Tuesday, October 7, 2014
HB 90, PN 4253 (Saccone) – Amends Title 18 (Crimes Code) regarding issuance of administrative subpoenas in investigations involving child sexual exploitation or abuse. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1135, PN 4254 (Gabler) – HB 1135 renames multiple roads and bridges. Senator Rafferty offered amendment A010167, which renames one additional bridge. The amendment was agreed to and the bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 1363, PN 4241 (Taylor) – The bill amends the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act to encourage private investment in efforts to remediate blight. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1543, PN 4242 (Killion) – The bill amends the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act by allowing for the use of “time and materials” contracts. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1550, PN 3650 (Milne) – This bill consolidates five existing business financing programs and places under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA). Senator Alloway offered amendment A010180, which would statutorily recognize the Pennsylvania Military Community Enhancement Commission. The Commission will monitor Federal activity regarding military installations in the Commonwealth, and prepare for/respond to possible closures. The amendment was agreed to and the bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 1672, PN 4255 (R. Miller) – This bill creates the State Agency Green Technology Implementation Act to provide for the testing of new, environmentally beneficial and energy efficient technologies within Commonwealth agencies. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1702, PN 4151 (Ross) – This bill creates the freestanding Pennsylvania Community Adult Respite Services Act, authorizing the Department of Aging to license, inspect and promulgate regulations for community adult respite service programs. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1714, PN 3764 (Petri) – Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act further providing for disposition of abandoned personal property. Senator Browne offered amendment A09725, which subjects a landlord in violation to treble damages, attorney fees and court costs. The amendment was agreed to. Senator Blake offered amendment A010105, which provides added protections for tenants. The amendment failed by a vote of 22-28. Senator Costa offered amendment A010069, which prohibits landlords from disposing of or taking personal property if code violations exist on the property, and under several other conditions. The amendment failed by a vote of 23-27. Senator Fontana offered amendment A010074, which would allow a tenant to bring timely action against a landlord in a lower court if the landlord wrongfully confiscates personal property. The amendment failed by a vote of 22-28. Senator Brewster offered amendment A010083, which exempts seniors and the disabled from the provisions of the bill. The amendment failed by a vote of 24-26. Senator Kitchen offered amendment A010084, which strikes two provisions allowing a landlord to deem a tenant’s personal property “abandoned.” The amendment failed by a vote of 22-28. The bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 1874, PN 2935 (Farry) – Amends the Judicial Code (Title 42) to require that a provider of counseling services to sexually violent predators must notify law enforcement of the provision of the services. Senator Scarnati offered amendment A010189, which reaffirms that attorney client privilege applies to attorneys for government agencies, officials and employees. The amendment was agreed to and the bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 2092, PN 3812 (M. K. Keller) – HB 2092 amends Title 75 to provide a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exemption for drivers of covered farm vehicles to conform to Federal Law. Senator Browne offered amendment A09948, which authorizes a third party to administer the portion of the driver’s exam that includes operation of a motor vehicle. The amendment was agreed to and the bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 2204, PN 3526 (Simmons) – This bill amends the Early Intervention Services Act of 1990 to add homeless infants and toddlers to the list of at-risk categories which trigger automatic tracking by early intervention services and appropriates $640,000 to DPW to implement. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 2310, PN 4176 (Sonney) – This bill authorizes the conveyance of several pieces of property to Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society in Erie County, a land conveyance in Lycoming County and an ingress and egress easement conveyance in the City of Erie. The bill also reenacts land conveyances in Act 100 of 2014. Senator Browne offered amendment A010206, which provides for an additional land conveyance. The amendment was agreed to. Senator Baker offered amendment A010236, which also provides for another land conveyance. The amendment was agreed to and the bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 2340, PN 3757 (Kampf) – Amends the Insurance Company Law of 1921, providing for medical professional liability reciprocal exchange-to-stock conversion. Senator Vance offered amendment A10137, which prohibits insurance policies from placing oral cancer medications on a specialty tier or charging a coinsurance payment for oral cancer treatment. Senator Tomlinson moved to table the amendment to provide for further discussion, but the motion failed by a vote of 11-39. The amendment was ultimately adopted by a vote of 46-4 and the bill went over in its order as amended.
HB 2353, PN 3854 (Evankovich) – Amends the Insurance Department Law of 1921, to establish parity under state law with federal law, as it deals with Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) rights as a secured creditor to insurance companies. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1268, PN 2312 (Eichelberger) – Establishes the freestanding Navigator Accessibility and Regulation Act, under which the Insurance Commissioner will be required to establish an application for those who seek to be certified as navigators. Senator Eichelberger offered amendment A09735, which excludes employees of health care facilities who provide insurance enrollment or coverage assistance to patients from the requirements of the Act. The amendment was adopted by a vote of 50-0. Senator Hughes offered amendment A010159, which changes the effective date until the Commonwealth operates its own exchange. The amendment failed by a vote of 23-27. The bill went over in its order as amended.
SB 1481, PN 2301 (Erickson) – This bill amends the Solid Waste Management Act, in residual waste, further providing for transportation of residual waste. Senator Erickson offered amendment A010168, which subjects all landfills (not just municipal owned) to the legislation. The amendment was adopted by a vote of 32-18 and the bill was agreed to as amended.
HB 1816, PN 3644 (Tobash) – This bill amends the Public School Code to allow for continuing professional development in manufacturing and establishes requirements for the satisfactory completion of a basic skills assessment for baccalaureate teach preparation programs. Senator Williams offered amendment A09966, which makes technical corrections and would require applicants for employment at schools in positions that involve direct contact with a child to be subject to an employment history review. The amendment was agreed to and the bill was agreed to as amended.
SB 1441, PN 2334 (Alloway) – Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to provide further regulation of the bail bondsman industry in Pennsylvania. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
The Senate approved the following executive nominations by a vote of 50-0:
Gregory M. Lane, State Civil Service Commission (new appointment)
K. Scott Baker, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority (reappointment)
Maria F. Coutts, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority (new appointment)
Jeffrey S. Gerland, DPM, State Board of Podiatry (reappointment)
Michael J. Paris, DPM, State Board of Podiatry (new appointment)
Robert B. Webber, DPM, State Board of Podiatry (new appointment)
Mark J. Wilson, Advisory Committee on Probation (reappointment)