Category: Pennsylvania Legislation

Laws proposed or passed in the Pennsylvania Legislature

Corbett Has Debt Reduction Bill

Pennsylvania Gov.  Tom Corbett has been given a bill reducing the RACP debt ceiling and the state parks remain open. He’s a better man than Obama it seems.

Continuing its commitment to fiscal responsibility, the House sent to the governor a measure to curtail the level of public debt for projects funded by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

RACP provides grants to local communities for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic and historical improvement projects. The funding may be used for the design and construction of facilities that are economic development projects which generate substantial increases in employment, tax revenues or other measures of economic activity.

House Bill 493 will immediately reduce the RACP debt ceiling from the current $4.05 billion to $3.45 billion. The bill does not eliminate the economic development grant program, but redefines it to make it more financially viable.

Decreasing the Commonwealth’s debt load and reforming RACP is an important step in bringing integrity and transparency to the way Pennsylvania does business.

House Stiffens Child Luring Law

The Pennsylvania House recently approved a measure to increase the penalties for luring a young child into a motor vehicle or structure, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

House Bill 1594, which he co-sponsored, would make the crime of luring a child a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. Currently, the offense is graded as a first-degree misdemeanor with a fine of $10,000.

House Bill 1594 now heads to the Senate for consideration.

 

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Basic Ed Funding Study Sought

Legislation has been introduced to examine the basic education funding formula for kindergarten through 12th-grade education in Pennsylvania, according to State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

“House Bill 1738, which I have co-sponsored, would establish a commission to study and make recommendations for a new formula for distributing state funding for basic education, operating in a similar manner as the Special Education Funding Commission created under Act 3 of 2013,” said Cox

This commission would be comprised of members from the House and Senate, along with representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the executive branch. The overall goal would be to develop a formula that takes into account each school district’s market value/personal income aid ratio, equalized millage rate, geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support and other factors.

The bill is in the House Education Committee.

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Marking Fire Prevention Month

The Pennsylvania House has approved a resolution recognizing Pennsylvania Fire Prevention Month, which is October, and National Fire Prevention Week, which is the week in which Oct. 9 falls, State Rep. Jim Cox reports.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to 370,000 home structure fires in 2011, resulting in 2,520 civilian deaths and nearly $7 billion in damages.

To ensure proper fire safety, officials suggest practicing these things:

–Have working smoke detectors on every level of the home that are tested monthly and kept free of dust. Batteries should be changed at least once a year.

–Never overload circuits or extension cords. Do not place cords and wires under rugs, over nails or in high traffic areas. Immediately shut off and unplug appliances that sputter, spark or emit an unusual smell. Have them professionally repaired or replaced.

–Practice an escape plan from every room in the house. Caution everyone to stay low to the floor when escaping from fire and never to open doors that are hot. Select a location where everyone can meet after escaping the house. Get out first, and then call for help.

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Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Bill Tabled

Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Bill Tabled — House Bill 1538, the bill that would allow counties, municipal governments and school districts
to opt out of Pennsylvania’s onerous prevailing wage requirements, was tabled, yesterday, Oct. 1. Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Bill Tabled

A spokeswoman for State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12), one of the more responsible political figures in Harrisburg, says the bill is not dead however.

The prevailing wage law, which requires labor cost to be be paid at a
rate set by the state for most public construction projects,  adds 20 percent to the cost of these projects according to Commonwealth Foundation.

Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Bill Tabled by House

HB 1718 Pushes Online Courses

HB 1718 would create a database of online courses in Pennsylvania

Legislation was introduced last week to create a clearinghouse of online courses for students in public schools, nonpublic schools and home education programs, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129). The bill seeks to offer greater course choice, enrich educational opportunities and offer a more customized learning experience for Pennsylvania students.

House Bill 1718, the Online Education Initiative, would make the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)  establish a database of online courses available to public schools in the Commonwealth. Sixth through 12th graders would have the chance to choose courses selected by their school district.

The bill ensures school districts have maximum flexibility to develop their own courses, contract with online course providers and/or use courses available on the clearinghouse.

The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee for consideration.

HB 1718 Pushes Online Courses

HB 1718 Pushes Online Courses

 

Child Protection Bills Before Full House

Child protection bills before full house

The House Judiciary Committee approved several bills last week in a continuing effort to enhance protections for Pennsylvania’s children says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

House Bill 20 would increase the penalty for concealing the death of a child from a misdemeanor to a felony, which would also come with a larger fine and potentially longer prison sentence. Under the bill, any individual residing in the same household as the child or anyone responsible for the child’s welfare may be charged with the crime of concealing the death of a child.

House Bill 494 would create a new crime of failure to report the disappearance of a child. Under this bill, a parent of a child under age 14 can be charged with the offense if he or she acts with reckless disregard for the child’s welfare and fails to report the disappearance of the child to a law enforcement agency within 24 hours of knowing the child has gone missing.

House Bill 1045 would create the offense of making false reports of child abuse. A person will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine, if he or she knowingly or intentionally makes a false report of child abuse or induces a child to make a false report of child abuse under the Child Protective Services Law.

House Bill 1594 would increase the grading for luring a child into a motor vehicle or structure from a first-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree felony if the child is younger than 13 years old.

The legislation now goes to the full House for consideration.

Child Protection Bills Before Full House

 Child Protection Bills Before Full House

 

Bill Kills Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage


Bill kills Pennsylvania prevailing wage, at least for local projects

A bill allowing local governments to opt out of Pennsylvania’s onerous prevailing wage requirements has cleared the State House’s Committee of Labor and Industry and is now on the full floor reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

“House Bill 1538,  . . . would allow counties, municipal governments and school districts to offer competitive wages – instead of inflated payments based on urban wage rates – to workers on certain projects,” said Cox.

The prevailing wage law, which requires labor cost to be be paid at a rate set by the state for most public construction projects,  adds 20 percent to the cost of these projects according to Commonwealth Foundation.

The union bosses are not happy with this potential blow to their luxurious lifestyles and are commanding the sheep in their pens to action as they fear the bill and its sisters HB 665 and HB 796 will be put to vote next week.

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Prevailing Wage Reform Hearings Continue

Prevailing Wage Reform Hearings Continue — The Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee met in Johnstown last week to conduct the third in a series of hearings to discuss updates to Pennsylvania’s outdated Prevailing Wage Act, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

The law with its origins in racism cost Pennsylvania taxpayers $1 billion per year according to Commonwealth Foundation. Get rid of this and we can stop talking about 20 cents per gallon gas tax hikes.

Testifiers at last week’s hearings ncluded township managers, supervisors, a county commissioner, a city manager and union officials. Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Act requires municipalities and school districts to pay the “prevailing minimum wage” to those individuals working on public construction projects without specifying how the wage is determined, often resulting in inflated public project costs for municipalities. The act has not been updated since 1963.

An additional hearing on the issue is scheduled for Lycoming County on Sept. 26.

Committee Ponders Cyber Harassment Bill

Cyber Harassment Bill — Members of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee held a public hearing last week on legislation to make it a crime to use the Internet to harass a child, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

House Bill 1163 would define cyber harassment of a minor as a crime in which a person uses any form of electronic communication with the intent to harass a child or post information on a social media network about a child such as: statements or opinions about the child’s sexuality or sexual activity; disparaging statements or opinions about the child’s physical characteristics, mental or physical health or condition; or threats about the use of unlawful harm.

The bill would classify cyber harassment of a child as a third-degree misdemeanor and would allow a case to be prosecuted in the location where the victim of the harassment resides.

Cyber Harassment Bill