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Senate of Pennsylvania
SENATE DEMOCRATIC WRAP-UP FOR
THE WEEK OF |
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The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would continue state funding for Pennsylvania’s emergency 911 telephone system. Under current law, a $1 monthly surcharge is placed on wireless telephone customers for 911 services provided throughout the state. House Bill 718 would extend the surcharge fee on wireless phones to June 30, 2014.
The bill is
now on the governor’s desk.
* * * The Senate voted unanimously in favor of House Bill 1342, which would help retailers clear out their inventory of non-fire safe cigarettes. Under Act 42 of 2008, all cigarettes sold in Pennsylvania must be tested and meet fire safety and performance standards. The new law takes effect July 1. Many retailers placed their orders for the non-fire safe cigarettes before the legislation passed last year and now they are stuck eating the cost of that inventory, through no fault of their own. House Bill 1342 would allow retailers a one-year extension to sell their existing inventory of the non-fire safe cigarettes. The inventory must have been purchased and stamped by Jan. 1, 2009.
The bill is
now on the Governor’s desk for consideration.
* * * The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 55, which would amend the Public School Code to expand the list of convicted offenses that prohibit a person from being employed in a public or private school, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school. The bill also requires school employees to report convictions for criminal offenses immediately to school administrators. The list of convicted offenses include, but are not limited to, luring a child into a motor vehicle, sexual intercourse with an animal, incest, concealing the death of a child, endangering the welfare of children, prostitution and related offenses, corruption of minors, sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with minor, and sexual exploitation of children.
The measure now goes to the House.
* * * The Senate approved Senate Bill 56 with a 46-4 vote. The measure would amend the Public School Code to require the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to jointly create an Office of Safe Schools, and convene an advisory committee to help develop school violence reporting forms. The bill would also expand the information to be included on the form and requirements relating to the memorandum of understanding with police departments. The measure now goes to the House.
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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 569, which would create the Development Permit Extension Act, which automatically suspend the expiration of construction and development approvals and permits until July, 2, 2013. Changes made to law, ordinances and regulations after the suspension period begins would not affect permits previously obtained and suspended by the Act. The bill would also allow permit holders to obtain verification from the government agency that they have a suspended expiration date on their permit, and the expiration date of the permit. Commonwealth agencies affected by the law would be required to publish notice in the PA Bulletin of the applicability of the expiration period. The bill is now in the House.
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By a vote of 49-1, the Senate approved passed Senate Bill 572, which would expand the State Police complement from 3,940 to 4,310. Enlisted personnel assigned to the Delaware River Toll Bridge Commission, Gaming Enforcement, Liquor Control Enforcement and underwater search teams would not count toward the complement. While the legislation does not fund any additional Troopers, the Senate Democratic Appropriations chairman criticized republicans for voting to expand the State Police complement while also supporting Senate Bill 850, which would, in effect, reduce State Police funding and the number of Troopers on patrol. The bill is now in the House.
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The Senate voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 574, which would provide a new ending date for the restricted fund from fees collected from Lake Erie Fishing permits. Under current law, all fees collected from Lake Erie Fishing permits are placed in a restricted account within the Fish Fund. Funds from this restricted account can only be used to provide public fishing access in Lake Erie and its watershed. The restricted account requirement is set to expire January 1, 2010. This legislation would continue the current law through December 31, 2014. The bill will now go to the House.
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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 783, which would amend the “Hazardous Sites Cleanup Funding Act” (Act 77 of 2007) to change the date for the submission of the annual report and provides for the disposition of civil penalties. The bill would change the reporting date to December 31 of each year and provides that civil penalties under the act be deposited in the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund. The bill now goes to the House.
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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 921, which would reduce the timeframe for manufacturers’ consideration of dealers to relocate or pick up another franchise. The bill would also prohibit manufacturers from expanding, constructing or making significant modification of dealer facilities or construction of a separate facility if not justified by market and economic conditions. The bill would require a manufacturer to repurchase additional inventory in the event of a termination, including the repurchase of current and prior model inventory. The bill is now in the House.
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