HB 2472, PN4320: The legislation amends the Capital Facilities Debt Enabling Act to add community colleges to the definition of public improvement projects, clarifying eligible facilities and expanding applicants under the definition of redevelopment assistance capital project, increasing the limitation on the maximum amount of redevelopment assistance capital projects to be undertaken by the Commonwealth, and making various technical changes.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

HB 2726, PN4321: The legislation amends The Library Code to extend the waiver of certain library standards.  The bill extends the provision in Act 6 of 2003 that permits libraries to request a waiver of their required hours of operation, staff professional development and expenditures for collections, for fiscal year 2003-2004, if state appropriations for that fiscal year fell below the previous fiscal year’s appropriation to include fiscal year 2004-2005.  The bill also provides for state-aid eligibility for libraries under certain circumstances.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

HB 2758, PN4224: The legislation amends Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) to provide for fire company reduction and closure provisions for cities of the first class (Philadelphia).  The bill requires that in the event the city seeks to reduce or eliminate any engine or ladder company, the city must provide written notice to all firefighters and paramedics assigned to the affected company, to any labor organization representing those affected parties and to all citizens served by the affected company.  The bill requires the city to first commission and complete a study of the proposed reduction and to hold public hearings in order to receive feedback on the proposed reduction and on the results of the impact study.  A 49-1 vote was recorded.

HB 1321, PN4327: The legislation creates the First Class Cities Economic Development Act.  The bill contains language to encourage development of deteriorated property by providing tax exemptions, deductions, abatements or credits to persons who own interests in qualified pass-through entities and to qualified businesses located in economic development districts.  A 42-8 vote was recorded.

SR 296, PN1794: This resolution amends the Senate Financial Operating Rules to add the Caucus Operations Account and the Committee and Contingent Expense Account to the list of those accounts from which travel and meal and lodging payments can be made.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

The Senate adopted the committee of conference reports for the following bills:

HB 564, PN4325: The legislation is an omnibus amendment to the Public School Code providing for basic education funding, requiring schools to reopen their budgets, limiting unreserved fund balances, providing for auxiliary services, professional teacher assessment, costs of certain exceptional children, providing for the head start supplemental assistance program, for education empowerment districts, for school improvement grants and for mandate waiver program, vocational education funding, community colleges, educational improvement tax credits, small district assistance, charter and cyber schools, and duties of the State Board of Education.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

PREFERRED APPROPRIATIONS BILL (BUDGET BILL), HB 2579, PN4326: The legislation General Appropriations Act for the 2004-05 fiscal year.  The bill provides from the General Fund for the expenses of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Departments of the Commonwealth, the public debt and for the public schools for the fiscal year July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005.  The bill also provides for the additional appropriation of federal and state funds from the General Fund and for the payment of bills incurred and remaining from the 2003-04 fiscal year.  A 50-0 vote was recorded. 

The Senate concurred in House amendments to Senate amendments to the following bills:

HB 1130, PN4139: The legislation amends Title 75 (Vehicles) providing for learners' permits, for drivers of emergency vehicles, for the Child Passenger Restraint Fund, for oral hazard warnings and for civil immunity for lenders of child passenger restraint systems.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

HB 1996, PN4282: The legislation amends the Procurement Code by adding provisions relating to “collective purchasing contracts” and further provides for guaranteed energy savings and contracts.  The bill allows the Department of General Services to enter into “collective purchasing contracts”.  These contracts will be solely for the use of the local public procurement units or state affiliated entities.  The Department shall enter into cooperative purchasing contracts if the number of contractors under a previously existing contract for the same supply or service is reduced to a single contractor or reduced by 50% of the number existing on September 30, 2003.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

HB 147, PN4323: The legislation amends the Tax Reform Code to provide for a “Film Enhancement Tax Credit.” The bill provides for a tax credit against certain state tax liabilities for qualified expenses incurred in the production of an eligible production in Pennsylvania.  A 49-1 vote was recorded.

The Senate also concurred in House amendments to the following bills:

SB 508, PN1727: The legislation amends the Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law to reduce the redemption period for vacant property and for challenging foreclosure sales.  The legislation shortens the time period for redemption of property after the date of the acknowledgment of the sheriff’s deed from one year to nine months.  The bill also reduces the time period in which all parties wishing to contest the validity of any sheriff’s sale and any party claiming not to have an interest in the premises which was not discharged by the sale must file a petition seeking to overturn the sale or to establish the interest from six months to three months of the acknowledgement of deed by the sheriff.  A 47-3 vote was recorded.

SB 979, PN1779: The legislation amends the Judicial Code to implement amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution adopted in respect to testimony by child victims and child material witnesses.  The bill also reduces the civil liability of operators of off-road vehicle riding areas.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

SB 1039, PN1791: The legislation amends Title 65 (Public Officers) to clarify the definition of “agency.”  The definition of “agency” will include the governing board of any nonprofit corporation that is affiliated with a State-aided, State-owned or State-related institution of higher education including community college, which governing board is granted supervisory and advisory powers regarding the degree programs of the institution of higher education.  A 50-0 vote was recorded.

SB 1139, PN1784: The legislation amends the Pennsylvania Construction Code, also known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), to further provide for both application and regulation of the act, and for project definitions.  A 38-12 vote was recorded.