October 31, 2011
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Pennsylvania Senate Republican News Brief

"Members in the House have consistently said that they would consider a school choice bill if one is referred to their chamber. It's now time to seize that opportunity. I'm hopeful the Governor will vigorously engage on Senate Bill 1 and my colleagues in the House will move this legislation to his desk in a dramatic fashion."

-- Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin) on Senate passage of school choice legislation.

Preview

Redistricting Preliminary Plan, Special Ed., eHealth and Foster Care

The Legislative Reapportionment Commission will hold a public meeting on Monday to adopt the Preliminary Plan for General Assembly redistricting. (12 p.m. Hearing Room 1, N. Office Bldg.)

On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin), will hold a public hearing on Special Education funding and accountability. (9 a.m. Hearing Room 1, N. Office Bldg.) The Senate Communications and Technology Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the eHealth Collaborative. (9:30 a.m. Room 8E-A)

On Wednesday, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, chaired by Sen. Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), will hold a public hearing on aging out of the foster care system. (10:30 a.m. Univ. of Pennsylvania, Terrace Room, Philadelphia)

Appropriations Committee Hearings on Higher Ed Issues: Millersville University

The Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Jake Corman (R-Centre), will hold a hearing Thursday at Millersville University in Lancaster regarding the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

The hearing will give the Chancellor and presidents of various PASSHE institutions the opportunity to discuss a range of topics related to their universities, including the impact of the state budget on funding decisions. The committee has held a number of hearings around the state on issues relating to Pennsylvania's state-related universities. (1 p.m. Student Memorial Center, Millersville University, Millersville)

Review

Bipartisan School Choice Legislation Approved by Senate

The Senate on Wednesday approved bipartisan school choice legislation sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin) to provide additional educational opportunities to Pennsylvania students and families.

 Senate Bill 1 creates an opportunity scholarship program for students in low-achieving schools ranked in the bottom five percent in Pennsylvania beginning as early as next year. In subsequent years, the program would be available for all students residing in attendance boundaries of schools in the bottom five percent.

The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.  For more on Senate Bill 1, please see In the Spotlight, below.
Watch | Listen

Senate Judiciary Committee Amends, Passes 'Adam Walsh' Bill

The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery), amended and passed "Adam Walsh" legislation, which would ensure that Pennsylvania meets federally mandated national standards to strengthen sex offender registration and notification.

The amended Senate Bill 1183, cosponsored by Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) and Sen. John Rafferty (R-Montgomery), would bring Pennsylvania into compliance with the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, part of the Adam Walsh Act. Pennsylvania must bring its law into "substantial compliance" or suffer a 10 percent reduction in federal crime protection grants.

Among several improvements, the bill creates a national registry that law enforcement officers can access and will be available on the Internet. It also toughens penalties for offenders and ensures that they are more carefully tracked if they move from state to state.

Senate Approves Resource Extraction Options on State Land

The Senate approved legislation Wednesday introduced by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana) that would provide new options for the leasing of state-owned real property for mining or removal of valuable coal, oil, natural gas, coal bed methane, limestone and mineral resources.

Senate Bill 367 would give the Department of General Services (DGS) the option to make and execute the contracts or leases. Currently, only a few state agencies such as the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission are authorized by law to enter into leases for resource development. The measure was sent to the House of Representatives.

Senator White: "This bill does not require the state to lease or sell any property rights. SB 367 simply opens up that option, which can provide revenue while boosting our state economy through the creation of new jobs. Equally important, much of the revenue generated from these leases will be used to boost Pennsylvania's environmental protection efforts."

For more on Senate Bill 367, please see Fast Facts, below.

Senate Votes to Permit Cities to Use Red-Light Cameras for Traffic Safety

Nineteen cities across Pennsylvania would be authorized to enact ordinances to use red-light cameras to improve traffic safety at intersections under legislation approved Tuesday by the Senate.

Senate Bill 595, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), permits Pennsylvania cities with a population greater than 18,000 and a full-time police force to install red-light cameras. Cameras are already used in Philadelphia; this bill would permit Pittsburgh, Scranton and 17 third-class cities to use the cameras, if approved by the local city council.

No city can use the fines to enhance its general budget. All funds generated by the program will go to the state's Motor License Fund and will be used by the Department of Transportation for transportation safety projects. Half of the fines will be used for local projects in the cities that implement the systems; the other half will go to municipalities across the state. Additionally, total collections in a particular city are capped at five percent of that city's annual budget.

Senator Pileggi: "Red-light running killed an estimated 676 people in 2009 and injured another 113,000 across the United States, according to a recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. My legislation will make Pennsylvania roads safer, and it will save lives."

Committee Examines Health Care Clinics and the Uninsured

The Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-Delaware), held a public hearing Tuesday to discuss health care clinics and the uninsured in Pennsylvania, and to urge the House to act on health care clinic legislation.

Testifiers included representatives of community health centers and hospital-based clinics from across Pennsylvania. These officials outlined how clinics offer cost-efficient care that saves health system dollars, while representatives of Independence Blue Cross explained that it funds clinics as part its social mission.

In 2010, community-based health care clinics provided 700,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians with a medical home that emphasizes coordination between patient, physician, nurses and staff. The clinics are a place where patients are recognized and supported, and where they find a centralized base for medical care and connection to other medical and community services.

In May, the Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 5, legislation sponsored by Senator Erickson to create the Community-Based Health Care Program to provide grants to community-based health care clinics. The House Health Committee has yet to consider the measure or even hold a public hearing on it. The Senate unanimously passed similar legislation in the 2009-10 legislative session, but the House Health and Human Services Committee did not consider it or hold a hearing.
Watch | Listen - 1:24

Yaw to Introduce Measure Creating Agriculture Disaster Recovery Assistance

With the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) announced he will be introducing legislation to further assist agricultural operations in times of disaster that cause significant crop loss and damage.

The legislative measure will establish the Agriculture Disaster Recovery Program to be administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Components of the program will include a 100 percent guarantee provided by the Commonwealth through the First Industries Loan Program and the creation of an "Interest Buy-Down Program" within the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture which is capped at four percent for the agricultural operation, providing for zero interest loans.

Funding will be provided for the following program guidelines: Working Capital, Land Contamination Remediation and Land Restoration, which will include floodway restoration and the removal of debris and/or obstructions in order to stabilize and restore the integrity of a creek, stream or waterway.

The Agriculture Disaster Recovery Program will be open for a six-month period for application following a Presidential, USDA and/or Commonwealth disaster declaration in any county or the Commonwealth as a whole.

In the Spotlight

In addition to school choice, Senate Bill 1 also encompasses several reform provisions to the state's charter and cyber charter school law, particularly addressing accountability, ethics and governance of charter school boards and requiring greater disclosure of information from charter school foundations.

Other provisions in the bill promote the development and encourage the expansion of charter and cyber charter schools, such as lengthening the initial term and renewal term for a school.

The third and final component of Senate Bill 1 is the expansion of Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, an initiative that provides tax credits to businesses for their contributions to scholarship organizations benefiting eligible children and their families. The expansion brings the total tax credits available under EITC to $125 million by year three.

Senate Bill 1 has been a working product for several months and encompasses a promising strategy for expanding options and accountability in public education, according to Piccola.

Senator Piccola: "I applaud the Senate today for acting in the best interests of every student across this Commonwealth particularly those kids who are trapped in failing schools."

Fast Facts