SB 1062, PN 1444 (Corman): This legislation appropriates the total sum of $66,189,000 from the State Gaming Fund and restricted revenue accounts with the State Gaming Fund to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the Department of Revenue, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Office of Attorney General for costs related to oversight of the gaming industry for FY 2011-12. A concurrence vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 326, PN 1387 (Corman): This legislation amends the Vital Statistics Law of 1953 by requiring an issuance of a certificate of stillbirth for any fetal death upon the request of a parent. A concurrence vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 369, PN 1409 (D. White): This legislation designates a series of highways in Clearfield County as a scenic byway by amending Title 74. A concurrence vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1485, PN 2228 (Adolph): This legislation is General the Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2011-12. Democratic Senators – led by Senators Costa and Hughes – argued that they have been largely shut out of the budget process. They noted that this budget was balanced at the expense of working families and students – giving large corporate tax breaks while cutting basic education, HEMAP and funding for the arts and environmental protection. Democrats also noted that this budget should have included or been voted alongside a provision to assess a tax or fee on Marcellus Shale drilling activity. Republican Senators argued that this budget was a fiscally-sound, responsible budget that allows the Commonwealth to operate within its means while not increasing taxes on Pennsylvanians. Senator Corman went on to note that this is the type of budget that the Governor espoused when he was still a candidate. Both caucuses voted along party lines. A vote of 30-20 was recorded.
HB 463, PN 2226 (Brooks): This legislation amends the State Lottery Law by providing for PACE and PACENET members who would have otherwise been disqualified for these programs based solely on Social Security cost-of-living increases. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1128, PN 1434 (Gordner): This legislation amends the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps Act by transferring the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps (PCC) from the Department of Labor and Industry to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB1151, PN 1447 (Piccola): This legislation amends the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act to provide new provisions that apply specifically to Cities of the Third Class including the establishment of a management board if a city fails to adopt the coordinator’s plan and a prohibition against filing for bankruptcy. Senator Blake made several inquiries of Senator Piccola regarding protocol in the bill with regard to dealing cities which engage in Act 47 proceedings and also questioned the constitutional viability of this legislation. A vote of 29-21 was recorded.
HB 15, PN 2223 (Christiana): This legislation creates the PennWATCH Act. This would allow public access to the details on how the Commonwealth is spending their tax dollars. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 38, PN 2224 (Caltagirone): This legislation amends Title 42 to further provide for jurisdictional amounts in court filings related to the actual fees charged for those filings. A vote of 41-9 was recorded.
HB 78, PN 912 (Benninghoff): This legislation amends Title 30 (Fish) to increase the grading and penalty for the offense of homicide-by-watercraft while operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Senator Wozniak introduced the agreed-to Amendment A04204, which would apply the principles and provisions of the Accelerated Rehabilitation Program to this legislation. A vote of 50-0 was recorded. This bill went over as amended.
HB 488, PN 2225 (Hutchinson): This legislation authorizes Venango County to convey a right-of-way over certain Project 70 lands in Oakland Township, Venango County, free of restrictions imposed by the Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act; authorizes the Department of General Services to grant and convey to the County of Chester, certain lands located in East Vincent Township, Chester County; authorizes the Department of General Services to grant and convey to Ohiopyle Borough certain lands located in Ohiopyle Borough, Fayette County, in exchange for Ohiopyle Borough granting and conveying certain lands to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; authorizes the Department of General Services to grant and convey to East Norriton Township certain lands located in East Norriton Township, Montgomery County, in exchange for East Norriton Township’s granting and conveying certain lands to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be added to the existing lands of the Norristown Farm Park; and authorizing East Norriton Township to convey the property it receives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pursuant to this act to Montgomery County for nominal consideration for public highway improvements; authorizing the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey to Kyle A. and Tamara J. Boltz; authorizes the Department of General Services to grant and convey to the County of Lackawanna Transit System Authority certain lands located in the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County, in exchange for a certain tract of land from COLTS located in the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 589, PN 573 (Farry): This legislation designates U.S. Route 1 in Bucks County as the Detective Christopher Jones Memorial Highway. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 870, PN 908 (Everett): This legislation amends the “Recreational Use of Land and Water Act” (Act 586 of 1965) to amend the definition of “recreational purpose.” A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 995, PN 1445 (Baker): This legislation amends Title 35 (Health and Safety) by providing for emergency plans, GPS mapping, and signage for oil and gas wells. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1336, PN 2091 (Godshall): This legislation amends the Home Improvement Act by further providing for procedures for registration as a contractor and establishes a Home Improvement Account. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1352, PN 2227 (Stephens): This legislation represents the comprehensive omnibus school code provisions for the Fiscal Year 2011-2012. This includes an amendment adopted by the Senate Education Committee by a unanimous vote. The amendment included provisions relating to annual education funding (e.g., basic education funding distributions, accountability block grant, intermediate unit funding, etc…), legislation that has passed at least one chamber, the transfer of education-related provisions carried in the Fiscal Code for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, technical clarifications and other policy provisions. A vote of 33-17 was recorded.
SB 1122, PN 1436 (Corman): This legislation provides for the Commonwealth’s non-preferred appropriations to Penn State University and also directs moneys from the Agricultural College Land Script Fund be appropriated to Penn State University. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1123, PN 1437 (Corman): This legislation provides for the Commonwealth’s non-preferred appropriations to the University of Pittsburgh. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1124, PN 1438 (Corman): This legislation provides for the Commonwealth’s non-preferred appropriations to Temple University. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1125, PN 1439 (Corman): This legislation provides for the Commonwealth’s non-preferred appropriations to Lincoln University. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1126, PN 1440 (Corman): This legislation provides for the Commonwealth’s non-preferred appropriations to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Center for Infectious Disease. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.