Representative Dave Reed

62nd Legislative District

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Media Contact: Stephen Miskin

(717) 705-1852

smiskin@pahousegop.com / @SAM1963

RepDaveReed.net / Facebook.com/RepReed / @RepReedPA

 

 

TO:                  Capitol Correspondents, News Editors, Assignment Editors

 

FROM:            Stephen Miskin

                        Press Secretary to the Majority Leader

 

SUBJ:              House Action for the Week of February 9, 2015

 

DATE:            February 6, 2015

 

Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Pennsylvania Public Schools on House Agenda

 

The House returns to session on Monday, Feb. 9. Live web streams of House session and the majority of committee meetings are available at PAHouseGOP.com.  Important information and events may also be viewed by visiting Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP. 

 

On the agenda this week is legislation to establish a searchable database detailing the revenues and expenditures of Pennsylvania school districts. 

 

House Bill 224 (Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver County), which passed the House last session by a vote of 119-81, will codify the new Department of Education (PDE) database for school districts known as SchoolWATCH. PDE based its development of the database on the House legislation.

 

Modeled after the successful PennWATCH Act, which established a searchable database providing detailed information concerning the budgets and expenditures of state agencies, the SchoolWATCH database will provide taxpayers with thorough information concerning the amount of funding received by school districts from federal, state, local and private sources, payments to outside entities, and employee compensation. Records that are not subject to disclosure under the Right-to-Know Law will not be included on the website.  School districts failing to report information to PDE as required under the bill will be subject to withholding of state appropriations.

 

Under SchoolWATCH, implementation of the website and reporting requirements for school districts would be phased in over time to prevent additional cost and administrative burden to school districts. The bill also uses existing public school reports where possible to avoid duplicative reporting.

 

 

The Weekly Schedule

Identified by bill number, the sponsors and summaries for bills scheduled to be considered in committee or on the House floor are posted below.  More information regarding these bills can be found at PAHouseGOP.com by clicking on the “Research Bills” tab.

 

 

Monday, February 9, 2015

 

Session

On Monday, the House will convene at 1 p.m. for legislative business. The members will vote the uncontested calendar and Rule 35 resolutions.

 

Votes on Second Consideration

  • HB 89 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery): Amends the Judicial Code (effective when a corresponding amendment is made to the Pennsylvania Constitution) to increase the mandatory retirement age for judges and magisterial district judges in the Commonwealth from age 70 to age 75.
  • HB 90 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery): Proposes an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution to increase the mandatory retirement age for justices, judges and justices of the peace in the Commonwealth from age 70 to age 75.
  • HB 215 (Rep. Mauree Gingrich, R-Lebanon): Amends the Crimes Code to broaden the definition of the offense of neglect of a care-dependent person and creates the offense of abuse of a care-dependent person.
  • HB 221 (Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks): Requires that municipal police officers and magisterial district judges receive training in the identification and recognition of those suffering from mental health conditions or intellectual disabilities.

 

Votes on Third Consideration

  • HB 192 (Rep. Mark Gillen, R-Berks/Lancaster): Requires notification of the Veterans Preference law on the Civil Service Commission website and on all Civil Service Commission announcements, advertisements and exam.

 

 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

 

Committee Meetings/Hearings

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 9:15 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

  • Informational meeting with presentations by agency/offices that regularly interact with the committee.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, 9:30 a.m., 205 Ryan Office Building

  • HB 188 (Rep. Curt Sonney, R-Erie): Provides a preserved farmland owner with at least 50 acres the access to grant a right-of-way to install a wind power generation system.

FINANCE, 9:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

  • HB 147 (Rep. David Maloney, R-Berks): Amends the Pennsylvania Constitution to allow local taxing authorities to exclude from taxation up to 100 percent of the assessed value of the homestead property receiving the exclusion.
  • HB 251 (Rep. Adam Harris, R-Franklin/Juniata/Mifflin): Amends the State Lottery Law to provide for a Pennsylvania lottery winnings intercept for state delinquent taxes and outstanding court costs, and requires a determination as to whether a winner receiving public assistance remains eligible.

JUDICIARY, 10 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

  • Informational meeting with a presentation by the Juvenile Court Judges Commission describing the juvenile justice systems in Pennsylvania.

STATE GOVERNMENT, 10 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

  • HB 14 (Rep. Jim Marshall, R-Beaver/Butler): Prohibits the creation of a legislative non-profit organization.

 

Session

On Tuesday the House will meet at 11 a.m. for legislative business.

 

Votes on Second Consideration

  • HB 88 (Rep. Gary Day, R-Berks/Lehigh): Road designation: Lance Corporal Brandon J. Van Parys Memorial Road.
  • HB 150 (Rep. David Maloney, R-Berks): Establishes a bicycle Share-The-Road registration plate.
  • HB 178 (Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette/Greene/Washington): Road designation: Marine Cpl. Thomas R. Matty Memorial Interchange.
  • HB 179 (Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette/Greene/Washington): Bridge designation: Army Corporal Richard W. Kowalewski Jr. Memorial Bridge.
  • HB 224 (Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver/Washington): Requires the Pennsylvania Department of Education to post on its Internet website certain financial information including expenditures, salaries and revenue pertaining to school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools and area vocational-technical schools.
  • HB 229 (Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin): Establishes the offense of cyber harassment of a child and makes it a misdemeanor of the third degree.

 

Votes on Third Consideration

  • HB 89 (Harper)
  • HB 90 (Harper)
  • HB 215 (Gingrich)
  • HB 221 (Caltagirone)

 

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

 

Committee Meetings/Hearings

VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, 9 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

  • Informational meeting with County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and other organizations to rewrite the 911 Emergency Telephone Act.

AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES, 9:30 a.m., Room G-50 Irvis Office Building

  • Informational meeting on HB 264 (Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny): Establishes standards for the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in certain long-term care facilities.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH, 9:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

  • Informational meeting to review recent changes to the Child Protective Services Law with regard to background clearances.

LABOR AND INDUSTRY, 10 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

  • HB 315 (Rep. Brian Ellis, R-Butler): Allows minors to be employed as youth sports officials.
  • HB 319 (Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill): Requires that the testimony at any hearing before an Unemployment Compensation referee be taken by both a reporter and by recording device, and that an unabridged transcript and audio recording of the testimony be made available, at cost, to any party upon written request and extends this requirement to appeals heard by the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review.
  • HR 75 (Rep. Kathy Watson, R-Bucks): Directs the Joint State Government Commission to study workplace pay disparity, re-examine federal and state laws relating to the issue, and make recommendations to the General Assembly accordingly.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, 10:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

  • HB 75 (Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin): Requires pharmacies located outside of Pennsylvania to register with the State Board of Pharmacy if they fill prescription orders for residents of the Commonwealth.
  • HB 182 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Allows authorized pharmacists and licensed pharmacy interns under the direct supervision of a pharmacist possessing an immunization license to administer the flu vaccine to patients over the age of 7 with parental consent.
  • HB 209 (Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny): Requires all licensees under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs to report convictions to their licensing board within 30 days.

 

Session

On Wednesday the House will meet at 11 a.m. for legislative business.

 

Votes on Third Consideration

  • HB 150 (Maloney)
  • HB 178 (Snyder)
  • HB 179 (Snyder)
  • HB 224 (Christiana)
  • HB 229 (Marsico)

 

 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

 

Committee Meetings/Hearings

EDUCATION, 9 a.m., Room G-50 Irvis Office Building

  • Public hearing on: HB 168 (Rep. Mike Tobash, R-Dauphin/Schuylkill): Eliminates the development and implementation of the seven pending Keystone Exams and allows individual school districts to determine whether Keystone Exams will be used as a graduation requirement; and HB 177 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Establishes an Academic Standards Commission to study and offer recommendations to the General Assembly, Pennsylvania Department of Education and the State Board of Education concerning the Pennsylvania Core Standards.

GAMING OVERSIGHT, 9:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

  • Public hearing on electronic gaming devices.

 

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