Jun. 18, 2015 /
![Heffley’s Bill to Increase Penalties for Impersonating an Officer Passes House]()
HARRISBURG – The state House on Wednesday unanimously passed legislation introduced by Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) that would increase penalties for impersonating a law enforcement officer and outline the illegal use of sirens and lights by a person not authorized to do so.
Jun. 18, 2015 /
![House Passes Legislation Clarifying Background Requirements for Volunteers, Employees under Child Protection Laws, Santora Says]()
HARRISBURG – The state House on Wednesday passed legislation that aims to more clearly define who is subject to the requirements enacted under Pennsylvania’s child protection laws and, where possible, make those requirements less onerous for adult volunteers who work with children, Rep. James R. Santora (R-Delaware) said.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Ward Supports Legislation to Clarify Child Protection Laws]()
HARRISBURG – In order to further clarify the Commonwealth’s child protection laws and provide in statute the waivers of two child abuse clearance fees for volunteers, Rep. Judy Ward (R-Blair) joined her colleagues today in the passage of House Bill 1276.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Ag Committee Discusses Milk Pricing, Producer Payments, Causer Says]()
HARRISBURG – The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint), held an informational meeting Wednesday to discuss legislation designed to bring transparency to the payment of certain state-mandated premiums to Pennsylvania milk producers.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Heffley Issues Statement Following House Vote on Child Protection Legislation]()
HARRISBURG – Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) today released the following statement explaining his vote against legislation that aims to address unintended consequences created by Pennsylvania’s child protection laws but would exempt college and university employees from the background check requirements:
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Measure to Clear Up Background Check Requirements for Employees, Volunteers Clears House, Oberlander Says]()
HARRISBURG – To address the confusion for employees and volunteers who work directly with children, Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest) has voted in favor of legislation to more clearly define the types of personnel who must obtain criminal background checks and child abuse clearances, as required by a new state law.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![House Endorses Watson Measure to Clarify Child Abuse Background Checks for Volunteers, Employees]()
HARRISBURG – To further clarify the types of volunteers and employees who are required to obtain background checks to work with children, Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks/144th) has authored and secured House approval of legislation to address many of the questions surfacing from Act 153 of 2014.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Cutler and Dean Introduce Bill to Appoint Judges to Three Statewide Courts]()
HARRISBURG – To improve the integrity of the Commonwealth’s justice system, Reps. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) introduced legislation that would establish a merit-based system for appointing statewide appellate judges.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Benninghoff’s Childhood Cancer Resolution Passes with Unanimous Support]()
HARRISBURG – Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) today announced that his House resolution designating September 2015 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month passed unanimously.
Jun. 17, 2015 /
![Committee Advances Bill to Move Low-Income Families Toward Self-Sustainability, Lawmakers Say]()
Bill to end ‘benefits cliff’ heads to House chamber
Jun. 16, 2015 /
![House Committee to Learn More About Retroactive Denial of Insurance Claims]()
WHAT: The House Insurance Committee, led by Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) will hold an informational meeting to learn more about House Bill 1178, legislation to limit the retroactive denial of medical claim reimbursement to12 months.
Jun. 16, 2015 /
![Judiciary Committee Considers a Series of Bills to Help Victims of Crime Collect Restitution]()
HARRISBURG – House Judiciary Committee Majority Chairman Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin) was pleased that various pieces of legislation addressing the issues with the collection of restitution for victims of crime were passed today during the Judiciary Committee’s scheduled weekly voting meeting.
Jun. 16, 2015 /
![House Agriculture Committee to Discuss Transparency in Payments to Dairy Farmers]()
WHAT: The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), will hold an informational meeting to discuss House Bill 1265, which would require any payment made to a dairy farmer to clearly delineate the dollar amount of the total that consists of money collected from the state mandated over-order premium.
Jun. 16, 2015 /
![Benninghoff’s Bill Designating Local Bridge in Honor of Veterans Passes Senate Unanimously]()
HARRISBURG – Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) today announced that House Bill 863, which would designate a bridge in Centre County as the Bellefonte Veterans Bridge, passed the Senate unanimously on Monday.
Jun. 16, 2015 /
![Saccone Bill to Ban Legislative Gifts Earns Backing of the Government Reform Caucus]()
HARRISBURG – Members of the Government Reform Caucus yesterday expressed their support for a measure authored by Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Allegheny/Washington) that would prohibit gifts to legislators from individuals seeking to influence the outcome of legislation. The legislators made their announcement during a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg.
Jun. 16, 2015 /
![Committee OKs Causer Snowmobile-ATV Funding Bill]()
HARRISBURG – Legislation to bring fairness and accountability to the collection and distribution of funds for ATV- and snowmobile-riding opportunities in the Commonwealth earned the unanimous support of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee today, said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint), prime sponsor of the measure.
Jun. 15, 2015 /
![Pyle, Coal Caucuses, to Hold Public Hearing on EPA Regulations to Kill Coal-Generated Electricity]()
WHAT: The House and Senate Coal caucuses, co-chaired by Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-60), Rep. Ted Harhai (D-48), Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) and Sen. John Wozniak (D-35), will hold a public hearing on the federal government’s proposed rule to regulate carbon emissions from existing sources.
Jun. 15, 2015 /
![House Unanimously Approves Rapp Bill to Add Pennsylvania to List of States Banning E-Cigarette Sales to Minors]()
HARRISBURG — Legislation sponsored by Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest) that would make Pennsylvania the next state to prohibit the sale of electronic cigarettes and other related “vaping” products to minors (House Bill 954) unanimously passed the state House today.
Jun. 15, 2015 /
![House Passes Jozwiak Bill Strengthening Baby-Trafficking Penalties]()
HARRISBURG – The state House today in Harrisburg approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Barry Jozwiak (R-Berks) that would increase penalties on people convicted of trafficking infants in Pennsylvania.
Jun. 15, 2015 /
![Lawmakers and Stakeholders Urge Action on PlanCON Reform to Ensure ‘Schools That Teach’ and ‘Government That Works’]()
HARRISBURG – Action is sorely needed to address Pennsylvania’s outdated school construction reimbursement process, a group of lawmakers, including Rep. Seth Grove (R-Dover), said today. Grove authored House Bill 210 to address the loss of taxpayer and school district funds and to modernize the process. Companion legislation, Senate 694 sponsored by Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair), recently gained committee passage in the Senate.