House Returns to Session as Budget Address Draws Near

The House of Representatives returns to session next week with a variety of items on the agenda both on the House floor and in committee.

With the governor’s annual budget address just over a week away, the House Education Committee will look at how special education programs are being funded in the Commonwealth by holding an informational briefing on recommendations made by the Special Education Funding Commission. In December, the commission recommended adopting a new formula based on three cost categories – low (category 1), moderate (category 2) and high (category 3). The formula would also include factors reflecting community differences such as market value/personal income aid ratio, equalized millage rate and small and rural school districts.

Last week, by a vote of 187-9, the House passed House Bill 1738 (Rep. Bernie O’Neill, R-Bucks County), to establish a commission to study and make recommendations for a new formula for distributing state funding to basic education. The commission would work with school districts and charter operators to develop a funding formula based on the school district’s market value/personal income aid ratio, equalized millage rate, geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support and other factors.

A live web stream of House session and the majority of committee meetings is available at PAHouseGOP.com.  Important information and events may also be viewed by visiting Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP. 

The Weekly Schedule

Identified by bill number, the sponsors and summaries for bills scheduled to be considered in committee or on the House floor are posted below.  More information regarding these bills can be found at PAHouseGOP.com by clicking on the “Research Bills” tab.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Committee Meetings/Hearings

EDUCATION, 11 a.m., Room 140, Main Capitol

• Informational briefing: recommendations of the Special Education Funding Commission Report.

LABOR AND INDUSTRY, 11 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 1514 (Rep. Sue Helm, R-Dauphin): Protects students against unfair and discriminatory housing practices.
• HB 1960 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Prohibits municipalities from placing mandates on private employers regarding leave and compensation.

HEALTH, 11:30 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HR 592 (Rep. Ronald Waters, D-Delaware/Philadelphia): Recognizes January 2014 as “Preparing for a Lifetime – It’s Everyone’s Responsibility Month” in Pennsylvania.

Session

On Monday, the House will convene at 1 p.m. for legislative business. The members will vote the uncontested calendar and Rule 35 resolutions.

Votes on Second Consideration

• HB 1602 (Rep. Becky Corbin, R-Chester): Removes Project 70 restrictions on certain land in Downingtown Borough, Chester County.
• HB 1873 (Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre/Mifflin): Releases Project 70 restrictions on certain land in Benner Township, Centre County.
• HB 1944 (Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler): Land, building and improvement conveyances in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the Borough of Pine Grove, Schuylkill County.

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 777 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Creates a moratorium on increases in income due to a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for certain individuals enrolled in PACE and PACENET and also changes the definition of “income” to exclude Medicare Part B premiums.
• HB 906 (Rep. Mike Reese, R-Fayette/Westmoreland): Adds “government agencies” to the list of specifically enumerated third parties where customer consent is required in order for an electric distribution company to provide access to customer meters and meter data.
• HB 1863 (Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Berks/Lehigh): Establishes an additional penalty of up to five years imprisonment when a theft involves public funds or funds from a charity.
• SB 437 (Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Berks/Chester/Dauphin/Lancaster/Lebanon): Creates a Pennsylvania military science teaching certificate.
• SB 1081 (Sen. John Eichelberger, R-Bedford/Blair/Fulton/Huntingdon/Mifflin): Amends the First Class Township Code to allow for the electronic filing of enacted ordinances, and to authorize the county to set up electronic storage of filed ordinances.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Committee Meetings/Hearings

HUMAN SERVICES, 9 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

• Public hearing on the proliferation of opioid drug misuse and abuse.

STATE GOVERNMENT, 9 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HB 1471 (Rep. John McGinnis, R-Blair): Requires the State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System to present a mark-to-market balance sheet in their annual financial reports.

TRANSPORTATION, 9:30 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 1246 (Rep. Jerry Stern, R-Blair): Includes utility line crews as emergency responders during declared disaster emergencies under the Vehicle Code.
• HB 1415 (Rep. David Maloney, R-Berks): Establishes a bicycle Share-The-Road registration plate.
• HB 1831 (Rep. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland/York): Bridge naming: Glenn Bowers Memorial Bridge.
• HB 1921 (Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria/Somerset): Bridge naming: Trooper Joseph Sepp Memorial Bridge.
• HB 1938 (Rep. John McGinnis, R-Blair): Bridge naming: Altoona Veterans Memorial Bridge.
• HB 1939 (Rep. John McGinnis, R-Blair): Bridge naming: Alvin E. Morrison Memorial Bridge.
• SB 1097 (Sen. Donald White, R-Armstrong/Butler/Clearfield/Indiana/Westmoreland): Highway naming: James Nance Memorial Highway.

JUDICIARY, 10 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 1874 (Rep. Frank Farry, R-Bucks): Requires that a provider of counseling services to sexually violent predators notify the district attorney and the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality where the provider is located that the provider is counseling sexually violent predators.
• SB 84 (Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Bucks/Montgomery): Reenacts into law the “Deficiency Judgment Act.”

Session

On Tuesday the House will meet at 11 a.m. for legislative business.

Votes on Second Consideration

• HB 1489 (Rep. Adam Harris, R-Juniata/Mifflin/Snyder): Amends the State Lottery Law to provide for a Pennsylvania lottery winnings intercept for state delinquent taxes.
• HB 1718 (Rep. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster): Requires the Pennsylvania Department of Education to establish an online clearinghouse that features an online database of online courses which will be made accessible to public schools, nonpublic schools and home education programs.
• HB 1808 (Rep. Kurt Masser, R-Columbia/Montour/Northumberland): Reduces the standard period from 21 years to 10 years for bringing an action for the acquisition of title through adverse possession under certain circumstances.
• SB 497 (Sen. John Eichelberger, R-Bedford/Blair/Fulton/Huntingdon/Mifflin): Updates and re-codifies the Third Class City Code.
• SB 703 (Sen. John Blake, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe): Removes a three-year time limit within which members of the Scranton Police and Fire pension systems must begin working for the city in order to be eligible for purchasing credit for time spent in the armed forces.
• SB 704 (Sen. John Blake, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe): Removes a three-year time limit within which members of the Scranton employee pension system must begin working for the city in order to be eligible for purchasing credit for time spent in the armed forces.
• SB 895 (Sen. Richard Alloway, R-Adams/Franklin/York): Reduces the length of each term for members of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Board of Commissioners from eight years to four years, while allowing for multiple terms of continued service.

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 1489 (Harris)
• HB 1602 (Corbin)
• HB 1873 (Benninghoff)
• HB 1944 (Metcalfe)

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Committee Meetings/Hearings

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, 9 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• Public hearing on HB 1565 (Rep. Marcia Hahn, R-Northampton): Amends the Clean Streams Law to clarify that riparian buffer and riparian forest buffers shall not be required but may be used as a choice among best management practices or design standards to minimize pollution from erosion and sedimentation.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 9:15 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

• HB 1086 (Rep. Tina Davis, D-Bucks): Makes several changes to the Scrap Material Theft Prevention Act.
• SB 688 (Senator Mike Waugh, R-York): Creates the offense of theft of secondary metals.

AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES, 9:30 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

• Informational meeting on HB 1907 (Rep. Stan Saylor, R-York): Requires hospitals to educate consumers about their admission status when being treated in a non-emergency room setting.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, 10:15 a.m., Room 39, East Wing

• HB 1772 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery): Extends the Deputy Sheriffs’ Education and Training Act to include elected and appointed sheriffs; requires sheriffs to receive the same training currently provided to deputy sheriffs; and provides monies for training.

Session

On Wednesday the House will meet at 11 a.m. for legislative business.