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PREFERRED APPROPRIATION BILL,
HB 2521, PN4192:
The legislation appropriates $44,916,000 from the restricted revenue
account within the General Fund to the Public Utility Commission for
general government operations for the 2004-05 fiscal year. A 50-0 vote
was recorded.
HB 1039, PN4230:
The legislation amends the Public Welfare Code to
allow for assessments of Medicaid managed care providers
and intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. The bill
allows for an assessment of up to 6% on all managed care revenues of the
physical health and behavioral health managed care organizations that
contract with the Medical Assistance Program. A 50-0 vote was recorded.
SB 1097, PN1782:
The legislation designates certain roads as scenic byways. The
following state routes are designated as scenic byways in the bill:
State Route 6 in Wyoming County from the interchange with Business Route
6 on the west side of Tunkhannock Borough to the Business Route 6
interchange in Tunkhannock Township on the east side of the borough and
State Route 92 in Susquehanna County from Lenox Township through Jackson
Township through the Borough of Susquehanna and continuing to the
Borough of Oakland. The bill also allows Fayette Area Coordinated
Transportation (FACT) to again receive state funding assistance that it
lost due to its classification change as a result of the 2000 Census. A
50-0 vote was recorded.
SB 1147, PN1780:
The legislation provides for the display of the American flag,
Commonwealth flag or military flag by residents in a unit owners
association, homeowners association or master association. Under this
legislation, a unit owners association, homeowners association or master
association may not prohibit the outdoor display of one American flag,
Commonwealth flag or military flag, including the POW/MIA flag by a
homeowner on the homeowner’s property. A 50-0 vote was recorded.
SB 1186, PN1760:
The legislation designates the section of State Route 1014 in
Cumberland County from the western terminus of the M. Harvey Taylor
Bridge in Wormleysburg to the intersection of 21st Street and
State Route 1014 in East Pennsboro Township as the Senator John D.
Hopper Memorial Bypass. A 50-0 vote was recorded.
HB 2351, PN3279:
The legislation amends The Borough Code to
permit borough employees
transferred to a wastewater authority to elect to retain membership in a
borough retirement system. The bill permits employees of a wastewater
authority that commenced operations after December 1, 2001, who were
formerly employees of the borough or township that established the
wastewater authority, to elect to retain membership in the borough
retirement system. The bill also permits a borough to treat all
eligible employees of the wastewater authority who elect to retain
membership in the borough retirement system as borough employees for the
purpose of determining the annual allocation of General Municipal
Pension System State Aid according to the distribution formula set forth
in the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act. A 50-0
vote was recorded.
HB 2405, PN3381:
The
legislation designates the bridge carrying State Route 248 over
Aquashicola Creek in Palmerton Borough, Carbon County, as the Colonel
John Craig Memorial Bridge.
A3006(Erickson): This amendment
designates the bridge over Chester Creek on State Route 926 in Westtown
Township, Chester County as the L. Charles Scipione Bridge. The
amendment was agreed to.
A2808(Stack): This amendment
designates a truck inspection station at 4262 Aramingo Avenue in
Philadelphia as the Sgt. Jeffrey T. Ziernicki Truck Inspection Station.
The amendment also names a truck inspection station at 9200 Bartram
Avenue after Sgt. Ziernicki. The amendment was agreed to.
A3025(Rhoades): This amendment
designates a bridge on Pennsylvania Route 45 in Northumberland and Union
Counties as the Judge Herbert W. Cummings/Judge Harold M. McClure
Memorial Bridge. The amendment also designates the bridge on which Main
Street crosses Trout Creek in Slatington, Lehigh County as the General
Thomas R. Morgan USMC Bridge. The amendment was agreed to.
A2915(Mellow): This amendment
redesignates the bridge over the Monongahela River, known as the
Clariton-Glassport Bridge, as the Senator Edward P. Zemprelli Bridge.
The amendment was agreed to.
HB 2467, PN3519:
The legislation amends the Municipal Pension Plan Funding
Standard Recovery Act to
further provide for contents of actuarial valuation report. The bill
permits a municipality, beginning in calendar year 2003, to change the
amortization period for the outstanding balance of the increment of
unfunded actuarial accrued liability attributable to the net investment
losses incurred in calendar years 2001 and 2002 from 15 years to 30
years. Further, it requires that, in addition to the regular actuarial
valuation report required to be filed with the Public Employee
Retirement Commission on or before March 31, 2004, a municipality
electing to extend the amortization period must file a revised actuarial
valuation report reflecting the amortization period extension with the
Commission no later than September 30, 2004. A 50-0 vote was recorded.
The Senate also
concurred in House amendments as amended by the Senate to the following
bill:
SB 100, PN1789:
The legislation provides for taxation by school districts, for state
funds and for wage and net profits tax relief in cities of the first
class. The bill enables $1 billion in property and wage tax relief for
citizens across the state. The average reduction of $333 per homeowner
will be funded by revenue from slot machines legalized in House Bill
2330, passed by the Senate during the previous day’s session. At the
time when at least $750 million in gaming revenues are available for
property tax relief, every school district will be able to reduce its
reliance on property taxes by a minimum of 10%. On average, districts
will be able to decrease property taxes by 23%. In Philadelphia, the
wage tax will be substantially reduced to a historic low for residential
and non-resident wage taxpayers who work in Philadelphia. A 50-0 vote
was recorded.
EXECUTIVE
NOMINATIONS: The following nominees were confirmed by the
Senate. A 50-0 vote was recorded for each.
Elizabeth A. Kroutch,
State Board of Pharmacy
Robert C. Grubic, State Registration Board of Professional Engineers,
Land Surveyors and Geologists
Albert M. Tantala, State Registration Board of Professional Engineers,
Land Surveyors and Geologists |
