weekly legislative update

As I mentioned in the previous posting, the governor called a special legislative session to look into property tax reform. Information from that session is included here as well. Standard caveats apply (resolutions not generally included, list of sponsors deleted if it was too long - three lines in the originally formatting).

I assume that at this point everyone knows the property tax bill met a sad end in the House.

As for resolutions, there were a number of environmentally related issues passed.

Our accountants friends at PICPA have updated their legislative page, and have a lot to say about property tax reform.

Other weekly updates are available for this week:

PA House Democrats
PA House GOP daily updates
PA Senate Democrats
PA Senate Republicans


Special Session

Monday In the House, HB1 and SB 30 laid on the table and removed
Tuesday In the House, HB 40, 41, 43 were laid on the table and removed, HB 39 conference committee report presented to and adopted by the Senate, presented to the House
Wednesday no action
Thursday no action
Friday no action

Regular Session

Resolutions

HB 711 A Resolution designating the month of May 2006 as Watershed Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

HR 456 A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study and report on the use of rubberized asphalt in the other 49 states and to indicate the number of waste tires consumed in the highways and the new markets created for recycled rubber.

HR 480 A Resolution supporting a Pennsylvania high-speed maglev industry.

HR 747 A Resolution recognizing the month of May 2006 as "National Bike Month," the week of May 15 through 19, 2006, as "Bike-to-Work Week" and May 19, 2006, as "Bike-to-Work Day" in Pennsylvania.

HR 680 A Resolution designating the week of May 27 through June 4, 2006, as "Pennsylvania Hiking Week."

HR 706 A Resolution recognizing April 28, 2006, as "Arbor Day"; promoting public participation in the celebration; and further recognizing the value of trees to our environment.

HR 742 A Resolution designating the month of May 2006 as "Community Action Month" in Pennsylvania.


Bills

House

HB 382 Prior Printer's No. 409. Printer's No. 3527. An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, further providing for powers and duties of the intermediate unit board of directors; providing for State reimbursement for mobile classroom facilities; and making editorial changes.

HB 2042 Prior Printer's No. 2819. Printer's No. 3962. An Act amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), known as The Clean Streams Law, further providing for penalties; and providing for limitation on certain actions.

HB 2375 Prior Printer's No. 3391. Printer's No. 4054. An Act requiring institutions of higher education to implement alcohol policies; providing for enforcement by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; and prescribing a penalty.

HB 2472 Prior Printer's No. 3605. Printer's No. 4055. An Act establishing a farmers' market development grant program to develop or expand farmers' markets; conferring powers and duties on the Department of Agriculture; and providing for funding.

HB 2542 By Representatives BAKER, CAUSER, RAPP, DiGIROLAMO, CAPPELLI, DALLY, HARPER, PHILLIPS, SIPTROTH, THOMAS, TIGUE, WILT and DENLINGER. Prior Printer's No. 3748. Printer's No. 4003. An Act amending Title 13 (Commercial Code) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing, in secured transactions, for effectiveness of actions prior to amendment and for continued effectiveness of financing statements.

HB 2627 By Representatives FLICK and MELIO. Prior Printer's No. 3958. Printer's No. 4053. An Act amending the act of October 6, 2005 (P.L.319, No.59), entitled, "An act amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled, as amended, 'An act providing for the payment of death benefits to the surviving spouse or children or parents of firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad members, law enforcement officers or National Guard members killed in the performance of their duties,' further providing for death benefit eligibility and for definitions," further providing for retroactivity of death benefit eligibility.

SB 583 By Senators BOSCOLA, GREENLEAF, EARLL, LAVALLE, KASUNIC, MUSTO, TOMLINSON, ERICKSON, KITCHEN, WAUGH, TARTAGLIONE, RAFFERTY and PILEGGI. Prior Printer's Nos. 607, 1485. Printer's No. 1792. An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for arson and related offenses, for the offense of endangering welfare of children and for the offense of unsworn falsification to authorities.

SB 601 Prior Printer's Nos. 633, 896, 1142, 1239, 1692. Printer's No. 1791. An Act relating to confidentiality of Social Security numbers; and making a related repeal.

SB 711 Prior Printer's Nos. 858, 897, 1110, 1524. Printer's No. 1793. An Act providing for the protection of consumers from having spyware deceptively installed on their computers and for criminal and civil enforcement; and providing for civil immunity under certain circumstances.

SB 997 By Senators ERICKSON, ORIE, RAFFERTY, M. WHITE, PILEGGI, KITCHEN, D. WHITE, VANCE, EARLL, WONDERLING, REGOLA and ROBBINS. Prior Printer's No. 1337. Printer's No. 1629. An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, further providing for medical assistance payments for institutional care.

SB 999 By Senators LEMMOND, THOMPSON, EARLL, D. WHITE, RAFFERTY, MUSTO, PILEGGI, GORDNER, WENGER, WAUGH, WONDERLING, ROBBINS and ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1327. Printer's No. 1790. An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal, special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates, primary and election expenses and election contests; creating and defining membership of county boards of elections; imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth, courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners; imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying, revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to elections," further providing for Voting Standards Development Board, for compensation of district election officers, for polling places selected by county boards and for public buildings to be used where possible and portable polling places and for prohibiting polling places in buildings or rooms where malt or brewed beverages or liquor dispensed; providing for polling places in other buildings; further providing for nominations by political bodies and for affidavits of candidates; further providing for opening of polls, posting cards of instruction and notices of penalties and voters' rights and examination of voting machines, for voting procedures, for date of application for absentee ballots, for canvassing of official absentee ballots and for violation of provisions relating to absentee voting; and making a repeal of the act of October 8, 2004 (P.L.830, No.98).

HB 2295 Prior Printer's No. 3220. Printer's No. 3734. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for a special registration plate for recipients of the Korean Defense Service Medal.

HB 2468 By Representatives GOOD, GEIST and McCALL. Prior Printer's No. 3600. Printer's No. 4006. An Act providing for the highway capital budget project itemization for the fiscal year 2005-2006.

HB 1503 By Representatives PAYNE, CAPPELLI, CREIGHTON, J. EVANS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, HARRIS, HERSHEY, M. KELLER, MUSTIO, PYLE, SCHRODER, SOLOBAY, E. Z. TAYLOR, J. TAYLOR and YOUNGBLOOD. Prior Printer's No. 1837. Printer's No. 3733. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the offense of fleeing or attempting to elude police officer.

HB 1895 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for special tax provisions relating to land conservation.

HB 2169 By Representatives McGILL, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, FABRIZIO, GEIST, HENNESSEY, READSHAW, SHAPIRO, E. Z. TAYLOR, YOUNGBLOOD and BEYER. Printer's No. 3008. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, defining "governmental incident responder," "incident," "incident area," "incident clearance," "responder" and "response personnel"; further providing for accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property; providing for vehicles involved in accidents and spilled cargo on freeway or limited access highway, for immediate custody and removal of vehicle constituting hazard, for road user duties approaching incidents, for avoidance of lane blockage and expedited removal of vehicles and for liability for authorized incident clearance functions; and establishing the Incident Management Committee and providing for its composition and duties.

HB 2368 Prior Printer's Nos. 3377, 3453. Printer's No. 4007. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for driving under influence of alcohol or controlled substance with a certain occupant; and further providing for prior offenses, for accelerated rehabilitative disposition and for operation of all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles by persons under age sixteen.

HB 2437 An Act amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the amounts of part-time student assistance grants.

HB 2441 An Act amending Title 62 (Procurement) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for application of part; and providing for electronic bidding by local government units.

HB 2457 An Act redesignating the bridge carrying section A80 of the East Side Access Highway, SR 4034, over Fourmile Creek and the Wintergreen Gorge in Harborcreek Township, Erie County, as the Sergeant Donald S. Oaks Memorial Bridge.

SB 1081 Prior Printer's Nos. 1458, 1499. Printer's No. 1512. An Act amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for limitations and eligibility in educational assistance program.

Senate

HB 2319 Prior Printer's Nos. 3281, 3560, 4004, 4043. Printer's No. 4052. An Act prohibiting the use of illegal immigrant labor on projects; imposing powers and duties on executive agencies of the Commonwealth; and providing for remedies.

HB 750 By Representatives SCAVELLO, BOYD, CAPPELLI, CREIGHTON, FAIRCHILD, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, HENNESSEY, LEACH, PALLONE, PAYNE, REICHLEY, SATHER, SCHRODER, THOMAS, TIGUE, YOUNGBLOOD, HARPER and DENLINGER. Printer's No. 841. An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for compulsory arbitration.

HB 2319 Prior Printer's Nos. 3281, 3560, 4004, 4043. Printer's No. 4052. An Act prohibiting the use of illegal immigrant labor on projects; imposing powers and duties on executive agencies of the Commonwealth; and providing for remedies.

SB 238 By Senators WENGER, PICCOLA, WONDERLING, CORMAN, KITCHEN, GORDNER, PILEGGI, EARLL, RAFFERTY, WOZNIAK, COSTA, BOSCOLA, WAUGH, RHOADES, M. WHITE, ARMSTRONG, GREENLEAF, ERICKSON and TOMLINSON. Prior Printer's No. 237. Printer's No. 1771. An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, further providing for fees chargeable by Department of State; and providing for a uniform form.

SB 1114 By Senators ROBBINS, CONTI, STOUT and WOZNIAK. Prior Printer's Nos. 1581, 1655, 1715. Printer's No. 1782. An Act amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.103, No.69), known as The Second Class Township Code, further providing for county associations; and authorizing appropriations to counties.

HB 15 Prior Printer's Nos. 2632, 3167, 3448, 3876. Printer's No. 4008. An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction Fund, for driving under influence of alcohol or controlled substance and for penalties.

SB 809 By Senators THOMPSON, ROBBINS, STOUT and WOZNIAK. Printer's No. 1020. An Act amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.103, No.69), known as The Second Class Township Code, further providing for the duties of township supervisors.

SB 261 By Senators ROBBINS, PUNT, THOMPSON, LAVALLE, RHOADES, COSTA, RAFFERTY, MUSTO, ORIE, WOZNIAK, PILEGGI, KITCHEN and GORDNER. Printer's No. 265. An Act amending the act of June 27, 1996 (P.L.403, No.58), known as the Community and Economic Development Enhancement Act, providing for a Deputy Secretary for Local Government Services in the Department of Community and Economic Development.

SB 810 By Senators CONTI, THOMPSON, ROBBINS, STOUT and WOZNIAK. Printer's No. 1021. An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, further regulating duties of Department of Community and Economic Development.