HB 112, PN 1633: The legislation amends the Insurance
Company Law to further provide for hospital plan corporations and
professional health services plan corporations and for consolidations
under the Insurance Holding Company Act. It provides the Insurance
Department with additional tools to review, approve, or disapprove
consolidations of Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies and creates the
Insurance Restructuring Public Interest Review Board to review the
merger and make recommendations to the Insurance Department.
Senator Mellow
requested that one more legislative day be given to the Senate to
discuss the bill before final passage to protect the consumers from
false language. A failing vote of 19-29 was recorded on the motion.
Senator A. Williams and Senator D. White further debated the
legislation. Senator A. Williams felt that the legislation promises the
consumers that their premiums would never increase and would like the
language of the bill be clarified.
SB 34, PN 1045: The bill provides that a mother has the
freedom to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private,
where she and her child are otherwise authorized to be present. A vote
of 48-1 was recorded.
SB 691, PN 736: Under this legislation, a veteran whose
service-connected disability is certified at 75 percent or greater would
be eligible to obtain a disabled veteran registration plate. A vote of
49-0 was recorded.
SB 729, PN 1047: This bill requires the Treasurer to post
the salaries of certain governmental employees on the Internet and to
update the information each month. A vote of 49-0 was recorded.
Yesterday, Senator
Fontana offered amendment A00754, which would have removed the
requirement that employees’ names be posted and would have required the
posting of salaries of employees of state-related institutions (such as
the Pennsylvania State University) and state-affiliated entities (like
the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission). Today, Senator Costa asked the
Senate to reconsider the vote. A final vote of 19-30 was recorded on
the amendment, and the amendment was defeated once again.
SB 779, PN 875: This legislation would designate the portion
of State Route 462 running from Lancaster Township to Lancaster City as
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Robert D. Lapp, Jr. Memorial Highway.
A vote of 49-0 was recorded.
SB 782, PN 1046: This bill amends the “Radiation Protection
Act” (Act 147 of 1984) to increase the fees paid by nuclear power
facilities for plant safety, monitoring, and emergency planning. A vote
of 49-0 was recorded.
SB 815, PN 909: This bill amends the “Storage Tank and Spill
Prevention Act” (Act 32 of 1989) to extend the sunset date for two of
act’s programs. A vote of 49-0 was recorded.
Executive Nominations
The Senate confirmed
the following nominees by a vote of 48-0:
Marie Conley
Lammando, Council of Trustees of Bloomsburg University
Aaron A. Walton,
Council of Trustees of California University
A.R. Defilippi,
Constables’ Education and Training Board
MaryLou Enoches,
State Board of Cosmetology
Harold Jose
Millan, State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land
Susan N. Sutto,
Erie County Convention Center Authority
Robert Powelson,
Board of Trustees of Lincoln University
Nicolas
Sacchetti, Board of Trustees of Norristown State Hospital
Timothy M.
Schell, P.T., State Board of Physical Therapy
