Category: Pennsylvania Legislation

Laws proposed or passed in the Pennsylvania Legislature

Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Law Faces House Hearing

The Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Law is estimated to have added 20 percent to the cost of the recent work at Garnet Valley High School

The state House Labor and Industry Committee began a series of public hearings in State College, Aug. 22, to address proposed changes to the outdated Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Law, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

The Prevailing Wage Law requires municipalities and school districts to pay the “prevailing minimum wage” to those individuals working on public construction projects. Current law does not clearly spell out how the wage is to be determined, and often high, urban-area union wage rates are used as the basis for calculating the prevailing wage for a given project.

This initial hearing featured testimony from local government officials and union representatives and specifically addressed two prevailing wage reform bills. House Bill 796 would increase the prevailing wage threshold from $25,000 to $100,000 for public projects, and House Bill 665 would make it clear that the law would not apply to road repair projects.

Additional hearings on prevailing wage reforms will take place around the state over the next month, Cox said.

 

Visit BillLawrenceDittos.com for another story on the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Law

 

Visit BillLawrenceOnline.com

911 Changes Pondered

911 Changes Pondered — The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee held a public hearing in Delaware County, recently to gather input on necessary changes to the 911 Emergency Telephone Act in an effort to enhance public safety in the Commonwealth, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129). Among the issues examined was the reauthorization of wireless surcharges and needed updates to keep pace with advancing communications technology.

Testifiers included county officials, representatives of county 911 centers and stakeholders from the communications industry.

911 Changes Pondered

Right To Know Law Changes Being Pondered

Right To Know Law Changes Being Pondered — State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) reports that changes are being considered to Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law

A hearing was held recently by the House State Government Committee during which testimony was taken from  representatives from the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors and Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

The Right-to-Know Law governs access to public information for each Commonwealth agency, local agency, judicial agency and legislative agency.

Right To Know Law Changes Being Pondered

HB 162 Would Let Adoptees See Birth Certificates

HB 162 Would Let Adoptees See Birth Certificates — The House Children and Youth Committee held a  hearing last week on a bill to allow adult adoptees in Pennsylvania access to their original birth certificate, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

HB 162 would require that the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Department of Health release the original or amended birth certificate for an adoptee if the adoptee requests the birth certificate in writing. Current law places a number of restrictions on what identifying information can be released about a birth parent or an adoptee. Generally, a court or government agency may not release the identity of a party to an adoption unless that individual has authorized the release of the information.

Information included on birth certificates can help adoptees with medical and genetic history and obtain proper government identification, among other items. Original birth certificates for adult adoptees are available in several other states.

The bill awaits full committee consideration.

HB 162 Would Let Adoptees See Birth Certificates

More Co-sponsors For HB 76

State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) says the number of co-sponsors for HB 76, which would end the use of the property tax for school funding, has reached 80.

Act 55 Requires Search For Relatives For Foster Kids

Act 55 Requires Search For Relatives For Foster Kids — The Welfare Code for the 2013-14 fiscal year aims to improve outcomes for displaced children who are in foster care or otherwise being served by county Children and Youth agencies in addition to expanding the county human services block grant program, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

Act 55 of 2013 requires county social service agencies or their contracted providers to conduct ongoing efforts to locate relatives of children who have been removed from their homes and/or are accepted for services by the county Children and Youth agency. The law also expands the county human services block grant program to 10 additional Pennsylvania counties, bringing the total number of counties in the program to 30. Preference will be given to counties who had previously applied for the program but were denied.

Act 55 Requires Search For Relatives For Foster Kids

Hiring Ex-Cops Gives Leg-up For School Grants

Hiring Ex-Cops Gives Leg-up For School Grants — The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently approved an amendment expanding targeted grants for school safety that will give school districts priority funding if they hire retired law enforcement officers, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

School districts and municipalities that apply for grants with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for school police and resource officers will receive priority funding if they use personnel who have completed specialized training dealing with interaction with children and adolescents in an educational setting. The overall legislation uses the Office of Safe Schools within PDE to include programs that target school violence through emergency preparedness and all-hazard plans, drills and related activities with emergency responders.

In addition to approving this measure, the House Select Committee on School Safety and Security will hold its fourth and final hearing in Harrisburg next week to conclude its examination of best practices and recommendations to keep students, faculty, employees and others safe while balancing a quality environment for learning. A final report is due Sept. 30.

Hiring Ex-Cops Gives Leg-up For School Grants

False Choice Tax Hike Or Good Roads

False Choice Tax Hike Or Good Roads — State Rep. John McGinnis (R-79) notes that one-third of the spending in the Senate-pushed transportation bill would not have gone to roads and bridges. The bill would have caused a 28-cents per gallon price increase at the pump along with other sneaky costs on the citizen.

“It was like an obese man seeking nutrition at the most expensive dessert shop in town,” he said.

“All of us should oppose false choices with bad consequences,” he said.

For his complete 2-and-a-half minute speech see below.


Hat tip Bob Guzzardi

False Choice Tax Hike Or Good Roads

False Choice Tax Hike Or Good Roads

More Support For SB76

State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) reports that 13 additional state representatives have signed onto his Property Tax Independence Act (House Bill 76) bringing the total number of supporters to 73. The bill was introduced in March with 60 co-sponsors.

A companion senate bill, Senate Bill 76, was also introduced in March and has a total of 22 co-sponsors, Cox says.

 

More Support For SB76

More Support For SB76

House GOP Saves Pa. From 28 Cent Per Gal Tax Hike

House State Government Committee Majority Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) issued the following statement  regarding final passage of Pennsylvania’s 2013-14 state budget.

“I voted for this year’s $28.4 billion state budget because in the
end it is a victory for limited government and limited government
spending.  For the third consecutive year, total spending growth falls
below the TABOR allowable growth rate of 2.54 percent by $59 million.
Best of all, fiscally-conservative House Republicans were able to hold the line and, ultimately, defeat Governor Corbett’s nearly $2 billion annual gas tax-driven transportation funding plan and a backdoor attempt by the state Senate to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare.

“No matter how you look at it, Medicaid expansion is a blatant attack on working taxpayers and a blatant violation of our Constitutional rights.  Pennsylvania needs to stand together with the states that have already rejected ObamaCare in full to protect our citizens’ freedoms and pockets from this accelerated spending nightmare.

“Rather than increasing taxes and fees to generate transportation
revenue out of the pockets of hard-working taxpayers, we should look to other areas ripe for cuts.   If we cut the Department of Public Welfare budget by 10 percent, more than $1 billion in revenue could be generated for necessary infrastructure improvements and repairs.  Using the money from the sale of the state liquor stores could also generate $1 billion.  Tax and fee increases are the wrong answer for funding roads and bridges.  I will continue my fight to protect taxpayers.”

House GOP Saves Pa. From 28 Cent Per Gal Tax Hike

House GOP Saves Pa. From 28 Cent Per Gal Tax Hike