Recent legislative activity by PA House Democrats
 

 July 3, 2009

 

SIGNED INTO LAW

Matzie bill to expand COBRA health coverage signed into law

Legislation (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 was signed by Gov. Rendell at a ceremony this week. In 1986, Congress passed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, giving workers and their families who have health coverage through their employer the right to continue coverage for a period of time after they leave employment. The former employee is generally required to pay the former employer's portion of the premium.

"I am pleased that my legislation was signed into law so that group-rated health insurance will be available to small employers and former employees of small businesses in Pennsylvania," Matzie said. "As a freshmen lawmaker, I am honored to have authored such an important piece of legislation that will help thousands of Pennsylvanians."

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Governor signs bill extending parents' health coverage to older children

State Rep. Mark Longietti attended a ceremony this week where the governor held a signing of a Senate version of legislation (Act 4 of 2009) he introduced that extends parents' health insurance coverage to their uninsured children through age 29. The law allows uninsured children through age 29 to be added to a parent or guardian's employer-paid health coverage. It gives the policy holder - usually the parent's or guardian's employer - the right to decide if an adult child is added to the policy. It also requires the employee to pay the cost of adding the dependent child to the coverage, with the cost determined by the insurer.

"This law is important because many young people are staying in school longer to pursue advanced degrees to compete in today's job market," said Longietti, D-Mercer. "In addition, many young adults start their working life in jobs that do not offer health benefits."

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Governor signs Kessler mortgage fraud prevention measure

Gov. Ed Rendell has signed into law state Rep. David Kessler's legislation that will help protect consumers from mortgage fraud, as well as a related bill Kessler supported. Act 7 of 2009 (House Bill 985) will help to prevent fraud by protecting mortgage company employees who report illegal activities or take part in an investigation, hearing or inquiry. The legislation will prevent an employer from taking actions such as reducing an employee's salary or benefits, changing the terms of employment or firing an employee. Until now, those protections only applied to these employees when they report a violation of the state Banking Code, but not if they reported a violation of other law.

"The PFM scandal has had a devastating impact on many Berks County homeowners. These new laws will go a long way toward ensuring that this never happens again in Pennsylvania," Kessler, D-Berks, said.

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Governor signs Melio emergency service bill into law

Rep. Tony Melio, D-Bucks, said Gov. Rendell has signed his bill (H.B. 718; Act 6 of 2009) into law that will preserve funding for the state's 911 call centers. The new law allows for the continuation of state funding to Pennsylvania's 69 Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAPs.

"I am pleased the Senate recently approved this bill unanimously," said Melio. "Without this support, funding for call centers would have soon run out."

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PASSED THE HOUSE

Plan to expand health care access passes House

A proposal introduced by House Majority Leader Todd A. Eachus, D-Luzerne, which would expand and improve access to affordable, quality health care for more than 130,000 Pennsylvania adults, passed the House this week. Eachus said the proposal (H.B. 1) would strengthen the state's adultBasic program by providing access to care for an additional 85,000 people in need. Currently, the state's adultBasic program provides coverage for 46,000 Pennsylvanians between the ages of 19 and 64.

"We are in the most difficult economic situation since the Great Depression, and citizens across Pennsylvania are losing their health-care coverage," Eachus said. "We all understand that access to affordable health care is an important piece of the puzzle in helping people weather this current economic storm."

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House passes DeLuca small group insurance reform bill

State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said the House of Representatives has passed his legislation that would reform the small group insurance market in Pennsylvania. DeLuca, chairman of the House Insurance Committee, said his legislation (H.B. 746) would apply to policies that cover employers with two to 50 employees. The bill would cap individual premium increases to 10 percent per year while guaranteeing renewability of coverage for small employers and eliminating pre-existing conditions, including pregnancy, from small group policies.

"Pennsylvania is one of only two states that have not addressed health insurance rate reforms for small businesses," DeLuca said. "My legislation would allow small-business owners to provide affordable health-care coverage to their employees."

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House passes Mundy bill to restructure Department of Aging

Legislation authored by state Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Luzerne, to restructure the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and improve access to long-term living services for older adults and people with disabilities passed the House of Representatives. Mundy's bill (H.B. 1152) would establish the Department of Aging and Long-Term Living by combining the Office of Long-Term Living - which currently operates under the Department of Public Welfare - and the Aging Department. 

"Passage of this legislation is critical to ensuring that the Commonwealth is adequately prepared to meet the needs of our growing senior population and the 162,000 people with disabilities," Mundy said.  "Consumers deserve to have real choices in terms of how and where they receive long-term living services."

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House passes bipartisan, inter-branch measure addressing judicial corruption

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week unanimously passed a measure introduced by state Rep. Todd A. Eachus, D-Luzerne, which would create an Inter-branch Commission on Juvenile Justice. Eachus said his legislation (H.B. 1648) is the product of a joint effort by leaders from all three branches of Pennsylvania government. Eachus worked alongside state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne; Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille; and Gov. Edward G. Rendell to develop this bipartisan, over-arching approach to examine the judicial corruption case in Luzerne County and seek to restore public confidence in Pennsylvania's juvenile courts.

"This legislation will enable the state to see what went wrong in Luzerne County, what needs to be done to restore public trust and how to prevent similar events from occurring in any county in Pennsylvania," Eachus said. "We must learn from what happened in Luzerne County and examine the systemic flaws in our juvenile justice proceedings that may have led to the corruption and abuse that occurred there. We owe it to the people of Pennsylvania to do whatever it takes to ensure that this never happens again anywhere in Pennsylvania."

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House passes constable reform bill

Legislation authored by state Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to consolidate numerous state laws concerning constables has passed the House of Representatives. Caltagirone said his bill (H.B. 1607) would consolidate into one title the numerous constable statutes that exist in Pennsylvania across 13 separate titles. He noted some of the duties currently on the books date back several hundred years, directing constables to properly maintain livery stables for horse and buggies, as well as the torches that illuminate city streets. More recently, their duties include providing security for court rooms and polling places, and transporting prisoners.

"Constables have played a role in upholding the law since Pennsylvania was a colony," Caltagirone said. "Their duties are many but not in comparison to the titles and freestanding laws that govern them. If we want to maintain the system in Pennsylvania as a viable force, and I think we should, it needs a facelift. Part of that process is to put everything into one title, which has never been done before, but is what my bill would achieve."

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House passes organized retail theft bill

State Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that his legislation to make participating in organized retail theft a crime in Pennsylvania unanimously passed the House of Representatives. Caltagirone said under current law, individuals who participate in organized retail theft are not subject to prosecution for that crime specifically, only the retail theft. His legislation (H.B. 1720) would make it a felony to participate, in any role, in an organized retail theft scheme. These organized schemes can cost retailers $5,000 to $10,000 at a time.

"These organizations, many of which operate across state lines, overwhelm retailers with large numbers of shoplifters simultaneously," Caltagirone said. "They may target the same store more than once, knowing they can risk the arrest of one or some of the group members and still carry out the job."

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House passes Freeman's housing authority police force bill

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill introduced by Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, that would allow public housing authorities to form their own police forces. Under the measure (H.B. 422), police officers recruited for the authority would have the same police powers as municipal police officers, provided that they undergo the same training and course of instruction. Freeman said these additional forces could relieve some of the strain imposed on current municipal police forces.

"Currently, only housing authorities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh can form their own police forces," Freeman said. "But smaller cities and other municipalities in the state face the same problems with criminal activity that the larger cities do. This bill would allow all public housing authorities to form police forces in an effort to combat crime."

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House adopts Siptroth's planned community study resolution

The state House this week overwhelmingly passed Rep. John Siptroth's proposal for a sweeping study of planned communities, their infrastructure and how they might be able to access state funding programs. The resolution (H.R. 350) directs the Joint State Government Commission to determine the number of private communities in each county and municipality; the amount of state and local taxes their residents pay per year; the amount and condition of infrastructure in these communities; whether these communities should be allowed to access state money to improve infrastructure; and whether there are ways for the state to make sure these communities receive adequate services at an affordable cost.

"I'm pleased my colleagues agreed with me that this is an important issue across our Commonwealth," said Siptroth, D-Monroe/Pike. "There are millions of Pennsylvanians who live in these communities. They support our funding programs with their tax money, but often find they cannot access those programs to finance repair to their roads, bridges, dams and water and sewer systems."

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COMMITTEE ACTION

House panel approves Gergely's bill to extend unemployment compensation benefits by seven weeks

The House Labor Relations Committee has unanimously approved a bill state Rep. Marc Gergely, D-Allegheny, introduced that would help out-of-work Pennsylvanians looking for new employment by extending unemployment compensation payments for an additional seven weeks. Gergely said his bill, H.B. 1770, would make a temporary change to the Unemployment Compensation Expanded Benefits law so the state could tap nearly $145 million in federal stimulus funding. 

"Thousands of hard-working Pennsylvanians are out of work and finding new family-sustaining jobs in this economy is extremely difficult," Gergely said. "By making this temporary change, we can put millions of dollars into the pockets of out-of-work Pennsylvanians, which is then injected into the state's economy. Using entirely federal dollars, we can help nearly 57,000 people who are close to losing this safety net to continue paying their mortgage or buying groceries for a few more weeks as they continue looking for work."

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Committee approves Houghton proposal to expand Pa.'s college credit transfer system

The state House Education Committee has approved legislation proposed by Rep. Tom Houghton, D-Chester, that would double the number of credit hours community college students could transfer to state-owned universities. Houghton's legislation (H.B. 1659) would add 30 credit hours to the currently required 30 credit hours that Pennsylvania's community college students can transfer to any State System of Higher Education university. Independent and state-related institutions could still choose to participate in the credit transfer program.

"Since last year, Pennsylvania's Statewide Credit Transfer System has been saving community college students from paying additional tuition costs for credits that wouldn't have previously transferred to our state universities," Houghton said. "I believe we can build on that progress by adding more credit hours to the list of transferrable credits to further help our students achieve their goals without paying the so-called 'tuition tax.'"

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House committee OKs Yudichak's property assessment moratorium bill  

State Rep. John Yudichak's bill (H.B. 1661) calling for a moratorium on court-ordered, countywide property reassessments while the General Assembly conducts a study of the state's property tax reassessment system was voted out of the House Urban Affairs Committee this week. Under H.B. 1661, a moratorium on countywide property tax reassessments would be put in effect while a legislative study of Pennsylvania's current reassessment system takes place, and recommendations to improve it are made. The moratorium would expire on June 30, 2011. The bill, which has bipartisan support, now moves to the full House for consideration.

"Pennsylvanian is the only state that lacks fairness, uniformity and strong taxpayer protections in its current property tax reassessment system," said Yudichak, D-Luzerne. "The House recently adopted House Resolution 334, which I co-sponsored, calling for a comprehensive study of our current system to develop a system that protects taxpayers and preserves our property tax relief programs. The legislation approved in committee today would make sure that more homeowners in Pennsylvania are not impacted by Pennsylvania's unfair county reassessment system while we study and implement ways to make it better."

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Surface Owners Protection Act OK'd by House panel

State Rep. Camille "Bud" George, D-Clearfield, said the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would protect surface owners and the owners of the underground mineral rights. House Bill 1155 would require surface owners to be notified at least 15 days before a driller enters a tract and at least 45 days before drilling begins; provide surface owners with basic information, such as the scope of planned operations, the drilling operator and plans for protection of water sources; compel agreements governing drilling operations, drainage changes, nuisance controls, liability and reclamation responsibilities and compensation for damages; and implement standards governing operations of oil and gas wells.

"The surging interest in Pennsylvania's gas deposits has the mineral-rights owners and those who live above the energy supplies clamoring for fair treatment of their interests," Rep. George said. "The Surface Owners Protection Act, House Bill 1155, would establish a fair framework for both."

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House Education Committee approves Sturla's
special ed bill

According to state Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, the House Education Committee has reported out his legislation (H.B. 704) to make the state's special education funding formula more equitable. Under H.B. 704, the special education funding formula would mirror the basic education formula, so that each district receives state funds based on: (1) a five-year average of actual student enrollment in special education; (2) a single multiplier of 1.3, reflecting additional costs for educating students with all levels of disability above the "base cost" for other students; (3) an additional multiplier providing funding for districts that raise their average rate and quality of educating eligible students in regular classrooms; and (4) annual adjustments for inflation, local wealth, tax effort and local cost factors. 

"I thank Chairman Jim Roebuck for bringing House Bill 704 up for a vote today and I appreciate the strong bipartisan support of it by the committee members," Sturla said. "This legislation will implement comprehensive reforms suggested by a costing-out study and produce a modern formula that is fair to all special education students."

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House State Government Committee approves Sturla's state police bill

According to state Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, the House State Government Committee this week reported out his legislation (H.B. 1500) that would create the Pennsylvania State Police Municipal Patrol Services Act. Under H.B. 1500, every municipality that relies solely on the state police would be required to pay an annual per capita fee of $156. In addition, it requires municipalities that do not have a certain level of local patrol services to pay an annual per capita fee of $52. For those municipalities required to pay a fee, there would be an "opt-out" provision to allow them to pay on a per-incident basis. All fees would be phased in over a three-year period. 

"My legislation is about fairness and equity because it is obvious there is a serious inequity in how we fund police services in our state," Sturla said. "I thank Chair Babette Josephs for bringing House Bill 1500 up for a vote and I am grateful for the committee members' support of it."

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House panel approves Gergely bill updating Pa.'s boxing law

The House State Government Committee has approved a bill state Rep. Marc Gergely introduced to update the state's boxing and wrestling laws. Gergely said H.B. 1187 would allow the State Athletic Commission to enter into contracts with other states to supervise boxing matches in those states that do not have a similar agency to oversee such events.  Current state law only allows the commission to regulate professional or amateur boxing in Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania has already been approached by at least one other state to regulate boxing there.  This bill would allow the commission to enter into those contracts, which is in the best interest of professional boxing in Pennsylvania and across the country," Gergely said. "It will also allow the commission to regulate a boxing match at a Native American casino, which it does not have the authority to do now."

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Thomas resolution calling for review of low-performing nursing schools approved by the House Professional Licensure Committee

State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, D-Phila., announced that his resolution (H.R. 360) to study low-performing nursing schools has been approved by the House Professional Licensure Committee. Under the proposal, the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs would be directed to review the effectiveness of professional nursing education programs in preparing students for the registered nurse licensure examination, and to provide recommendations for improving passage rates for low-performing schools.

"By studying why the failures are happening and finding out what can be done to improve the quality of these programs, I hope at least to find some relief for nursing students who are struggling with student loans and are unable to work in their field," Thomas said.

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Thomas resolution directing study of state employees' health-care costs approved by committee

State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, D-Phila., announced that his resolution (H.B. 1476) to require the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council to conduct a study of health plans offered to state government employees has been approved by the House Insurance Committee. The purpose of the study under H.B. 1476 is to find whether the migration of multiple health insurance plans into a single trust fund would result in cost savings for the state.

"In these uncertain economic times, people across the state are making tough choices about how to budget their costs," Thomas said. "The state government is no exception, and it only makes sense to look at our health-care system to see if any costs can be cut."

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