The Senate voted 33-17 in favor of House Bill 1437, the state budget bill.

This legislation provides for the expenses for the executive, legislative and judicial departments as well as public schools and public debt for fiscal 2013-14.

The $28.37 billion spending plan reflects a 2.3 percent increase in spending and holds the line on taxes. It adds $130 million to public education, but flat funds special education.

The Department of Public Welfare and state police will receive additional funding under the budget. It also increases funding for the Attorney General’s office, including $2.5 million for a mobile crime unit.

The budget plan also freezes the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax phase-out for two years, which will recapture $54 million in revenue in fiscal 2013-14.

The budget measure flat funds job creation assistance programs such as Regional Economic Partnerships, Discovered in PA and infrastructure facilities grants. While it adds no funds to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, the budget carries $500 million over into the next fiscal year.

Citing inadequate public school funding and minimal investment for initiatives aimed at stoking the economy and creating jobs, most Democrats opposed the bill. While the governor and numerous Republicans boasted about the budget being on time for the third consecutive year, an integral fiscal code bill (Senate Bill 591) wasn’t finalized and enacted until mid-July.

House Bill 1437 was signed into law as Act 1A of 2013 on June 30, 2013.

 

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By a mostly partisan 34-16 vote, the Senate approved the School Code portion of the budget, sending it back to the House, where it passed 113-89.

House Bill 1141 guides the distribution of funding for community colleges, basic education funding, intermediate unit funding, special education funding, vocational education funding and Pennsylvania Accountability Grants.

With a basic education funding increase of only 2.4 percent, the bill fails to make up much ground on the $1 billion in cuts schools have seen during the first two years of the Corbett Administration. At the same time, the state is only providing about $45 million of the $141 million rescue package for Philadelphia schools. Part of the funding scheme for that package anticipates the city borrowing more and collecting more in delinquent taxes.

The bill awaits the governor’s signature.

 

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After 40 senators supported a negotiated and conditional plan to accept federal funds to provide health insurance coverage to more than a half-million Pennsylvanians, many Republicans reversed course when the House stripped the provision from the Welfare Code portion of the budget.

The Senate voted 40-10 to approve House Bill 1075 after Senate Democrats were successful at inserting a provision to expand its Medicaid program with funding from the federal Affordable Care Act. The Senate version of the bill also contained language changing the name of the Department of Welfare to the “Department of Human Services.” Claiming that the two measures should have been considered as stand-alone bills, both provisions were stripped out in the House Rules Committee. The House approved the amended version of the legislation by a partisan vote of 108-94.

Over the objection of Senate Democrats, numerous Senate Republicans abandoned their support for the Medicaid provision and voted to concur, 27-22. The stripped-down bill was then sent to the governor’s desk without the health-care provision or name change.

The bill still awaits the governor’s signature.

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The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1190, which would amend the Health Care Facilities Act to eliminate redundancies from the hospital license inspection process.

Currently, hospitals in Pennsylvania must be inspected by the Department of Health to receive a license. In addition, hospitals may elect to be inspected by professional organizations to receive accreditation. Because both inspections reveal the same information about a hospital, this legislation would eliminate the extra inspections that cost hospitals time and money.

The bill would also allow the state to grant a “deemed status” license to hospitals accredited by an approved national accrediting organization, which would eliminate duplicate inspections by the Department of Health. Hospitals that are not accredited would still undergo license inspections.

The bill was presented to the Governor on July 8, 2013.

 

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            The Senate unanimously approved the state’s fiscal code legislation that would implement the necessary legal language and authorization to spend budget dollars.

Normally, passage of the fiscal code legislation is accomplished with little fanfare. However, House Republicans inserted a controversial provision into Senate Bill 591 indicating that it was the intent” of House and Senate Republican leaders to pass legislation legalizing high-interest payday loans in Pennsylvania.”

When the amended bill returned to the Senate, Democrats and Republicans quickly agreed to amend the legislation and discard the payday loan language – prompting the House to make a hasty return from their summer recess and consider the budget-related legislation in mid July.

The bill is now in the House Rules Committee.

 

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            The Senate unanimously approved an amended version of Senate Bill 1043, which was targeted for possible use as an alternative legislative vehicle for passing the state’s fiscal code.

Largely considered an integral part of the state budget legislation, the fiscal code provides the necessary instructive language and legal authorization to spend budgeted state dollars.

The bill is now in the House.

 

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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 155, which would exempt a dog or cat from the state’s mandatory vaccination if the owner can prove that a vaccination is detrimental to the animal’s health and safety. Under the bill, if an animal is deemed exempt, it must be examined again within a year

The bill now goes to the governor.

 

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The Senate voted 47 to 3 in favor of House Bill 82, which enables animal-rescue type organizations to recoup the costs of caring for an abused animal from its owner.

The “Cost of Care of Seized Animal Act” details the steps that can be taken by an organization that houses or cares for a seized animal. Under the bill, rescue and humane officials can petition a county court of common pleas to recoup their costs from the animal’s owner.

The $15 per day “reasonable cost of care” can be waived if the matter involves only one animal and its owner can prove indigency. The bill also enables the owner to reclaim his or her costs and animal if they are not charged with cruelty to animals.

The bill was signed into law as Act 50 of 2013.

 

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1490, which would amends Philadelphia taxi and limousine regulations for collection of fees to continue enforcement operations. The legislation seeks to replace the previous system that Commonwealth Court deemed unconstitutional, with a system that is similar to what the Public Utility Commission uses to set its budget and fees for taxicabs.

The measure would establish the Philadelphia Taxicab and Limousine Regulatory Fund and the Philadelphia Taxicab Medallion Fund as special funds in the State Treasury. The Philadelphia Taxicab and Limousine Regulatory Fund would act as the primary fund for administration and enforcement of regulations for the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA). The Philadelphia Taxicab Medallion Fund, through the sale of taxicab medallions, would be used solely for the purpose of administering and enforcing taxicab regulation.

The PPA would submit a budget to the General Assembly for approval that would include a fee schedule.  If not approved by March 30, the PPA could use the previous year’s approved operating budget. For fiscal 2013-14, the state would appropriate $5,874,399 to the PPA from the Philadelphia Taxicab and Limousine Regulatory Fund to implement and administer the law.

The PPA would be required to maintain records of its expenses as well as the assessment determination for all utilities. It would also undergo an annual audit by a certified public accountant.

The bill now goes back to the House.

 

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The Senate voted 47-2 on an amended House Bill 465, which would create City Revitalization Improvement Zones (CRIZ) and help emergency responders save thousands of dollars if they sell or get rid of property following a merger or consolidation.

CRIZ designations would enable new investment in local economies by redeveloping eligible vacant, blighted and/or abandoned properties for commercial, exhibition, hospitality, conference, retail community or other mixed-use purposes.

The other provision of the bill would create a property transfer tax exemption for fire companies and other emergency response companies when they merge or consolidate.

The bill is with the governor for his consideration.

 

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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 10 to help schools improve safety.

The measure would award targeted grants to schools seeking to reduce violence. It would also expand the current safe schools grant program now being operated by the state Department of Education. Schools would be able to spend other grant funds to train and hire armed guards.

The object of the proposal, say supporters, is to avoid another Sandy Hook, Conn., shooting that ended with the murder of nearly two dozen students and teachers.

The Senate approved House amendments, but the bill has not yet been delivered to the governor.

 

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The Senate approved Senate Bill 351 by a vote of 49-1. This legislation would amend Title 53 to allow municipalities to be in charge of storm water planning and management.

Several municipalities have expressed interest in creating storm water authorities, and this legislation would provide authorization for them to do so. Storm water authorities could help create a source of funding for storm water management and projects. These authorities could also provide incentives for private storm water management that would reduce costs to local governments and taxpayers.

The bill was presented to the Governor on June 30, 2013.

 

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The Senate voted 48 – 2 in favor of Senate Bill 259, which would provide transparency and clarification to gas/oil drilling companies and property owners by standardizing royalty pay stubs to include information concerning site ID, amount recovered, value, and company contact information. Currently, Pennsylvania has no such laws in place.

The legislation would also require that an oil and gas lease must guarantee that a lessor receive at least 1/8th royalty of all oil, natural gas or gas that is recovered. Preexisting leases without such a measure would be subject to being escalated to a 1/8th metered royalty if the property underwent new drilling, or well stimulation.

In addition it would also allow an operator to develop multiple contiguous leases separately via horizontal drilling, unless it was expressly prohibited by a lease. In horizontal drilling cases, the royalty amounts would be based on proportion of production for each lease, unless there is an existing agreement between all affected parties. The legislation also provides that in cases of a conflict, an oil or gas lease would take precedence over a division order.

The bill now goes to the House.

 

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 163, which would amends the County Code to allow counties that advance from a fifth class to fourth class to maintain the same configuration of row offices.

The measure would provide counties flexibility in their timeframe for row office reconfiguration, not mandating a specific time as is the current setup. Additionally, this prevents counties from having to endure additional costs by splitting offices like clerk of the court/prothonotary.

The bill now goes back to the House for concurrence.

 

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The Senate voted 31-18 to approve an amended version of House Bill 700 to restructure the Pittsburgh region’s mass transit organization: the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

The Allegheny County Executive currently appoints all nine members of the port authority board, but the legislation would change that by giving appointment powers to the governor, legislative leaders, county executive, Allegheny County Council, Pittsburgh’s mayor and other local officials.

The bill is also designed to return the port authority to fiscal solvency. And, a provision is included that would require PennDOT to look at how the port authority could save money in the future through regionalizing, consolidating and/or privatizing services.

The Senate approved House amendments but the bill has not yet been delivered to the governor.

 

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1275, which appropriated $48.229 million from the General Fund to the Department of State to fund the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs ($38.8 million); State Board of Medicine ($7.3 million); State Board of Osteopathic Medicine ($1.3 million); State Board of Podiatry ($209,000); and State Athletic Commission ($509,000). The bill is on the governor’s desk.

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By a 48-1 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 1276, which appropriates $1.092 million to the Office of Small Business Advocate in the Department of Community and Economic Development for fiscal 2013-14. The amount equals what was appropriated for 2012-13. The bill is on the governor’s desk.

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The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1277, which appropriates $21.002 million for the general government operations of the State Employees Retirement System (SERS) for the 2013-14 fiscal year.  To cover higher-than-anticipated employee retirement costs, the appropriation is $164,000 above what the governor requested in his budget proposal. The bill is on the governor’s desk.

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1278, which appropriates $41.689 million for the general government operations of the Public School Retirement System (PSERS) for the 2013-14 fiscal year. To cover higher employee pension costs, the appropriation is $324,000 above what the governor requested in his budget proposal. The bill is now on the governor’s desk.

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By a unanimous vote, the Senate approved House Bill 1279, which appropriates $76.028 million from the Workmen’s Compensation Administration Fund to the Department of Labor and Industry to administer the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act for fiscal 2013-14. The measure also provides $194,000 to the Office of the Small Business Advocate under the Department of Community and Economic Development. The bill is now on the governor’s desk.

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1280, which appropriates $5.165 million from the General Fund to the Office of Consumer Advocate in the Office of Attorney General for fiscal 2013-14. The measure reduced the agency’s appropriation by $8,000 compared to the previous fiscal year. The bill is now on the governor’s desk.

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1281, which appropriates $63 million from the state General Fund; and $4.8 million in federal funds to the Public Utility Commission. The appropriation is $2.6 million above what was appropriated last year. The bill is now on the governor’s desk.

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The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1282, which appropriates $70.023 million from the state Gaming Fund to the Gaming Control Board ($36.908 million), Department of Revenue ($9.513 million), State Police ($22.531 million, and Office of Attorney General ($1.071 million) for gaming industry oversight in fiscal 2013-14. The total appropriation is an increase of about $3.7 million over last year’s total. The bill is on the governor’s desk.

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