SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR THE WEEK OF
October 1, 2007

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            The Senate unanimously passed legislation that would establish a grant program encouraging volunteer emergency service organizations to form partnerships, regionalize, consolidate and/or merge.

Senate Bill 96, also known as the Volunteer Emergency Service Partnership Grant Program Act, would authorize, for five years, a new grant program that would be funded by proceeds from a $25 million bond. All volunteer emergency service organizations would be eligible to apply for the grants.

The bill now moves to the House for approval.

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The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would award state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs grants to designated veterans’ service organizations to support veterans’ service officer programs.

Under Senate Bill 915 these grants would only be used to support accredited veterans’ service officers and the associated costs, including wages, benefits, other compensation and related personnel costs. Also, grant funding can be used for training and equipment to be used by accredited veterans’ service advocacy staff. The overall goal of the program would be to improve the coordination and distribution of veterans’ benefits, to maximize the effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars and to increase veterans’ participation in the available benefits programs. 

The bill now moves to the House for approval.

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The Senate approved Senate Bill 1016 by a vote of 43-2, which states that, in the event the Commonwealth or any other agency owns, leases or has jurisdiction and operational control of the Naval Air Station Join Reserve Base (NASJRB) Willow Grove, the property can be used to perform national defense, homeland security and emergency preparedness missions.

The bill now moves to the House for approval. 

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The Senate approved Senate Bill 805 with a vote of 43- 2.  The measure would require the Department of Education to provide the House and Senate Education Committees and Appropriations Committees with an annual report on the operation of the “Educational Assistance Tutoring Program” by February 1, 2008, with subsequent reports being required by February 1 of each year there after.

            Enrollment of students in a charter or cyber school would not be subject to a cap or otherwise limited by any past or future action of a school board, a board of control, or any other governing authority unless agreed to by a part of a written charter.

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