Judicial Reform on House Agenda Next Week

The House returns to session on Monday, May 13. 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.

Mandatory Retirement and Traffic Court to be Taken up by Judiciary Committee

Amending the Pennsylvania Constitution to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges in the Commonwealth from 70 to 75 is the point of House Bill 79 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery County). Currently, several judges are challenging Pennsylvania’s constitutional provision that mandates members of the judiciary retire at the end of the year in which they turn 70. One of the cases is in front of the Supreme Court and was argued on Wednesday. It should be noted the life expectancy of the average person in 1968, when the Pennsylvania Constitution was most recently revised, was approximately 70 years. By contrast, the current life expectancy is approximately 78 years because of medical advancements and healthier lifestyles. To become law, the amendment must receive a majority vote of two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly and an affirmative vote by the electorate.

A federal investigation and numerous indictments indicate that change is needed in the Philadelphia Traffic Court. Enough said. The House Judiciary Committee will vote on Senate Bill 333 and Senate Bill 334 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County) to eliminate the Philadelphia Traffic Court and transfer its duties to Philadelphia Municipal Court.

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, May 13, 2013

Committee Meetings/Hearings

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, 10 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

Public hearing on HB 43 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery): Allows psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors the ability to obtain a volunteer license to provide free mental health services via “Give an Hour” to military personnel and their families.

HEALTH, 11 a.m., Room 140, Main Capitol

HB 1249 (Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe/Pike): Provides for regulation of establishments performing body art services, specifically body piercing, tattooing and permanent cosmetics.
HB 1259 (Rep. Frank Farry, R-Bucks): Provides for regulation of indoor tanning facilities.
HB 1287 (Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster): Requires the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare to implement an electronic approval process for use by physicians to secure approval of all preferred and nonpreferred drugs, and exempts preferred and nonpreferred drugs prescribed by licensed physicians specializing in psychiatry from prior authorization requirements.
HR 243 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Directs the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to study the issue of childhood obesity in the Commonwealth.

COMMERCE, 11:30 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

HB 1361 (Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester): Expands definitions, updates fees and charges, and clarifies conditions for licensing in the Check Casher Licensing Act.
HB 1362 (Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester): Requires a minimum of 10 business days for a loan contract in the Consumer Discount Company Act.

TRANSPORTATION, 11:30 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

HB 65 (Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster): Bridge designation: Thaddeus Stevens Bridge.
HB 892 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York): Restricts motorcycle learner’s permit reapplications to only three times in a 10-year period.
HB 1002 (Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette/Greene/Washington): Bridge designation: Lieutenant General William M. Keys Bridge.
HB 1048 (Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Amstrong/Westmoreland): Bridge designation: Veterans Memorial Bridge.
HB 1060 (Rep. Mark Keller, R-Franklin/Perry): Allows motorcyclists the option of mounting and displaying the issued vehicle registration plates to their motorcycles in a vertical manner.
HB 1121 (Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe): Bridge designation: Sheriffs Forrest B. Sebring and Todd A. Martin Bridge.
HB 1262 (Rep. Sid Kavulich, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Susquehanna/Wyoming): Bridge designation: 109^th Infantry Bridge.

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 388 (Rep. Cherelle Parker, D-Philadelphia): Provides the City of Philadelphia with additional authority to collect delinquent property taxes.
HB 390 (Rep. Michael O’Brien, D-Philadelphia): Affords the City of Philadelphia the authority to use age and financial need when considering property tax relief for long-term owner-occupants.
HB 391 (Rep. Michael McGeehan, D-Philadelphia): Gives the City of Philadelphia the ability to provide eligible homeowners with the option to make property tax payments in periodic installments
HB 714 (Rep. Matt Baker, R-Bradford/Tioga): Provides that the grading of the offense of identity theft is enhanced one degree if the victim is under 18 years of age.

HB 764 (Rep. Kathy Watson, R-Bucks): Creates the offense of online impersonation and prescribes penalty.
HB 770 (Rep. William Adolph, R-Delaware): Establishes a special license plate in support of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
HB 1047 (Rep. Robert Godshall, R-Montgomery): Makes permanent a change to the state’s public utility law that has allowed utilities to reduce their collectable accounts and reduce the impact of uncollectable accounts on timely paying customers.
HB 1098 (Rep. John Payne, R-Dauphin): Amends the Small Games of Chance Act to change the definition of “Major League Sports Drawing” to “Professional Sports Drawing” to allow 50/50 raffles at minor league home games.

HB 1123 (Rep. Gordon Denlinger, R-Lancaster): Amends the Private Academic Schools Act to permit the licensure of online schools.
HB 1163 (Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin): Establishes the offense of cyber harassment of a child and makes it a third-degree misdemeanor.

HB 1164 (Rep. Tom Murt, R-Montgomery/Philadelphia): Requires colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning in Pennsylvania to provide current military service personnel and honorably discharged veterans with priority registration.
HB 1201 (Rep. Bryan Barbin, D-Cambria): Updates the listing of licensing boards within the Department of State’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.

Votes on Third Consideration

HB 87 (Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester): Allows nonprofit corporations to provide written notices to officers, directors and shareholders by electronic mail.
HB 451 (Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Armstrong/Indiana): Allows the use of leashed tracking dogs to track and recover legally wounded or harvested white-tail deer and black bear.
HB 577 (Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Cambria): Ensures that at least one resident of the Elk Management Area receives an opportunity to purchase an elk hunting license each year.
HB 1172 (Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver): Amends the Local Tax Enabling Act further providing for limitations on the mercantile tax and business privilege tax.

Votes on Concurrence

HB 124 (Rep. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster): Requires the Department of Community and Economic Development to adopt regulations to administer a certification program for the construction/installation of industrialized commercial buildings.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Committee Meetings/Hearings

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

Informational briefing by Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis on the Common Core Standards.

HEALTH, 9:30 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

Informational meeting on rural health issues and perspectives.

FINANCE, 9:45 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

HB 1067 (Rep. Michele Brooks, R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer): Applies a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment moratorium to the Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program.
HB 1157 (Rep. Ron Miller, R-York): Extends the expiration date for the income tax check-off for the Wild Resource Conservation Fund to Jan. 1, 2018.
HB 1171 (Rep. George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland): Repeals the Alternative Energy Production Tax Credit.
HB 1359 (Rep. Marcy Toepel, R-Montgomery): Allows the Perkiomen Valley School District and the Methacton School District to annually charge the Commonwealth for a fixed payment for tax-exempt forest land that bisects the two districts.

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

HB 79 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery): Amends the Pennsylvania Constitution to increases the mandatory retirement age for justices, judges and justices of the peace in the Commonwealth from age 70 to age 75.
HB 1258 (Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery): Amends the State Judicial Code to increase the mandatory retirement age for judges and magisterial district judges when a corresponding amendment is made to the Pennsylvania Constitution.

§ HR 107 (Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Montgomery): Urges the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to require pro bono legal service as a condition of obtaining a license to practice law in Pennsylvania.

SB 333 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester/Delaware): Eliminates the Philadelphia Traffic Court.
SB 334 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester/Delaware): Transfers responsibilities of the Philadelphia Traffic Court to the Philadelphia Municipal Court.

LABOR AND INDUSTRY, 10 a.m., Room 39, East Wing

HB 26 (Rep. William Keller, D-Philadelphia): Authorizes the Department of Labor and Industry to supplement federal funding for administration of the Unemployment Compensation system with a portion of employees’ Unemployment Compensation tax contributions.

Session

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

Votes on Second Consideration

HB 284 (Rep. Deberah Kula, D-Fayette/Westmoreland): Prohibits the use of both tobacco and nicotine-based products in schools.
HB 890 (Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Philadelphia): Establishes hold orders and related procedures for pawnbrokers when an appropriate law enforcement official has probable cause to believe that the property in possession of a pawnbroker is misappropriated and requires a pawnbroker to hold items received as a pledge for no less than 90 days.

Votes on Third Consideration

HB 388 (Parker)
HB 390 (O’Brien)
HB 391 (McGeehan)
HB 714 (Baker)
HB 764 (Watson)
HB 770 (Adolph)
HB 1047 (Godshall)
HB 1098 (Payne)
HB 1123 (Denlinger)
HB 1163 (Marsico)
HB 1164 (Murt)
HB 1201 (Barbin)

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Committee Meetings/Hearings

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, 9 a.m., Room 30, East Wing

HB 1325 (Rep. David Maloney, R-Berks): Requires onlot sewage systems approved by the Department of Environmental Protection meet anti-degradation requirements.
HR 223 (Rep. Will Tallman, R-Adams/York): Urges Congress to support the Forest Products Fairness Act.
SB 196 (Sen. Donald White, R-Armstrong/Butler/Clearfield/Indiana/Westmoreland): Expands the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority’s (PENNVEST) funding capabilities.

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

Public hearing on the 2013 Commonwealth of PA Real Property Disposition Plan.

AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES, 9:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

Informational meeting with a presentation by the Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Association.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, 10 a.m., Room 140, Main Capitol

HB 1052 (Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton): Amends the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code to provide for the manner in which recreational fees are used.

HB 1122 (Rep. Mauree Gingrich, R-Lebanon): Amends the Uniform Planned Community Act by extending the time limitation on withdrawal or conversion of real estate within flexible planned communities.
HB 1223 (Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery): Amends the First Class Township Code regarding removal of elected township officers.
HB 1225 (Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester): Provides that the Local Government Commission may publish, maintain and update electronic copies of municipal codes.
HB 1228 (Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton): Amends the Incorporated Towns law regarding removal of elected officers.
HB 1229 (Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton): Amends the Second Class Township Code regarding removal of elected township officers.

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

HB 1020 (Rep. Justin Simmons, R-Lehigh/Northampton): Removes the ability of candidates for school board to cross-file nomination petitions.
HR 249 (Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, R-Lebanon): Urges the President and Congress to support the continued and increased production and use of American oil and natural gas and urges the United States Secretary of State to approve the keystone pipeline project.

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

HB 1202 (Rep. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland/York):.Closes a loophole in state law by clarifying that a person ordered by police to pull his vehicle over must remain with or inside the vehicle.
SB 679 (Sen. John Wozniak, D-Cambria/Centre/Clearfield/Clinton/Somerset): Highway designation: Lt. Col. B.D. Buzz Wagner Memorial Highway.
Informational meeting with a briefing on public-private partnerships.

Session

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

Votes on Third Consideration

HB 284 (Kula)
HB 890 (Brown, V.)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Committee Meetings/Hearings

HUMAN SERVICES, 9:30 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

Public hearing on the effects of the cuts and block grant on county human services.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH, 10 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

Public hearing on HB 726 (Rep. Scott Petri, R-Bucks): Amends the definitions of “child abuse” and related terms in the Child Protective Services Law.

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