An update of recent legislative activity by Pennsylvania House Democrats

Sept. 19, 2008

PASSED THE HOUSE

House passes legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania Dog Law

The state House of Representatives has passed legislation introduced by Rep. James E. Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland, that would substantially strengthen Pennsylvania's Dog Law and introduce new standards of care and treatment for dogs kept in commercial breeding kennels in the state. House Bill 2525 would require solid flooring and double the size of cages for dogs in commercial kennels. It also would prohibit the stacking of cages; require an outdoor exercise area for dogs; introduce new standards for temperature control, lighting and ventilation; require annual veterinary examinations for dogs; and prohibit anyone except a veterinarian from euthanizing dogs in commercial kennels.

"This is a victory not just for the thousands of dogs who have been suffering under inhumane conditions for so long in some of Pennsylvania's worst commercial kennels, but also for the people who have been trying to enforce the state's dog laws with their hands effectively tied, and for the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians -- dog owners and others alike -- who understand that dogs are not simply another commodity, and should not be treated like one," Casorio said.

-- Click here to read more.

House passes Caltagirone animal cruelty bill

The House this week passed legislation introduced by Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which would restrict the ability of untrained individuals to put Pennsylvania dogs under the knife. Caltagirone, D-Berks, said his bill (H.B. 2532), passed with several amendments, would make significant changes to the state's animal cruelty law by prohibiting owners and breeders from performing debarking (cutting or destroying a dog’s vocal cords) and cesarean sections.

"The range of abuse and cruelty cases involving Pennsylvania's dogs is appalling," Caltagirone said. "My bill implements zero tolerance for the many types of surgeries that, when performed incorrectly, cause dogs to suffer from serious pain and infection."

-- Click here to read more.

COMMITTEE ACTION

DeLuca's cancer clinical trial bill approved by House Insurance Committee

Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said the House Insurance Committee has approved legislation that would require insurance companies to cover the cost of routine care for patients enrolled in cancer clinical trials in Pennsylvania. DeLuca's legislation (H.B. 1462) would require payments to be made when the insured is involved in cancer clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies to test new drugs or other treatments to compare current, standard treatments with other treatments that may better help patients.

"For children and adults in Pennsylvania fighting leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers, clinical trials are especially critical because many of the greatest strides in cancer treatment have been made in clinical trial settings," DeLuca said.

-- Click here to read more.

Freeman Elm Street bill clears Senate committee

Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, said his bill to revise the Elm Street program has been approved by the Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee and will now go to the full Senate for consideration. House Bill 2233 would allow the Elm Street program to continue beyond its current sunset date of 2011. The program is an urban residential enhancement initiative that targets older established neighborhoods for revitalization. In 2004, Gov. Ed Rendell came to Easton to sign Freeman's original bill into law. The bill had passed the House and Senate unanimously.

-- Click here to read more.

House committee moves Belfanti's black lung benefit bill

The House Labor Relations Committee this week approved legislation (H.B. 2275) introduced by the committee's chairman, Rep. Robert E. Belfanti Jr., D-Northumberland/Montour/Columbia, that would increase workers' compensation payments to former coal miners suffering from black lung and similar diseases. Belfanti said the legislation would increase the monthly benefit for coal miners who are disabled with silicosis, anthracosilicosis, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, or asbestosis from $125 -- a rate set in 1979 -- to $175 a month. The monthly benefit, paid by the state, is available to miners with black lung who have already received the maximum $12,750 available through workers' compensation from their employer.

"At one time, thousands of miners who worked the anthracite mines in eastern Pennsylvania suffered from black lung," Belfanti said. "Those numbers are dwindling because of the deaths of these miners. But for those who are still living with this disability, we need to increase this benefit, which has not been adjusted in nearly 30 years."

-- Click here to read more.

Environmental panel sends rate-cap-extension bill to House 

Rep. Camille "Bud" George, chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said the panel has OK’d his legislation that would spare Pennsylvanians from devastating electric-rate increases for at least two additional years. Under Special Session House Bill 54, utilities could seek rate-cap relief annually if they show significant changes in their costs. The committee voted 17-12 to send the legislation to the full House.

"Special Session House Bill 54 would extend the rate caps now protecting about 80 percent of all Pennsylvanians until New Year’s Day 2013," said George, D-Clearfield. "It also would require that power be purchased at the lowest reasonable rates through long-term, short-term and spot markets."

-- Click here to read more.

House Transportation Committee advances teen driving bill  

The House Transportation Committee has reported out a bill (H.B. 2674) that would impose stricter driving standards for teen drivers in an effort to reduce vehicular accidents and fatalities involving junior licensees. The committee's chairman, Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny/Westmoreland, said his bill would increase training requirements, prohibit the use of certain electronic devices while driving and create passenger restrictions.

"Inexperience and carefree youth can be a deadly combination unless teen drivers are better prepared to operate a vehicle," Markosek said. "Increased vehicle instruction time would give new drivers time to learn and correctly respond to many scenarios while accompanied with a seasoned driver. Distractions should also be minimized. Cell phones, iPods, text messaging -- even additional passengers -- can take a young driver’s primary focus off the road. We must intervene on reckless driving to prevent accidents and tragic loss of life."

-- Click here to read more.

BILL INTRODUCTIONS

Conklin bill would expand LIHEAP

Rep. Scott Conklin has introduced legislation that would expand eligibility for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Conklin said his bill, H.B. 2021, would raise the household income limit to qualify for LIHEAP from 150 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty income guideline, which is equal to $42,400 for a family of four.

"Pennsylvania is fortunate to have surpluses this year," Conklin said. "I believe some of that money should be allocated to help heat homes this winter. No matter what the circumstance, we cannot have families putting their lives at risk by turning to dangerous ways to keep themselves warm this winter."

-- Click here to read more.

White introducing bill to increase salaries of election workers

Rep. Jesse White, D-Washington/Allegheny/Beaver, is introducing legislation that would increase the salaries of election workers in Pennsylvania. The bill would change the salary to an hourly wage range of $10 to $12, depending on the worker's position, or the current per diem rate, whichever is higher.  

"Many of these workers are putting in a 13-hour workday and getting paid less than the minimum wage per hour. This legislation would provide them with reasonable compensation for the important work they perform," White said.

-- Click here to read more.

Dermody recommends joint training opportunities for care providers

Rep. Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, has introduced legislation that is designed to narrow the knowledge gap between regulators and providers of long-term care services when it comes to training and continuing education opportunities. The joint training offered under Dermody's bill (H.B. 154) would let providers and licensing staff interact with one another to promote a common understanding of laws and regulations that impact them. The measure would require joint training for providers and licensing staff twice a year. The training would cover the 10 most frequently issued citations in the last year and analyze at least one of them, along with information on how to avoid or resolve conditions that could result in a citation. The training also would include review of any regulations or guidelines that are due to be published within the next six months.

"Although nursing and personal care homes, and assisted-living facilities provide different levels of care, the basic premise is the same -- caring for others who need help in daily living," Dermody said. "Providers and those who regulate them have a wealth of knowledge and experience about caring for others. Sharing that knowledge and experience in the context of education and training can only benefit the residents in those facilities."

-- Click here to read more.

Galloway offers bill to crack down on illegal workers   

Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, has introduced legislation (H.B. 2202) that would prohibit employers from intentionally employing or hiring illegal aliens or independent contractors who employ them. Galloway's bill would require employers to verify the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States through the E-Verify Program administered by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The bill would also create penalties for those employers who knowingly or intentionally do not comply with the law, including the revocation of their licenses and registrations to conduct business in Pennsylvania. Also, government entities would be forbidden from awarding contracts to businesses that do not comply with this law.

"In these tough economic times, we must do everything we can to ensure citizens of Pennsylvania, and those here legally, are given every opportunity to secure a good job," Galloway said. "By ensuring that employers do not hire illegal immigrants, more jobs will be available to those Pennsylvanians who need them."

-- Click here to read more.

White introduces legislation to put more information on mortgage bills  

Rep. Jesse White, D-Washington/Allegheny/Beaver, has introduced legislation that would help homeowners keep track of their mortgage requirements and plan their payments. The bill (H.B. 2766) would require mortgage lenders to issue monthly account statements to homeowners that include the dates and amounts of all installment payments credited to the account; explanations of all other charges or credits to the account; explanations of all amounts deposited in, and dispersed from, the escrow held by the mortgage lender; rate of interest and type of rate -- fixed or variable; and the total payoff amount expiration date for the loan.

"Some mortgage companies don't provide monthly statements with their bills," White said. "This proposal would make it easier for homeowners to manage their finances by ensuring that they have the most accurate and up-to-date information on their mortgages."

-- Click here to read more.

Casorio bill would collect federal child support fee from parent paying support

Rep. James E. Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland, said he will introduce legislation to change a state law that requires custodial parents to cover the cost of a federal fee for collecting child support. In Pennsylvania, the state covers the $25 fee in cases where the custodial parent collects less than $2,000. However, in cases where more than $2,000 in support is collected, the state collects the fee from the parent receiving child support. Casorio's legislation would instead require the parent responsible for paying support to pay the $25 federal fee.

"Parents who are collecting child support -- often after months or even years of not seeing any payments at all -- should not be penalized with a fee when they do collect," Casorio said. "Every single dollar that they and their child are owed in support should go toward the child, and not to the federal government," he said.

-- Click here to read more.

Staback to amend poaching bill, increasing penalties

Rep. Ed Staback, D-Lackawanna/Wayne, announced that he will offer an amendment to his legislation (H.B. 2205) that would significantly increase penalties for poaching and other Game Law violations. The bill would: change the definition of poaching to specifically include unlawful taking of game during closed seasons and beyond established daily or season limits; introduce the first felony charge into the Game Code; increase penalties for illegal game kills from summaries to misdemeanors and felonies; address black marketeering of animal parts and commercial poaching with misdemeanors and felonies; use jail time in sentencing; increase second violations of illegal game kills and illegal trade of game to felonies; increase the penalty for assaulting a Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer from a misdemeanor to a second-degree felony; and extend the time period during which someone can be prosecuted for a second violation of trespass while hunting and unlawful killing, selling and buying of game from two years to 10 years.

"Given the number of violations and the fact that out-of-staters come to Pennsylvania to conduct their illegal trade due to our light punishments, our poaching laws have shown they are not tough enough to act as a deterrent," Staback said. "With my bill and its increased fines, offenses and possible jail time, the penalties will now fit the crime."

-- Click here to read more.

Wagner, Frankel announce proposals to amend statewide smoking ban

State Reps. Chelsa Wagner and Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, held a joint news conference recently to announce legislation that would amend the new statewide Clean Indoor Air Act. Wagner's legislation would amend the Clean Indoor Air Act to allow Allegheny County to establish a stronger smoking ban than the Clean Indoor Air Act.

"By establishing Allegheny County's legal right to enact a comprehensive smoking ban, we can create a level playing field for all of our businesses, rather than picking winners and losers as the statewide ban does, with a ban that truly protects public health in all workplaces," Wagner said.

Frankel's legislation (H.B. 2765) would remove language in the Clean Indoor Air Act that prohibits local governments other than Philadelphia from enacting and enforcing stronger smoking ordinances at the local level.

"While the Clean Indoor Air Act was a step in the right direction, it is far less comprehensive than the ban we initially, and overwhelmingly, passed in the House," Frankel said. "Communities like Allegheny County, Scranton and other local governments deserve the freedom to enact ordinances that respond to the demands of the people and actually shield all workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke."

-- Click here to read more.

Galloway amends his dangerous dog bill

Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, has clarified the intent of legislation (H.B. 2553) he introduced earlier this session by adding an amendment to the bill to ensure communities, which under the bill could adopt their own local ordinances governing dangerous dogs, would be prohibited from enacting breed-specific bans.

"My intent with this legislation has always been to give communities the ability to take their own actions with respect to irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs. It was never my intent to allow communities to ban dogs depending on their breed," Galloway said. "That being said, some have misinterpreted the bill and thought it would open the door for breed-specific bans. I have added an amendment to my bill so that would not be allowed to happen."

-- Click here to read more.

DeLuca proposes limit on outside income for legislators

Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, has introduced a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would limit the amount of outside income members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly could earn while serving as elected state officials. The resolution (H.R. 2750) would restrict elected state representatives and state senators to earning no more than $20,000 annually from other sources, in addition to their state salaries.

"First and foremost, our loyalty and dedication should be with our constituents," DeLuca said. "We are elected by the people to serve the people, and we should give our full-time attention to our constituents without distraction or possible conflict from other employment."

-- Click here to read more.

King to introduce legislation that would regulate heating oil industry

Rep. Chris King, D-Bucks, plans to introduce legislation that would regulate the heating oil industry in Pennsylvania. Under current state law, the natural gas, artificial gas and electric industries are regulated by the Public Utility Commission. King's legislation would include the heating oil industry on this list of regulated industries. 

"A large number of my constituents use oil to heat their homes," King said. "Oil companies are offering deals with varying rates to lock in rates for the winter months, and the PUC should have regulatory oversight of the industry to ensure that consumers are not being taken advantage of."

-- Click here to read more.