HEALTHNET PA ADVANCES: THREE BILLS APPROVED BY COMMITTEE  

Three bills in the Senate Republican HealthNET PA package to improve health care access and coverage were approved Tuesday by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, chaired by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana). 

Senate Bill 442, sponsored by Senator White, would provide "Mini-Cobra" coverage for small business employers, creating a high-risk pool for individuals who cannot access other coverage. Senate Bill 189, sponsored by Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre), would extend the option of dependent coverage to age 30. (Nearly half of uninsured Pennsylvanians are age 18-34.) Senate Bill 443, also introduced by Senator White, would permit health insurers to withhold payment to providers in the event of a medical error.  

The 15-bill HealthNET PA package includes legislation that would develop or expand health care clinics across Pennsylvania to provide "medical homes" for 175,000 working-poor clients and ease pressure on hospital emergency rooms.  The HealthNET PA plan would expand access to health care and medicine to more than 500,000 uninsured and low-income working Pennsylvanians. It would utilize information technology to control costs and reduce health care-associated infections, and provide expanded insurance options for employers and families, and will incorporate the concepts of disease prevention and wellness.  

For more on committee passage of these HealthNET PA bills, please see In the Spotlight, below.
 Senator White
 Senator Corman 

SENATE APPROVES GORDNER BILLS TO COMBAT METHAMPHETAMINE 

The Senate approved a four-bill package Monday targeting the continuing problem of illegal production of methamphetamine. 

Sponsored by Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia), the bills will make it more difficult to obtain the ingredients necessary to produce methamphetamine, add new protections for children and clean up the environmental damage caused by illegal meth labs. The senator introduced the legislation with the support of Pennsylvania Attorney General Thomas Corbett and local law enforcement.  

Senate Bill 124 provides for the specific offense of operating a methamphetamine laboratory, and increases penalties if the lab is operated near a school, day care center or playground.   

Senate Bill 125 provides for penalties for possessing the ingredients necessary for the production of methamphetamine.

Senate Bill 126 provides for defendants to be assessed the environmental clean-up costs associated with methamphetamine laboratories.

Senate Bill 127 combines the criminal provisions of Senate Bill 124 and the environmental provisions of Senate Bill 126. 

The package of bills now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. 

Senator Gordner said: "Meth labs are environmental disasters just waiting to happen because ingredients in meth production can cause explosions, chemical fires and toxic releases."
 

SEN. BRUBAKER'S BILLS TARGETING MORTGAGE FRAUD APPROVED BY COMMITTEE   

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, chaired by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana), unanimously approved two bills Tuesday designed to protect consumers from fraud perpetrated by unscrupulous mortgage brokers. 

Senate Bill 170 would prohibit a mortgage broker or originator from being the exclusive recipient of communications to a consumer. The legislation would prevent brokers from withholding information about interest rates, fees or monthly payments, and would ensure that consumers are informed of the terms of their mortgage.  

Senate Bill 171 would also help to prevent fraud by protecting mortgage company employees that report illegal activities or take part in an investigation, hearing or inquiry. The legislation would prevent an employer from taking actions such as reducing an employee’s salary or benefits, changing the terms of employment, or firing an employee.   

Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster) introduced the bills in response to the OPFM mortgage scandal that swindled more than $26 million from Pennsylvania homeowners. Brubaker said that both bills were drafted with input from the Department of Banking to ensure they offered consumers adequate protection from fraud. Both bills will now move to the Senate floor for consideration.  

Senator Brubaker said: "Given the economic struggles that our state and nation are facing, it is vital to ensure that consumers are protected from financial predators who would harm others for their own personal gain."
 

GOP REFORM BILL TARGETS "PAY-TO-PLAY" PROCUREMENT PROCESS 

Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) introduced legislation targeting the practice of "pay-to-play" in the area of contract procurement.  

Senate Bill 102 would improve the way professional service contracts are adopted by state agencies by requiring agencies to establish an open "most qualified bidder" process for contracts of $25,000 or more. Agencies would be required to advertise the services being sought along with the specifications, procedures and requirements to be followed, and any other factors that will be used in scoring.  

Services covered would include non-litigation legal services, management consulting services, financial or investment managers, and other consulting services. The requirements would apply to all state agencies, including the General Assembly and the judiciary.  

Co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), Senate Bill 102 is part of a 10-bill government reform package announced by Senate Republicans in January.  

Senator Orie said: "The citizens of Pennsylvania demand honest and transparent government. This bill will open processes which have taken place behind closed doors for far too long." 

Senator Pileggi said: "These changes will make dramatic improvements to the state’s procurement process for professional services. Senate Bill 102 is a key part of our ongoing efforts to reform state government, and I am optimistic that it will pass the Senate early in this session."

For more on Senate Bill 102, please see Fast Facts, below.
 Sen. Orie
 Sen. Pileggi 

HEARING ON GOVERNOR'S PLAN TO CLOSE SCOTLAND SCHOOL FOR VETERANS' CHILDREN 

Members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees held a joint hearing Wednesday to seek input on Governor Rendell's proposal to close the Scotland School for Veterans' Children. 

Established in 1895, the Franklin County facility provides educational services for the children of hundreds of Pennsylvania veterans. 

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne), who chairs the Senate committee, acknowledged that because the state is facing a major budget shortfall, the legislature must consider a wide range of cost-cutting measures.  But she raised strong concerns that families had no advanced warning and that students were notified of the closure before parents received the announcement.    

The senator also criticized the administration's decision to close the school with no placement plan in effect for the students.  She expressed her support for a resolution to halt the closing of Scotland School for Veterans' Children until a thorough legislative study and review can be conducted.  

Senator Baker said: "The students and families have been given little or no opportunity to plan for their future. I find it very unsettling that families are being forced to make decisions now, with no real assurances that their children's needs will be met." 
 Hearing – Part 1
 Hearing – Part 2
 Senator Baker
 Senator Alloway
 Senator Robbins 

TAX CREDITS FOR EMPLOYERS OF VETERANS, NATIONAL GUARD 

Continuing efforts to assist Pennsylvania’s veterans and National Guard members, Sen. Bob Robbins (R-Mercer) and Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) are introducing legislation to provide tax credits to employers who hire service members. 

Under Senate Bill 590, sponsored by Senator Robbins, employers would receive a $1,000 tax credit for every member of the PA National Guard or reserves that they hire or that re-enlists.  The tax credit could be used toward the employer’s personal income tax, corporate net income tax, or capital stock and franchise tax and could be carried forward for a period of three years. 

Senate Bill 591, sponsored by Senator Orie, would provide employers with a $1,000 tax credit for the veterans they have hired since January 1, 2009, who have recently been on active duty overseas.  The credit is available for veterans who were members of the Armed Forces, the Armed Force reserves, or the PA National Guard on active duty in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, or Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The tax credit would be capped at $5 million per fiscal year. 

Senator Robbins said: "Members of the National Guard and Reserves are subject to being called to active service at any time and that can be a hardship for them, their families and their employers. This bill shows our appreciation for employers who provide jobs for our fine men and women in uniform."  

Senator Orie said: "We owe a special debt of gratitude to the men and women who left their families to serve our nation overseas in combat operations. It is only right and fair that we provide this extra incentive to employers as a way to reward their fidelity and their service."
 Senator Robbins 

SENATORS WORK TO CONTINUE FUNDING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER, EMS TAX CREDIT 

Each year $5 million is allocated from gaming revenue for local government grants to enforce gambling laws, but the money is not being fully utilized and currently there is a surplus of $11.5 million. 

Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) has joined with Sen. John Rafferty (R-Montgomery) and Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) to change that and plan to introduce a bill that will provide for the transfer of this surplus and use it for our volunteer firefighters and EMTs. The senators are supported in their efforts by Sen. Mike Waugh (R-York), Chairman of the Senate Firefighters and Emergency Services Caucus.  

The legislation would transfer $1.5 million annually to the Pennsylvania State Police for enforcement and prevention of illegal video poker.  All remaining unused money would be allocated to the Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Retention Program Fund, which will allow for the continuation of the state income tax credit for fire and emergency services volunteers that was adopted last year, Act 66 of 2008.  

Senator Orie said: "While at this time resources are scarce, we need to continue to support our local volunteers and this surplus should be utilized until a permanent funding source can be secured for the tax credit program." 

Senator Rafferty said: "It is unfortunate that this money is sitting in an account in Harrisburg and could be utilized by the State Police and benefit our local fire and emergency service volunteers."  

Senator Baker said: "These funds were set aside to help protect the public.  Our volunteer responders work to keep our communities safe every day.  We believe they should be able to take advantage of this money." 

Senator Waugh said: "Volunteers give their time to protect our communities, so it’s appropriate that these unused funds, which were originally set aside to help our communities enforce gambling laws, be used to both retain current volunteers and encourage new ones."
 Senator Rafferty