WEEKLY SESSION NOTES
Senate Republican Policy Committee – Joe Conti, Chairman

Monday, October 17, 2005

Executive Session 

Nominations to Various Boards and Commissions.  (See Attached)  Confirmed:  50-0. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 

Senate Bill 74 (Greenleaf) would repeal the current provisions of the Domestic Relations Code pertaining to child custody and create a new chapter with updated custody provisions.  Among other changes, the bill would: 

• Establish a list of factors to be considered by the court in determining "the best interest of the child" when determining custody and visitation issues; 

• Codify longstanding case law that grants standing for custody or visitation to any person who stands "in loco parentis" to the child; 

• Allow the court to require the parties to submit parenting plans for the care and custody of the child; 

• Permit the appointment of a guardian ad litem and a counsel or attorney for a child; and 

• Provide a statutory framework for relocation cases in which a change in residence of a child significantly impairs the ability of the non-relocating parent to exercise custodial rights.  Passed:  49-0.

Senate Resolution 189 (Greenleaf) designates the month of October 2005 as "William Penn's Charter of Privileges Month" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted:  48-0. 

House Bill 816 (Feese) would amend Act 6A of 2005, which provided $50,369,000 to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) for the operation of the commission for the 2005-2006 Fiscal Year.  This bill would appropriate an additional $1,631,000 for the continuation of certain call center operations by the PUC.  Passed:  49-0. 

House Bill 859 (Turzai) would amend the Tax Reform Code of 1971 to clarify that the provisions in Act 40 of 2005 relating to the collection of delinquent realty transfer taxes do not impact the ability of a municipality or a school district to collect a realty transfer tax imposed at a rate higher than that authorized under Sections 5, 8 and 17 of the Local Tax Enabling Act.  The bill further clarifies that Act 40 does not prohibit a school district of the Second Class A (Pittsburgh) from levying a realty transfer tax at a rate of one percent.  Passed:  49-0.

House Bill 1069 (Belfanti) would amend Title 51 (Military Affairs) to provide an additional 15 days of annual paid leave for state and local government employees who are Pennsylvania National Guard and reserve members when they are engaged in training or other military duty under orders by federal or state law.  These individuals would also be entitled to unpaid leave of absence without loss of seniority as authorized by federal or state law up to the maximum cumulative period authorized by federal law.  The changes would be retroactive to January 1, 2005.  Passed:  49-0. 

Executive Session 

Joseph George, Jr. – Magisterial District Judge, Fayette County.  Confirmed:  49-0. 

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 

Senate Bill 361 (Regola) would amend the Public School Code to require school districts to permit home schooled children to participate in extracurricular activities beginning January 1, 2006.  Extracurricular activities would include, but would not be limited to, clubs, musical ensembles, athletics and theatrical productions.  The child would have to meet the eligibility and try-out criteria, or their equivalent, that apply to students enrolled in the school district for participation in the activity.  The student would also have to comply with all policies and rules and regulations of the governing organization of the activity.  Where an activity requires a physical examination or medical test and the school district provides the examination or test to students enrolled in the school district, the district would have to provide a home schooled child access to the examination or test.  The school district would have to publish the dates and times of the physicals or tests in a publication of general circulation in the district and on its website.  Concurrence in House Amendments, as Amended:  33-17. 

Senate Bill 601 (Wonderling) would prohibit a person, entity, state agency, or political subdivision from: 

• Publicly posting or displaying an individual's social security number; 

• Printing an individual's social security number on any card required for the individual to access products or services provided by the person, entity, state agency or political subdivision; 

• Requiring an individual to transmit his or her social security number over the internet unless certain safeguards are in place; 

• Printing an individual's social security number on any materials that are mailed to the individual unless federal or state law requires the social security number to be on the document to be mailed; or 

• Disclosing in any manner the social security number of an individual who applies for a hunting or fishing license.