weekly legislative update

This is a list of bills that passed the Pennsylvania House or Senate this week, and mention of any noteworthy resolutions. Standard caveats apply (resolutions not generally included, list of sponsors deleted if it was too long - three lines in the originally formatting).

Our accountant friends at PICPA have provided their usual informative weekly update. They have a paragraph providing some detail on HB960, concerning the estate tax (personally I have no problems with an estate tax).
Other updates this week:

Senate Republicans
Senate Democrats
House Republicans (daily session updates)
House Democrats

Resolutions

There were a number of resolutions passed this week but none particularly struck my interest.

Bills

No bills were passed in the senate this week.

House

SB 506 By Senators GREENLEAF, COSTA, O'PAKE, STOUT, THOMPSON, PILEGGI, TOMLINSON, KITCHEN and M. WHITE. Prior Printer's Nos. 539, 1487, 1798, 1883, 2110.Printer's No. 2245. An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and codifying Title 61 (Penal and Correctional Institutions) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for composition of Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing and for powers and duties; providing for adoption of guidelines for State parole and for temporary release from county correctional institutions; further providing for sentencing proceeding and place of confinement; providing for parole without board supervision, for judicial power to release inmates and for transfers of inmates needing medical care; further providing for State intermediate punishment; providing for other criminal provisions; amending the heading of Title 61; adding definitions, provisions relating to general administration of correctional institutions, State Correctional institutions, county correctional institutions, the Philadelphia County Prison, house of detention for untried inmates and witnesses, inmate labor, medical services, visitation, motivational boot camp, execution procedure and method, miscellaneous matters relating thereto, probation and parole generally, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, County Probation and Parole Officers' Firearm Education and Training, and correctional institution interstate compacts; and making repeals relating to codification.

SB 655 By Senators MADIGAN, STOUT, O'PAKE, M. WHITE, COSTA, RAFFERTY, RHOADES, BOSCOLA, D. WHITE, ORIE and WONDERLING. Prior Printer's Nos. 844, 1354, 1799, 1911.Printer's No. 2171. An Act amending the act of May 23, 1945 (P.L.913, No.367), known as the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law, further providing for general powers of the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists; and providing for continuing education requirements.

SB1054 Prior Printer's Nos. 1443, 1837, 1882, 2075.Printer's No. 2247. An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses), 23(Domestic Relations) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, protecting children from abuse; further providing for endangering the welfare of children; further providing, in child protective services, for definitions, for reporting, for immunity, for penalties and for information on prospective child-care personnel; providing, in child protective services, for information on family day-care home residents and for information on persons having child contact; further providing, in child protective services, for investigation of reports; and further providing for limitation of actions, for sentencing, for assessments and for sex offender information made available on the Internet.

SB 1095 By Senators STOUT and MADIGAN. Prior Printer's No. 1563.Printer's No. 2113. An Act amending the act of July 5, 1984 (P.L.587, No.119), known as the Rail Freight Preservation and Improvement Act, further providing for definitions and for program authority.

SB 1139 By Senators BROWNE, BOSCOLA, CORMAN, ORIE, GORDNER, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, WONDERLING and C. WILLIAMS. Prior Printer's Nos. 1598, 1657, 2176, 2248.Printer's No. 2249. An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, further providing, in personal income tax, for classes of income.

SB 1285 By Senators WOZNIAK, COSTA, RAFFERTY, MUSTO, LOGAN, CORMAN, FONTANA, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, MELLOW, GORDNER, O'PAKE, RHOADES, REGOLA, ROBBINS and DINNIMAN. Prior Printer's Nos. 2001, 2123, 2193, 2202.Printer's No. 2246. An Act amending Title 71 (State Government) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for credited State service, for classes of service and for administrative duties of the board.

SB1331 Prior Printer's No. 2070.Printer's No. 2166. An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, further providing for exclusions from sales and use tax.

HB1773 Prior Printer's No. 2268.Printer's No. 4922. An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, establishing the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs; establishing the Office of Consumer Advocate for Insurance as an independent office within the Office of Attorney General and prescribing its powers and duties; establishing the Consumer Advocate for Insurance Fund; further providing for the functions of the Department of Health; making repeals; and making editorial changes.

HB906 Prior Printer's Nos. 1028, 4165, 4917.Printer's No. 4933. An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, further providing for exclusions from tax; providing, in personal income tax, for contributions to lupus foundations and for a small business health care tax credit; further providing, in neighborhood assistance tax credit, for definitions and for grant of tax credit; providing for Pennsylvania S corporation shareholder pass-through; and phasing out inheritance and estate tax provisions.

HB1491 Prior Printer's No. 1808.Printer's No. 4916. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for weight restriction relating to special registration plates and for use and display of illuminated signs.

SB 180 By Senators CORMAN, WONDERLING, GREENLEAF, M. WHITE, KASUNIC, RHOADES, TARTAGLIONE, KITCHEN, MUSTO, O'PAKE, COSTA, D. WHITE, STACK, ORIE, RAFFERTY, ARMSTRONG and VANCE. Prior Printer's Nos. 251, 1886, 1959, 2090.Printer's No. 2238. An Act providing for protection from identity theft, for security freezes, for procedures for access after imposition and removal of security freezes and for related matters.

SB 513 By Senators GORDNER, THOMPSON, RAFFERTY, D. WHITE, WONDERLING, WOZNIAK, M. WHITE and FERLO. Prior Printer's Nos. 545, 1654.Printer's No. 1717. An Act amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.103, No.69), known as The Second Class Township Code, removing references to elected assessors.

SB 514 By Senators GORDNER, THOMPSON, RAFFERTY, D. WHITE, WONDERLING, WOZNIAK and FERLO. Prior Printer's Nos. 546, 1676, 1718.Printer's No. 2124. An Act amending the act of May 21, 1943 (P.L.571, No.254), known as The Fourth to Eighth Class County Assessment Law, expanding the scope of the act; further providing for the short title, for definitions, for applicability and for subjects of taxation; eliminating the office of elected assessor in townships of the second class; providing for valuation of real property used for wind energy generation; and making a related repeal.

SB 811 By Senators THOMPSON, ROBBINS, STOUT and WOZNIAK. Prior Printer's Nos. 1022, 1234.Printer's No. 1814. An Act amending the act of August 31, 1971 (P.L.398, No.96), known as the County Pension Law, further providing for transfers between certain classes and for additional class options.

SB 860 By Senators WAUGH, MUSTO, M. WHITE and RAFFERTY. Prior Printer's No. 1136.Printer's No. 2091. An Act amending the act of June 23, 1993 (P.L.128, No.29), known as the Plain Language Consumer Contract Act, further providing for contractual requirements.

SB 922 By Senators ORIE, BROWNE, RAFFERTY, LOGAN, TARTAGLIONE, O'PAKE, WOZNIAK, BOSCOLA, RHOADES, EARLL, PIPPY, D. WHITE, WAUGH, WONDERLING and WASHINGTON. Prior Printer's No. 1212.Printer's No. 2046. An Act amending the act of December 15, 1988 (P.L.1235, No.151), known as the Children's Trust Fund Act, further providing for the Children's Trust Fund Board, for powers and duties of the board and for powers and duties of the Department of Public Welfare.

SB944 Prior Printer's Nos. 1235, 1624, 1813, 1880, 2076.Printer's No. 2099. An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for conduct relating to sex offenders and for loss of property rights by certain offenders; further providing for failure to comply with sexual offender registration requirements, for the offense of unlawful contact with a minor and for sentences for offenses against infant persons; providing for sentences for sex offenders and for sentence for failure to comply with registration of sexual offenders; further providing for registration and for registration procedures and applicability; providing for global positioning system technology; and further providing for the duties of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.

SB 1218 By Senators WONDERLING, CONTI, C. WILLIAMS, ERICKSON, RAFFERTY and PILEGGI. Prior Printer's No. 1851.Printer's No. 1945. An Act amending the act of December 17, 1968 (P.L.1224, No.387), known as the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, defining "internet service provider."