Tuesday, April 13, 2004 

Senate Bill 977 (M. White) would amend the Forest Lands Beautification Act to reduce the transfer from the Recycling Fund to the Forest Lands Beautification Restricted Account from $1.5 million to $500,000.  In addition, the transfer period would be extended from five years to ten years.  Additional changes would permit the transfer of funds to come from the Solid Waste Abatement Fund and the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.  Passed:  49-0. 

Senate Resolution 240 (Conti) designates April 20, 2004 as "Care by Celebrating Children Day" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 241 (C. Williams) designates April 22, 2004 as "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 242 (Robbins) designates the month of May 2004 as "Community Action Month" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 243 (Stack) designates the week of May 1 through 8, 2004 as "SAFE KIDS Week" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 244 (Tartaglione) honors Pennsylvania's older citizens by observing the month of May 2004 as "Older Americans Month" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 245 (Waugh) designates April 12, 2004 as "State Beekeepers Day" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 246 (O'Pake) designates May 14 through June 11, 2004 as "Sober Graduation Month" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

House Bill 2027 (Roberts) would amend the Urban Redevelopment Law to further provide for the membership of redevelopment authorities in third class cities.  Under the change, a majority of the members of an authority would have to be residents of the city, while the remainder could be non residents who own and operate businesses in the city in which the authority is to operate.  The bill would also permit an authority to own or operate facilities providing water, sewer, steam, electric or natural gas services to persons or businesses located within a redevelopment area and surrounding areas.  The service would be subject to the same conditions and limitations that apply to municipal authorities.  Passed:  49-0. 

Executive Session 

Nominations to Various Boards and Commissions.  (See Attached)  Confirmed:  49-0.

Wednesday, April 14, 2003 

Senate Bill 679 (Madigan) would amend the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the possession and transport of liquefied ammonia gas for any purpose other than legitimate agricultural or industrial use, or in a container not approved by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, or both.  This offense would be graded as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment not to exceed five years and a fine not to exceed $10,000.  Possessing or transporting liquefied ammonia gas and possessing other methamphetamine precursors, such as red phosphorous, phosphorus, iodine, hydriodic acid, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance would also be prohibited.  These two offenses would be classified as felonies, punishable by imprisonment not exceeding seven years and a fine not exceeding $15,000.  Finally, Senate Bill 679 would require the Pennsylvania State Police to maintain a statewide repository of data relating to clandestine drug labs, dump sites, and seizures of laboratory implements.  Law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth would be required to submit the data to the repository within twenty days of acquiring the information.  Passed:  50-0. 

Senate Bill 689 (Conti) would amend the Administrative Code to remove the requirement that the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) annually provide uniform budget forms to municipalities and eliminate the requirement that municipalities file their annual budgets with DCED.  The bill would also require the Department's annual statement of comparative statistics to be issued as a public document in printed and electronic form.  An additional change would require the Department to make the statement available to local governments.  Current law requires DCED to furnish each municipality with a copy.  Passed:  50-0. 

Senate Bill 1047 (Kasunic) would authorize Fayette County to sell approximately 122 acres of Project 70 land in Wharton Township, Fayette County to Woodlands Zoo, Inc. for $190,000.  The land transferred would be subject to the restrictions of the Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act.  The county would be required to use the proceeds of the sale for the acquisition or development of parkland.  The use of the funds would have to be approved by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  Any funds remaining after five years would be paid to the Commonwealth for deposit into the Project 70 Land Acquisition Sinking Fund. 

Passed:  50-0. 

Senate Resolution 221 (Gordner) recognizes May 6, 2004 as the "National Day of Prayer."  Adopted:  50-0. 

Senate Resolution 247 (Wonderling) designates the week of May 2 through 8, 2004 as "Teacher Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote. 

Senate Resolution 248 (Boscola) designates the month of April 2004 as "Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.  Adopted by Voice Vote.