Recent legislative activity by PA House Democrats
 

 June 12, 2009

 

House Democrats' plan to improve access to health care advances

The state House of Representatives this week advanced legislation introduced by House Majority Leader Todd A. Eachus, D-Luzerne, which would expand and improve access to affordable, quality health care in Pennsylvania. The measure (H.B. 1), which cleared a major hurdle Wednesday after attempts by House Republicans to derail the proposal, would expand the state's adultBasic health insurance program to cover more than 130,000 people statewide. A final vote on the plan is expected in the House next week.

"There are clear philosophical differences on who and what we are willing to fight for in the House," Eachus said. "House Democrats strongly believe in fighting for people in this state who go to work every day, and ask for nothing in return, but simply cannot afford the rising costs of health-care coverage on their own."

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SIGNED INTO LAW

Governor signs DeLuca bill aimed at reducing medical errors

State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said legislation he introduced was signed into law this week by Gov. Ed Rendell. The new law (Act 1 of 2009) prohibits health-care providers from seeking reimbursement for serious, preventable medical errors, or for any service needed to correct or treat a problem caused by a serious, preventable medical error.

"This law will protect patients and insurance companies from having to pay for serious medical errors that were not their fault and could have been avoided," DeLuca said. "Moreover, it will provide an important incentive for hospitals and other health-care facilities to reduce preventable medical errors, and reduce the cost of health care overall."

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Bill extending parents' health coverage to older children becomes law

A Senate version of legislation introduced by state Rep. Mark Longietti was signed into law by the governor this week. The new law (Act 4 of 2009) allows uninsured children up to age 29 to be added to a parent or guardian's employer-paid health coverage.

"This law will help thousands of young adults in Pennsylvania get coverage through their parent's health insurance policies while they are in school or working their first job," Longietti said.

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Matzie bill expanding COBRA health coverage signed into law

A new law (Act 2 of 2009) introduced by state Rep. Robert F. Matzie, D-Allegheny/Beaver, that will make COBRA health-insurance coverage available to Pennsylvania businesses with fewer than 20 employees has been signed into law by the governor. Matzie's bill is part of the House Democratic Caucus' Health PAct, a package of bills that focuses on providing and enhancing access to basic health care.  

"This new law will help thousands of small business employees retain their health benefits when they are laid off while they look for other work, get retrained or wait to return to work," Matzie said.

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Governor signs reauthorization of Health Care Cost Containment Council

The governor has signed legislation that is one of the key components of Health PAct, the House Democrats’ package of bills aimed at improving access to quality, affordable health care in Pennsylvania. Act 3 of 2009 extends the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, commonly referred to as PHC4, for another five years. The Senate legislation signed into law mirrored a House version of the bill introduced by House Majority Leader Todd A. Eachus, D-Luzerne. The law reauthorizes PHC4, an independent state agency that has been successful in addressing the quality and costs of health care in Pennsylvania, until June 30, 2014.

"Initiatives such as PHC4, which identify ways to curb the rising costs of health care, are absolutely vital as we continue to look at ways to address our current economic situation," Eachus said. "Reauthorizing PHC4 is a key component in our ability to maintain and retool our health-care system here in Pennsylvania – to cut costs and to ensure Pennsylvanians, old and young alike, have access to affordable, quality care."

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PASSED THE HOUSE

House passes Pashinski retirement community bill

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, said that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed a bill he introduced that would require the state Insurance Department to conduct financial examinations at continued care retirement communities in Pennsylvania. Pashinski said the legislation (H.B. 1376) would allow the Department of Insurance to conduct a financial examination of retirement facilities whenever it deems it necessary, but it would require the department to conduct a financial examination of the each facility at least once in the first five-year period after it is licensed and once in the second five-year period. Currently, the Insurance Department conducts an examination at retirement homes once every four years.

"My legislation would give the Insurance Department more authority to conduct financial examinations whenever it's necessary to make sure facilities are operating effectively," Pashinski said. "My bill would make sure there is a better financial review occurring at retirement facilities."

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House votes 194-0 to expand safety net for military families 

State Rep. Camille "Bud" George, D-Clearfield, is applauding the House of Representatives for its unanimous approval of H.B. 1533, which would extend and expand the Military Family Relief Assistance Program. George’s H.B. 1533 would extend the program until June 30, 2016; specify state National Guard members in eligibility guidelines; expand eligibility guidelines so military personnel could be eligible for grants up to one year after completion of active duty; and ease residency requirements so an eligible applicant need only be a Pennsylvania resident when he or she applies, and not necessarily when he or she entered the service.

"Our military personnel and their families deserve our support as we fight two wars and battle terrorism on a daily basis," George said. "No tax dollars are needed to bolster the Military Family Relief Assistance Program, a last-chance safety net for our heroes and their families."

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House passes Pashinski liquid fuels bill

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D- Luzerne, said the House of Representatives passed a bill (H.B. 1151) this week  that would help many municipalities in Pennsylvania save money on the cost of maintenance and electricity to run their streetlights. The bill would adjust the guidelines of Pennsylvania's Liquid Fuels Tax law, which sets the amount of this state tax allocated to local governments and what they can use the money for.

"PennDOT has determined that municipalities that receive Liquid Fuels Tax money cannot issue bonds to help pay for a new program that could help them save money on streetlights," Pashinski said. "My bill would change the law to allow for participation in the program -- and significant cost savings -- for local governments and their taxpayers."

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Siptroth's medical sharps bill passes House

State Rep. John Siptroth's bill to help households safely dispose of medical sharps, such as needles and syringes, was passed by the House this week. The bill (H.B. 594) calls for the state Department of Environmental Protection to develop a safe, convenient and cost-effective program for the disposal of home-generated medical sharps such as needles, syringes and lancelets. Some ideas include a mail-back program, drop-off sites, curbside pickup or home destruction devices.

"I'm pleased the House voted in favor of my bill," said Siptroth, D-Monroe/Pike. "I believe it would go a long way in protecting sanitation workers and others who handle household trash from getting an accidental stick."

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Carroll bill to standardize food safety regulations passes House          

State Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Luzerne/Monroe, said legislation he sponsored to improve food safety standards in Pennsylvania has passed the House.  The bill (H.B. 174) would improve the state Department of Agriculture’s ability to enforce food safety regulations at restaurants and other locations where food is prepared and sold, such as fairs and picnics. It would also standardize inspections and reporting across the state and make statewide inspection records available to the public on the Department of Agriculture’s Web site.  

"This bill would help to ensure the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians by standardizing regulations statewide to better prevent and contain food-poisoning outbreaks," Carroll said.

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House passes Pallone bill to protect access to PACE, PACENET

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed state Rep. John Pallone's bill that would exempt federal economic stimulus payments from PACE and PACENET eligibility. House Bill 1480 now moves to the state Senate for consideration.  

"This bill is urgently needed because the federal economic stimulus initiative provides for a one-time $250 stipend to many Social Security recipients, which may be just enough to push them over the income limits for this important prescription drug program," said Pallone, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong.

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COMMITTEE ACTION

Appropriations Committee rejects Senate GOP budget

The state House Appropriations Committee this week rejected a 2009-10 budget proposal put forth by the Senate’s Republican majority that would have slashed more than a billion in funding to children, seniors and the disabled; eliminated $250 million in tax credits to businesses; and decimated cultural arts and recreation programs throughout the commonwealth. In a 20 to 14 vote, Appropriations members rejected the proposal, formally known as Senate Bill 850, which passed last month along party lines in the Senate with no public input. As a result of the Senate’s action, the House Appropriations Committee held two days of hearings on the proposal that included testimony from citizens around the state who would have been hurt by the legislation.

"I do not believe that Senate Bill 850 takes us in the right direction," said House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans. "I believe we have to have a compromise approach."

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DeLuca unclaimed property bill advances to House floor for vote

State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said the House Finance Committee has approved his bill (H.B.1407) that would reduce the amount of time unclaimed property can be held by banks, insurance companies, businesses and other institutions before it's presumed abandoned and turned over to the Pennsylvania Treasury. The bill would have unclaimed property turned over to the Treasury after four years instead of five years, and any interest earned from the unclaimed property would be deposited into the state's Tobacco Settlement Fund and used to pay for an expansion of the adultBasic health insurance program.

"If people don’t claim their property in a certain number of years then we should be able to use proceeds from abandoned and unclaimed property to provide health-care insurance to more working families," DeLuca said.

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Committee approves Houghton proposal encouraging Pa. energy exploration

The state House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee this week approved a bill proposed by Rep. Tom Houghton, D-Chester, that would encourage energy exploration and development of land enrolled in Pennsylvania's "Clean and Green" land preservation program. House Bill 1394 would permit landowners enrolled in Clean and Green to allow energy exploration and extraction of oil and gas on their lands with a smaller tax rollback penalty. The legislation would also allow the development of related facilities and construction of wind and solar power generation systems.

"If Pennsylvania is going to expand its own homegrown energy production and truly become energy independent, we must stop penalizing landowners who allow exploration on land that was previously devoted to farming and preservation," Houghton said.

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Kessler bill to encourage wind power systems advances

State Rep. David Kessler won committee approval this week for a bill he introduced to help farmers and encourage the development of the wind power industry in Pennsylvania. The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved Kessler's bill (H.B. 984), which would allow properties enrolled in the state's Clean and Green agricultural preservation program to be leased for wind power generation systems, provided the leased land is accessible and not sold or subdivided.

"My legislation would prevent disastrous rollback taxes on entire farms where the owners merely want to offer part of their land for this vital clean energy resource," Kessler said. "Instead, rollback taxes would apply only to the portion of land leased for the wind power generation system, and the remainder of the tract would remain eligible for preferential assessment. Without this change, farmers will be deterred from participating in alternative energy projects."

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Education Committee approves Roebuck dropout-prevention bills

The state House Education Committee this week approved two bills introduced by state Rep. James Roebuck, D-Phila., aimed at preventing high school dropouts. The committee approved H.B. 1618, which would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to implement a high-quality, detailed data-collection and reporting system for dropout and graduation rates in all public school districts. The committee also approved H.B. 1602, which would require exit interviews for all students who drop out of public schools in Pennsylvania.

"Although Pennsylvania has made improvements to ensure a higher quality education to all students, we must still do a better job of helping every student graduate high school with the requisite skills for success," Roebuck said. "That effort must begin by improving our data-collection system to determine exactly where, why and how many students are dropping out. It is only with those details that we can effectively focus dropout-prevention efforts where they're needed most."

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House Finance Committee adopts Levdansky resolution to study property tax reassessments

A resolution (H.R. 334) aimed at finding ways to improve the state's fragmented method of reassessing property values was adopted by the House Finance Committee Monday. State Rep. David Levdansky, D-Allegheny/Washington, chairman of the committee and prime sponsor of the resolution, said his measure would authorize a study to examine the methodology, financing, taxpayer protections, and constitutional provisions that impact property tax assessment in Pennsylvania compared to other states.  

"Irregular assessments are just one more factor in Pennsylvanian's struggle with property taxes," Levdansky said. "Changing this ridiculous system would help homeowners plan for the future and prevent them from suddenly seeing a huge increase in their property taxes."

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Committee approves Freeman bill to promote alternative to sprawl

A bill introduced by state Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, to promote traditional neighborhood development as an alternative to sprawl has been unanimously voted out of the House Local Government Committee. Freeman said his bill (H.B. 1609) would make changes to current Traditional Neighborhood Development provisions in state law to make it easier for municipalities to use them as an alternative to sprawl. Under current law, a TND that is in the form of a new development must be in the form of an overlay zone rather than a designation "by right." The bill would allow municipalities to designate a TND "by right," thereby making it easier to develop mixed-use, traditional neighborhoods.

"Traditional neighborhood development is an excellent alternative to the type of sprawl development that consumes vast amounts of farmland and creates traffic congestion nightmares," said Freeman, chairman of the House Local Government Committee. "TNDs are a more compact form of development that uses less land, is pedestrian-friendly and provides for a mix of uses and housing options that foster a greater sense of community than conventional suburban developments. A TND creates an actual village or neighborhood rather than a subdivision." 

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Smith workers' compensation bill approved by House Labor Relations Committee 

State Rep. Ken Smith, D-Lackawanna, said the House Labor Relations Committee has approved legislation he introduced that would require schools in Pennsylvania to develop Workers' Compensation Fund safety committees by Dec. 31, 2010. Smith said his legislation (H.B. 1569) would apply to parochial, private and public schools across the state. School districts would also receive a 5 percent reduction on their annual workers' compensation policy insurance rates if they maintain accident and illness prevention programs.

"My legislation would give school districts an incentive to establish safety committees in order to prevent accidents and at the same time receive a reduction in their workers' compensation insurance payments," Smith said.

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Senate committee approves Caltagirone animal cruelty bill

The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee has approved legislation authored by state Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks, that would restrict the ability of untrained individuals to perform several types of surgeries that can cause pain and suffering to dogs when performed improperly. Caltagirone said the state's animal cruelty law currently provides little to no oversight over what has become a common practice – dog breeders and owners, with no formal training, personally performing surgical procedures on the animals. His bill (H.B. 39) would amend the law by prohibiting owners and breeders from performing debarking (cutting or destroying a dog’s vocal cords) and Caesarean sections on the dogs in their care.

"Although the legislature instituted sweeping reforms to kennel and puppy mill operations in Pennsylvania last year, our work is not done in the fight to shield Pennsylvania's dogs from circumstances that border on torture," Caltagirone said.

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House Insurance Committee approves DeLuca resolution to ask for federal extension of Medicaid assessment

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said today that the House Insurance Committee has reported out a resolution (H.R. 333) he introduced asking the federal government to permit states such as Pennsylvania to continue imposing a provider assessment on Medicaid managed care organizations beyond Oct. 1, 2009. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 prohibits states from imposing provider assessments only on MMCOs beyond Oct. 1. After that date, states that wish to qualify for federal matching funds for Medicaid expenditures must begin assessing all providers, including non-Medicaid providers.

"As it stands now, due to the change in the federal law with the Deficit Reduction Act, once October 1 comes, Pennsylvania will be left with a $200 million gap in the state’s Medical Assistance budget," DeLuca said. 

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Hearing held on Galloway's employment verification bills

The House Labor Relations Committee held a public hearing in Harrisburg this week on state Rep. John Galloway's bills that would reduce the number of illegal workers in Pennsylvania. The hearing featured testimony on H.B. 1502, which would require state contractors and subcontractors that work on public projects to verify the employment eligibility of their employees, and H.B. 1503, which would require all contractors in the construction industry to verify the employment eligibility of their employees.  

"These bills would make it much harder for employers to intentionally hire illegal aliens because they would require employers to verify their workers' employment eligibility," Galloway said. "Illegal aliens willing to work under the radar and for less pay, and the dishonest construction companies willing to hire them are pushing hard-working Pennsylvanians from the payrolls to the unemployment rolls."

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