House Action for the Week of June 16, 2014

 

Holocaust and Teen Suicide Education on House Agenda Next Week

The House returns to session on Monday, June 16. Live web streams of House session and the majority of committee meetings are available at PAHouseGOP.com.  Important information and events may also be viewed by visiting Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP. 

Teaching the Holocaust 

Ensuring Pennsylvania students have the necessary materials to learn about horrific atrocities like The Holocaust, which could help to ensure these actions will never happen again, the House next week is scheduled to take up House Bill 1424 (Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks), allowing schools to offer Holocaust and genocide instruction.

The bill will enable Pennsylvania schools to teach their students about the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations in a consistent and effective manner. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) would develop strong curriculum options to teach these subjects, and distribute the curriculum options to all Pennsylvania schools. Teacher training would also be provided by this legislation, as well as an assessment in two years.

The bill comes to the House “on concurrence,” which means, if passed, it will head the governor’s desk.

Teen Suicide Prevention

Legislation aimed at reducing school-aged suicides is scheduled to be taken up by the House next week.

The issue has been in the news all too often.  House Bill 1559 (Rep. Frank Farina, D-Lackawanna/Wayne counties) would require all sixth- through 12th-grade teachers to receive four hours of Department of Education-approved suicide awareness and prevention training every five years. The training would fulfill a part of the regular professional continuing education training requirements under the state’s School Code. The bill also requires schools to establish a youth awareness and prevention policy within 90 days – PDE will develop a model policy for school districts. The policy would need to include reporting procedures and methods of prevention, intervention and postvention.

Also coming to the House on concurrence, and assuming the bill passes the House, it would take effect upon the governor’s signature, which would require school districts to have training and educational information ready for the 2014-15 school year.

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, June 16, 2014

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 244 (Rep. Scott Petri, R-Bucks): Allows unlicensed bed and breakfasts to offer a bottle of wine to their paying, overnight guests.
• HB 1353 (Rep. Warren Kampf, R-Chester/Montgomery): Establishes the State Employees’ Defined Contribution Plan to be administered and managed by the State Employees Retirement Board and implements benefit changes applicable to future benefits earned by current members of the State Employees’ Retirement System’s defined benefit plan.
• HB 1769 (Rep. David Hickernell, R-Dauphin/Lancaster): Requires all alcohol sellers and servers to complete Responsible Alcohol Management Program training.
• HB 2234 (Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny): Amends the entity law by removing certain requirements and procedures for business entities seeking to change their organizational form.
• HB 2295 (Rep. Thomas Killion, R-Chester/Delaware): Permits a carpool or vanpool operated by a private operator to be considered a ridesharing arrangement.
• SB 1312 (Sen. Elder Vogel, R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence): Extends the permissible length of school buses to 45 feet.

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 623 (Rep. Scott Petri, R-Bucks): Allows volunteer fire companies to obtain a club liquor license outside of the quota.
• HB 945 (Rep. Angel Cruz, D-Philadelphia): Terminates parental rights for rapists and provides for paternity testing and child support.
• HB 1699 (Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester): Establishes regulations and reporting requirements for demand response generators.
• HB 2069 (Rep. Kurt Masser, R-Columbia/Montour/Northumberland): Allows liquor licensees to offer discounts on food and malt or brewed beverages to patrons who are part of a bona fide club or group program that the licensee offers.
• HB 2177 (Rep. Lee James, R-Butler/Venango): Establishes the Heritage Areas Program Act.
• HB 2178 (Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams/Franklin): Defines Wildlife Conservation Officers and Waterways Conservation Officers as law enforcement officers under the Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act to allow them to use body cameras in the performance of their duties.
• HB 2242 (Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Luzerne): Allows persons currently selling/dispensing diabetic shoes and inserts to receive a prosthetic, orthotic, pedorthotic, or orthotic fitter license without examination.
• HB 2275 (Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-Chester/Delaware): Extends the wireless 911 surcharge from June 30, 2014, to June 30, 2015.
• HB 2310 (Rep. Curt Sonney, R-Erie): Authorizes the conveyance of three properties in the Borough of Waterford, Erie County.
• SB 601 (Sen. Joseph Scarnati, R-Cameron/Clearfield/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean): Establishes the Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act.
• SB 771 (Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia/Luzerne/Montour/Northumberland/Snyder): Establishes the State Geospatial Coordinating Council.
• SB 1090 (Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming): Allows military veterans considered between 60 percent and 99 percent disabled as determined by the U.S. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to receive a resident hunting license for $1 plus issuing agent fees.
• SB 1102 (Sen. Joseph Scarnati, R-Cameron/Clearfield/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean): Allows military veterans considered between 60 percent and 99 percent disabled as determined by the U.S. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to receive a resident fishing license for $1 plus issuing agent fees.

Votes on Concurrence

• HB 1424 (Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks): Allows public schools to offer Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations instruction.
• HB 1559 (Rep. Frank Farina, D-Lackawanna/Wayne): Requires school entities to adopt a youth suicide awareness and prevention policy and education programs for youth suicide awareness and prevention and child exploitation awareness.
• SB 1077 (Sen. David Argall, R-Berks/Carbon/Lehigh/Monroe/Northampton/Schuylkill): Adds railroad materials to the list of items that may only be purchased from a commercial enterprise by a scrap processor or recycling facility and creates a statewide registry of scrap processors and recycling facilities.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Committee Meetings/Hearings

COMMERCE, 9 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HR 778 (Rep. Curtis Thomas, D-Philadelphia): Directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study of the Commonwealth’s cyber security framework.
• SB 622 (Sen. Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland): Establishes the Debt Settlement Services Act for the licensure and regulation of entities providing debt settlement services to individuals residing in the Commonwealth.

INSURANCE, 9 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

• HB 2340 (Rep. Warren Kampf, R-Chester/Montgomery): Authorizes a reciprocal insurance exchange that writes medical liability insurance to convert to a stock insurance company.

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

• HB 2239 (Rep. Eli Evankovich, R-Armstrong/Westmoreland): Creates guidelines for the use of public-private partnership agreements by local governments to build and/or operate water and sewer treatment facilities.

FINANCE, 9:45 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

• HB 314 (Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams/Franklin): Expands the registration exemption for volunteer charitable organizations provided the organization’s volunteers, members or auxiliary or affiliate receive no direct or indirect compensation for solicitation of funds or that no fundraising activities be carried on by a professional solicitor.

• HB 2292 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Creates the Delinquent Tax Intercept Authority to assume the outstanding taxes owed to the Commonwealth or local governments.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH, 10 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

• HB 1436 (Rep. Dan Truitt, R-Chester): Ensures that health insurance carriers in Pennsylvania will cover the cost of amino acid-based elemental formulas that are medically necessary to treat food-related allergic disorders in children.

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

• HB 2122 (Rep. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland/York): Increases the sentencing range for an individual who commits a robbery while concealing or attempting to conceal all or part of their face during the robbery.
• HB 2345 (Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin): Clarifies and simplifies rental-purchase agreement terms regarding purchase price and the lessee’s contractual right to acquire ownership.
• SB 1001 (Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Dauphin/Lebanon/York): Eliminates the requirement that Notary Public applications be endorsed by the senator of the district in which they reside or work.
• SB 1164 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester/Delaware): Provides immunity from prosecution for certain drug crimes to an individual responding to an occurrence of a drug overdose.
• SB 1197 (Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Bucks/Montgomery): Makes various changes to the statutory law which affects the treatment of juvenile offenders.

TRANSPORTATION, Call of Chair, Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 2219 (Rep. Mark Keller, R-Franklin/Perry): Itemization of highway capital projects.
• HB 2223 (Rep. Garth Everett, R-Lycoming): Requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to accept credit or debit card transactions as payment at all of its licensing centers.
• HB 2224 (Rep. Nicholas Micozzie, R-Delaware): Itemization of local and state bridge projects.
• SB 1187 (Sen. David Argall, R-Berks/Schuylkill): Creates a special license plate for Pennsylvania veterans and current service members who earned the Combat Infantry Badge.
• SB 1287 (Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Bradford/Lycoming/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Union): Updates the definition of “all-terrain vehicle” with regard to weight limits and tires and allows for the titling and registration of innovative all-terrain vehicle models.

Session

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

Votes on Second Consideration

• SB 150 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester/Delaware): Amends the Law and Justice Code regarding the collection, analysis and use of DNA samples and storage of DNA profiles in the Pennsylvania State DNA Database.
• SB 1096 (Sen. Donald White, R-Armstrong/Butler/Indiana/Westmoreland): Clarifies language in the Eminent Domain Code relating to the limited reimbursement of appraisal, attorney and engineering fees.

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 244 (Petri)
• HB 1353 (Kampf)
• HB 1769 (Hickernell)
• HB 2234 (Turzai)
• HB 2295 (Killion)
• SB 137 (Gordner)
• SB 1312 (Vogel)

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Committee Meetings/Hearings

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, 9 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

• HR 815 (Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette/Greene/Washington): Urges the United States Environmental Protection Agency to develop guidelines for the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.

VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, 9:15 a.m., Room 39, East Wing

• SB 1224 (Sen. Patricia Vance, R-Cumberland/York): Extends pharmaceutical cost saving measures to veterans residing in assisted living residences and personal care homes.
• HR 901 (Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-Chester/Delaware): Urges the governor to terminate the third party vendor emergency dispatch towing pilot.

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

• Informational meeting on HB 2014 (Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-Chester): Amends the Older Adult Protective Services Act regarding employee criminal history provisions and reporting of suspected abuse.

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

• HB 1284 (Rep. Thomas Killion, R-Chester/Delaware): Allows any state-allocated money that is returned by an approved private school to the Commonwealth in a previous fiscal year to be redirected to the approved private schools’ line item in the following fiscal year.

TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 9:30 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

• Public hearing on HB 2047 (Rep. Martin Causer, R-Cameron/McKean/Potter): Requires the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to establish a restricted account with two separate funds: the ATV Management Fund and the Snowmobile Management Fund.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, 10 a.m., Room 39, East Wing

• HB 2225 (Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe): Allows students to be eligible for licensure upon graduation from cosmetology school.
• HB 2279 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Places restrictions on the use of derivative titles of “Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.”

HUMAN SERVICES, Call of Chair, Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HB 2212 (Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette/Greene/Washington): Gives the Department of Public Welfare the authority to issue guidelines and adopt rules and regulations regarding a minor’s rights to consent to mental health treatment.
• HR 241 (Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks): Directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a review of Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver Programs.

Session

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

Votes on Second Consideration

• HB 2299 (Rep. Tina Pickett, R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna): Streamlines the eligibility, enrollment and renewal process for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
• SB 75 (Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Bucks/Montgomery): Comprehensive revision of the criminal and civil law relating to human trafficking and its victims.
• SB 874 (Sen. Patricia Vance, R-Cumberland/York): Enables school districts that sponsor community colleges to negotiate more affordable funding levels.
• SB 1194 (Sen. Donald White, R-Armstrong/Butler/Indiana/Westmoreland): Allows schools located in municipalities where no local police department exists to enter into cooperative police service agreements with adjacent municipalities.

Votes on Third Consideration

• SB 150 (Pileggi)
• SB 1096 (White)

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Committee Meetings/Hearings

HEALTH, 9:30 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HB 1760 (Rep. Gordon Denlinger, R-Lancaster): Establishes the Volunteer Health Care Practitioners Act which provides immunity from civil liability in accordance with the act to certified volunteer health care practitioners.

Session

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

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 2299 (Pickett)
• SB 75 (Greenleaf)
• SB 874 (Vance)
• SB 1194 (White)