Rep. Don Walko, D-Allegheny, won House passage recently of his bill that would regulate what he calls the "Wild West" practice of bounty hunting in Pennsylvania. Walko's bill (H.B. 825) would create a new state board to oversee three groups of professionals -- bounty hunters, private investigators and security professionals. It would be modeled on other licensing boards in Pennsylvania and would have the authority to license and monitor members of the three professions and discipline them when necessary. The legislation also would require bounty hunters to meet the same lethal-weapons training requirements that state law already sets for private investigators and security professionals in Pennsylvania. In addition, licensing of private investigators and security professionals would move from the county level to the state. Walko said that would improve oversight and keep problem licensees from slipping through cracks in the current system.

"Bounty hunters are largely unregulated in Pennsylvania, even though they have the power to arrest and maintain custody of fugitives. They are not subject to licensing or training requirements. We have taken a step forward to rein in this 'Wild West' situation, and I hope that the Senate will join the House in passing this important legislation," Walko said. "We have laws on how police can behave and how school security guards can operate, and it makes sense to have a regulatory framework for bounty hunters as well."

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House passes Conklin measure to expand educational leadership

A bill introduced by Centre County Rep. Scott Conklin, which is part of the Democrats' education package, unanimously passed the House and was sent to the Senate for consideration. Conklin's proposal (H.B. 847) would strengthen professional requirements for certain school administrators and further professional development. Specifically, the legislation would add to the existing qualifications for certain administrators by requiring prospective superintendents and assistant superintendents to complete a college or university graduate program in education, rather than the current requirement of completing just a college or university course.

"It is essential that we make sure all school administrators, including school superintendents and principals, have the necessary skills and opportunities to help all students achieve," Conklin said. "Through continued professional development and encouraging continued education of our school leaders, we can better invest our resources in our students and build a brighter future for this Commonwealth."

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House passes Leach bill that would put more green in schools

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, that would give school districts incentives to construct cleaner and more efficient schools was passed by the House of Representatives today and sent to the Senate for consideration. Leach's legislation (H.B. 894) would allow school districts to forgo some cost restrictions when building environmentally friendly school buildings. Devised by the United States Green Buildings Council, the green building standards are known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED.

"Originally, the intent of the current state law was to prevent school districts from building excessively large structures," Leach said. "However, it also impedes the construction of environmentally friendly schools. Schools built according to LEED standards are much more energy efficient, they reduce pollution and are significantly cheaper to operate in the long run."

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Hanna bill to correct funding for state-owned universities passes House

Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Clinton/Centre, said the House of Representatives has passed his legislation that would correct the funding formula for the State System of Higher Education. The bill (H.B. 1295) would transfer the entire amount of revenue in the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund for fiscal year 2006-07 to SSHE, and would also change the revenue formula for the future to ensure more equitable funding.

"We need to provide adequate support for higher education, particularly the 14 universities in the State System, because they provide many Pennsylvania residents with a high-quality education at a reasonable price," Hanna said.

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House passes Sturla bill to aid independent films in Pa.

The state House has passed H.B. 1529, introduced by Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster. The bill would support the growing independent film industry's presence in Pennsylvania by expanding the state's Film Production Grant Program by 50 percent, from $10 million to $15 million. Under Sturla's bill, the Film Production Grant Program would be limited to productions with a budget of less than $2 million. The grants, which could not exceed 20 percent of the production costs, would cover certain expenses incurred in Pennsylvania, including transportation, music and story rights, food, lodging and insurance coverage.

"Having worked with independent filmmakers in Lancaster, I know firsthand how challenging it is for them to cover the production costs of a movie," Sturla said. "Last year, the state's $10 million Film Production Grant Program fund was depleted by applicable projects within 22 days of the fiscal year. Thus, I am proud that the House passed my bill to help define Pennsylvania as a new location for innovative film and media arts by dramatically increasing funding available to independent films."

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House passes Seip bill to guide Pa.health-care work force efforts

The House of Representatives has passed a bill introduced by state Rep. Tim Seip that would focus greater attention on the needs of Pennsylvania's health-care work force. Seip's proposal (H.B. 1573) would implement part of the governor's health care-reform plan by authorizing the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers, which Gov. Ed Rendell created, to continue beyond his administration. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

"As a member of the health-care community, I recognize and appreciate the complexity associated with formulating and sustaining a work force to meet the needs of our health-care system in Pennsylvania," Seip said.

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APPROVED IN COMMITTEE

Solobay bill honoring Pa. military paratroops moves out of committee

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Washington, that would honor members of military airborne units was voted out of the House Transportation Committee this week.

House Bill 174 would create a special Pennsylvania license plate for veterans and members of U.S. military airborne, parachutist and glider units. The license plate would display a set of jump wings and glider wings along with the letters "ABN" followed by a series of five digits. The first two or three digits would denote the number of the division under which the person served.

"It is important that we recognize our soldiers and veterans for the work they do in protecting our freedoms, not just on holidays like the Fourth of July and Veterans Day, but always," Solobay said. "A license plate designating membership in a military airborne unit would remind everyone to take a moment once in a while and thank a vet."

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Kessler bill to save taxpayers money heads to full House

A bill that state Rep. David Kessler, D-Berks, introduced to save taxpayers money was approved by the House Local Government Committee recently. Kessler's bill (H.B. 1330) was prompted by a quarry business in Berks County winning its legal challenge against a long-standing township zoning ordinance based on an allegation of a procedural defect in its enactment. The state Supreme Court ruled that such a challenge to an ordinance can be brought at any time. Procedural defects can include such minor omissions as posting public notice signs every 310 feet instead of every 300 feet, for example. Kessler's bill would make it extremely difficult for parties bringing a challenge two years or more after adoption of an ordinance to prove that a township failed to comply strictly with statutory procedural requirements. The bill also would provide that proof of public reliance on an ordinance creates an irrebuttable presumption that the ordinance was enacted properly.

"The court effectively ended the time limit for challenging township zoning ordinances, so townships and their residents face the threat of legal expenses, typically well in excess of $25,000, to defend their zoning laws -- even when the townships have followed the letter of the law and the challenges are frivolous," Kessler said. "Unless we change the law, the burdens imposed on townships and taxpayers by the decision will be overwhelming."

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Shapiro legislation targeting terrorists approved by committee

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, to keep Pennsylvania dollars out of terrorists' hands is one step closer to becoming law after being approved unanimously by the House State Government Committee. Shapiro's proposal, consisting of three bills with nearly 70 co-sponsors, would prohibit the Public School Employees' Retirement System, State Employees' Retirement System and Pennsylvania Office of the Treasurer from investing in companies that do business with nations listed by the U.S. State Department as sponsors of terrorism.

"We must win the war on terror. Unfortunately, we are not using all of the economic tools at our disposal on the state level to support our military and diplomatic efforts," Shapiro said. "Collectively, these three agencies invest over $111 billion each year. By ensuring that none of this money goes to companies that do business with terrorists, we could have a positive impact on the war on terror."

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The state House Transportation Committee this week agreed unanimously to send to the full House a bill sponsored by Rep. Rick Taylor, D-Montgomery, that would prohibit future use of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base for either commercial passenger or cargo flight service. Under Taylor's legislation, Willow Grove would continue playing a critical role in law enforcement, homeland security and in ensuring the preparedness of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

"I was very pleased to see the level of bipartisan support in the Transportation Committee," said Taylor. "The residents of Willow Grove and its neighboring communities are now one step closer to having the security of knowing the airfield would never become a busy commercial passenger or air cargo facility."

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BILL INTRODUCTIONS

James introduces plan to abolish mandatory minimum sentences

Rep. Harold James, D-Phila., has introduced legislation aimed at saving the state millions in Department of Corrections costs. The bill would abolish mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent crimes. The legislation (H.B. 1606) would help to relieve prison overcrowding and also reduce expenditures brought on by rising costs for incarceration.

"There is widespread support for revised guidelines for sentencing," James said. "Twenty-five other states have recently instituted new guidelines regarding mandatory minimum sentencing and it is time for Pennsylvania to join them."

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Cohen wants to repeal 2004 zoning law

Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Phila, is introducing legislation (H.B. 1651) that would allow any city taxpayer to challenge a Philadelphia zoning decision. Cohen said in the past any Philadelphia taxpayer was permitted to appeal a Zoning Hearing Board decision; however, the law was changed in 2004, narrowing the scope of people eligible to appeal. Under current law, only taxpayers who are detrimentally harmed by decisions have the right to appeal.

"The change in the law limiting who is permitted to appeal zoning decisions was a step backward for freedom of speech," Cohen said. "The law we've been operating under since 2004 fails to account for the wide range of people who are affected by zoning laws, making some taxpayers voices more valuable than others."

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Mahoney introduces bill to increase deer herd on Pa. game lands

Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette, has introduced legislation aimed at increasing the deer population on game lands in Pennsylvania. The bill would require the state Game Commission to implement new policies and procedures for sports enthusiasts. Mahoney said the legislation (H.B. 1667) would: establish citizen task forces for every wildlife management unit across the state; return the antler requirements to pre-2003 status by requiring that a buck only needs to have two points on an antler or a spike at least 3 inches long to be harvested; require the Game Commission to adopt policies to increase the deer population on game lands and to submit an annual report on the status of those policies; and require the Game Commission to collect mandatory harvest report cards from hunters.

"The tradition of hunting on state game lands is popular in Pennsylvania," Mahoney said. "My proposal would increase the deer population so more deer would be available for hunters to harvest."

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Grucela bill would create license plate for 'The Greatest Generation'

Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, plans to introduce legislation that would create a World War II Battle of the Bulge Special Fund License Plate. The cost of the plate would be $20 in addition to the standard annual registration fee and would be available to any Pennsylvania resident. The additional fee for the plate would be allocated to the county Veteran's Affairs Office where the applicant resides.

"The Battle of the Bulge on the European Western Front was considered the largest land battle of World War II, where more than 500,000 Americans fought," Grucela said. "While there are several other memorial plates available, we should not overlook the contributions of the brave men of 'The Greatest Generation.'"

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