SB 296 PN 1276 (Hughes): Amends Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in falsification and intimidation, further providing for false alarms to agencies of public safety; and, in sentencing, providing for sentencing for offenses involving false alarms to agencies of public safety. The bill was approved, 47-2.
SB 501 PN 497 (Eichelberger): Creates the Protection of Employee Wages Act to prohibit public employers from deducting political contributions, fair share fees or membership dues from the wages of a public employee.
Senator Eichelberger offered Amendment A03592, which would add language explicitly stating that the Act may not interpreted to preclude a public employer from deducting from public employee wages designated amounts for charitable contributions authorized by the public employee, or from deducting from public employee wages the fair share fees authorized by a collective bargaining agreement under the Public Employee Fair Share Fee Law. The amendment was adopted, 26-23 and the bill went over as amended.
Senator Rafferty offered A03594, which was an amendment to the amendment. It would rewrite the applicability section to include guards at prisons or mental hospitals, certain court employees necessary to the functioning of the courts, any law enforcement officer or fireman of a commonwealth agency, authority or political subdivision of the Commonwealth. The amendment was defeated, 9-40.
SB 648 PN 1297 (Stefano): Amends Chapter 77 of Title 75 (Vehicle Code) to provide for separate accounts for snowmobiles and ATV’s. The bill was approved, 49-0.
SB 772 PN 882 (Gordner): Amends the Professional Psychologists Practice Act to make several revisions to licensure and practice updates to the Act. The bill was approved, 49-0.
HB 907 PN 1125 (Ross): Amends the Real Estate Tax Sale Law, Act 542 of 1947, (RETSL) to add a definition for “posted” or “posting.” The bill would establish standardized guidelines for posting tax delinquent property prior to a sale. Senator Hutchinson, offered Amendment A03448, which would provide an additional method of posting notice. The amendment was adopted and the bill went over as amended.
SB 874 PN 1153 (McGarrigle): Amends the Cemetery and Funeral Merchandise Trust Fund Law to make changes including: deposits made into trust funds; to require price lists; filing of financial reports; prohibition of pre-delivery of certain items; and interest paid on refunded arrangements. Senator McGarrigle offered Amendment A03420, which would add cremation gardens to the list of funeral and cemetery merchandise that may be delivered prior to the death of purchaser. The amendment was adopted and the bill went over as amended.
HB 1275 PN 1685 (O’Neill): Amends the Dental Law to allow out-of-state dentists to take continuing education courses at Pennsylvania dental schools. Senator Vance offered Amendment A03560, which would broaden the term institutions to allow dental hygiene practitioners to practice at sites such as patient homes. The amendment was adopted and the bill went over as amended.
SR 171 PN 1294 (Argall): Calls on the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to conduct a study of Public Private Partnerships between the US Department of Veteran Affairs and privately managed health care facilities for the purposes of suggesting cost savings to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs relative to our state veterans’ homes in PA. The resolution was adopted.