Recent legislative activity by PA House Democrats

 

March 12, 2010

PASSED THE HOUSE

 

House passes Costa's long-term insurance bill

 

The state House has unanimously passed Rep. Dom Costa's bill that would assure senior citizens of an avenue to appeal long-term insurance claims denied by an insurance company. Under Costa's legislation, H.B. 1251, if an insurance company denies a long-term care claim filed by a senior citizen, the individual would be guaranteed the right to appeal the decision to a third party. In addition, should the third party deny the claim, the senior would still be able to make an appeal to the state Insurance or Health departments.

 

"Medicare is the primary payer for health-care services for people age 65 and older, but the coverage is very limited and costly to taxpayers," Costa said. "Encouraging individuals to purchase private long-term care insurance would not only ensure better quality of care, but would help to reduce the financial strain on our Medicare system. I believe by strengthening the appeals process, we would make families more comfortable in purchasing these policies."

 

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DeLuca bill to study sales and use tax clears House

 

The state House has passed legislation (H.B. 2066) introduced by state Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, that would establish an 11-member commission to study the sales and use tax in Pennsylvania and to recommend potential changes. The report will focus on if the current structure of the tax is conducive to economic growth in Pennsylvania, and consider options for increasing fairness and competitiveness in the sales and use tax.

 

"We need to establish a better way of organizing the overall tax structure so that the tax burden is spread more evenly and does no rest primarily on the shoulders of working families," DeLuca said. "Changes to the sales and use tax could be an important step in making the state's tax structure less confusing and antiquated."

 

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Solobay's E-911 bill would raise funds for emergency responders

 

The state House has passed Rep. Tim Solobay's bill that would require the collection of 911 fees on prepaid wireless services at the point of sale. House Bill 1789 would update deficiencies in current law to require the collection of the E-911 surcharge at the point of sale, not only creating a uniform collection method but also ensuring that PEMA will receive the $8 to $10 million in lost revenue that they are missing under the current law.  The prepaid wireless E-911 surcharge would be $1 per retail transaction whether made in person, by telephone, over the Internet, or by other methods.

 

"The 911 surcharge is used to fund the state's emergency responders. By improving the collection of this surcharge, we improve emergency services for everyone," said Solobay, D-Washington. "My bill could generate millions of dollars for public safety."

 

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House passes Gergely's social service licensing bill

 

Continuing his efforts to protect the health and welfare of consumers, state Rep. Marc Gergely secured House passage this week of his legislation (H.B. 1250) that would require social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors to be licensed in Pennsylvania. Gergely said under current state law, it is an option for social workers, marriage and family therapists and professional counselors to get their license to practice in Pennsylvania, but unlicensed individuals are not prevented from providing these services.

 

"Many people working in these professions have voluntarily gone through the licensing process and are providing a great service to individuals and their community," Gergely said. "By requiring all of those providing these services to be licensed and setting a minimum standard of care, we will ensure that consumers are protected."

 

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DeLuca pharmacy technician bill would enhance patient safety

 

The state House has passed legislation introduced by state Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, that would require pharmacy technicians in Pennsylvania to be registered by the State Board of Pharmacy. DeLuca's legislation, H.B. 528, would require pharmacy technicians to complete a pharmacy technician training program approved by the board and either receive certification from a nationally recognized certifying agency or successfully complete a board-approved examination. The bill also would allow pharmacy technician trainees to receive a temporary permit while they are enrolled in a certified training program.

 

"My bill is designed to help to protect consumers, especially the elderly, from getting the wrong medications administered, which could result in many serious health problems to consumers," DeLuca said.

 

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Houghton zoning application bill would save local taxpayers money

 

State Rep. Tom Houghton, D-Chester, said legislation (H.B. 1831) he authored that would authorize municipalities to recoup the costs incurred when evaluating conditional use applications' impact on zoning ordinances passed the state House this week. Houghton said the technical nature of conditional use applications often necessitates that municipalities appoint professional consultants for assistance. While both municipalities and applicants benefit from the advice, the cost of these experts' reviews and recommendations is borne solely by the municipality.

 

"As a township supervisor for seven years, I found it incredibly frustrating that a developer was required to reimburse local governments for consultant review fees for routine, 'use by right' zoning applications, but that no similar requirement was required for conditional use development," Houghton said. "This costs the taxpayers money."

 

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COMMITTEE ACTION

 

Siptroth's bill to increase penalties for indecent assault is subject of House committee hearing

 

State Rep. John Siptroth's bill (H.B. 1625) that would toughen penalties for indecent assault was the subject of a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing.

 

Under current law, indecent assault can be graded as a misdemeanor of the first or second degree, or a felony of the third degree, depending on the circumstances. Siptroth's legislation would increase the grading to a felony of the third degree under two circumstances: when the victim is younger than 13, or when the victim is younger than 16 and the person committing the indecent assault is four or more years older than the victim. In this case, the higher grading would be applied if the victim and perpetrator are not married to each other.

 

"It's my hope this legislation will be a deterrent to this crime, which can have a terrible toll on young victims," said Siptroth, D-Monroe/Pike. "I'm looking forward to the committee taking up the bill and moving it to the full House."

 

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House Consumer Affairs Committee reviews municipal electricity supplier bill

 

State Rep. Joseph Preston, D-Allegheny, chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee, said the committee recently held a public hearing to review legislation he will be introducing that would allow local municipalities to supply electricity to residents and businesses at a reduced cost. Preston's bill would allow municipalities to adopt an ordinance to apply for an electric generation supplier license with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. As suppliers, the municipalities would act as municipal aggregators, or buying groups, of electric generation supply service and provide purchasing power to residential and small business consumers in their municipal boundaries. 

 

"This legislation is one of many options state lawmakers and industry experts need to review in anticipation of more rate caps coming off," Preston said. "My bill would provide consumers with another option as we move to a fully competitive market."

 

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Committee approves Grucela bill to allow some 17-year-olds to vote in primaries

 

The House State Government Committee has approved state Rep. Richard Grucela's bill (H.B. 259) that would allow 17-year-olds to register and vote in primary elections in Pennsylvania if they will be 18 by the time of that year’s general election. According to Fairvote.com, 17-year-olds can vote in primaries and caucuses in nearly half of U.S. states, including Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.

 

"Young Americans came out in record numbers to vote in the 2008 presidential election because they care about their country and their future," said Grucela, D-Northampton. "My legislation would encourage a demographic typically expected to sit at home on Election Day to stay informed on the issues and vote. It just doesn’t make any sense to bar someone from fully participating in the election process simply because their birthday is a few months shy of the primary date."

 

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Committee approves 'essential' status for state law enforcement officials

 

The House Labor Relations Committee has approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Robert E. Belfanti Jr. that would designate certain state law enforcement officials "essential" under Pennsylvania law, giving them the same status as state police, prison guards and certain court employees. The bill (H.B. 1244) would designate state probation and parole officers, Liquor Control Board enforcement agents and state narcotics investigators as essential employees, meaning they could no longer strike as a response to a collective bargaining impasse. Instead, these law enforcement officers would have labor disputes resolved through binding arbitration.

 

"This bill recognizes the duties performed by Pennsylvania's liquor control agents, probation and parole officers, and narcotics investigators as essential," Belfanti said. "As such, they would be prevented from striking, but would gain the right to limited binding arbitration to resolve contract disputes."

 

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House holds hearing on Solobay's paternity bill

 

The House Judiciary Committee this week held a public hearing on a bill introduced by state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Washington, that would require DNA testing when paternity is disputed in cases involving young children. House Bill 1140 would require courts to order DNA testing, a blood test, or both when paternity is disputed in cases where the child is less than five years old. In cases where parents could not afford testing, the county would cover the cost.

 

"Studies have suggested that as many as 20 percent of fathers unknowingly raise children that are not biologically theirs," said state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Washington, who sponsored the bill. "DNA testing is widely used to settle paternity disputes, but current state law only requires blood paternity testing and does not allow for DNA testing when a case involves a married couple. This decree dates back to British common law from the 16th century."

 

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