forthcoming in reporting violent crimes on school property. Under the bill, chief administrators of public school districts, vocational-technical schools, intermediate units and charter schools would enter into notification agreements with local police departments. The measure also requires the Department of Education to include bullying in the development of research-based violence prevention programs that address risk factors to reduce incidents of problem behaviors among students. The bill now goes to the House.
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The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 72. The bill would amend the Volunteer Health Services Act to lower the Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirement for volunteer licenses. The legislation would reduce the mandatory CME hours for volunteer licensees from 100 hours to 20 hours. The 20-hour CME requirement only applies to retired physicians holding a volunteer license. The bill is now in the House.
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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 365, which would amend the Judiciary Code to extend the sunset date for the senior judge operational support grant program. This section is set to expire on June 30, 2007 but this legislation would change the date to June 30, 2012. The bill is now in the House.
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