What’s Happening in the PA House – Week of Dec. 19

The state House returns to session on Monday, Dec. 19. Bill numbers will be used to identify the legislation being considered on the House floor.

All of House session and most committee meetings will stream live on http://www.PAHouseGOP.com.

Monday, Dec. 19

Session

On Monday, the House will convene at 1 p.m. for legislative business. The members will vote the uncontested calendar and Rule 35 resolutions.

Votes on Second Consideration

• HB 3 (Rep. Rick Geist, R-Blair):  Authorizes the implementation of transportation-specific public-private partnerships.

• HB 665 (Rep. Doug Reichley, R-Berks/Lehigh):  Allows a surviving spouse to file a joint return if they would have been able to file a joint return had the deceased spouse lived the entire year. If both spouses die, the fiduciary of the estate may file a joint return if the spouses would have been eligible to do so had they survived the entire year.

• HB 1000 (Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery):  Amends the Crimes Code provision relating to the grading of retail theft to establish that, where the value of the merchandise exceeds $1,000, the violation will be graded as a felony of the third degree.

• HB 1333 (Rep. George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland):  Provides an exception from a penalty for failure to make estimated tax payments and adds a special tax provision for poverty within an existing exception.

• HB 1761 (Rep. Matthew Smith, D-Allegheny):  Regarding employee retirement systems in the Second Class County Code, excludes overtime pay from the definition of compensation, authorizes the board to make technical changes to the plan in order to be qualified under the Internal Revenue Code, and specifies eligibility and retirement allowance criteria for future employees.

• HB 1907 (Rep. Glen Grell, R-Cumberland):  Limits the amount of punitive damages that may be awarded in medical professional liability cases against enumerated entities to no more than 200 percent of the compensatory damages awarded in the case.

• HB 2027 (Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks):  Road designation: the Kyle D. Pagerly Memorial Highway.

• HB 2036 (Rep. Rick Geist):  Establishes a self-certification requirement for commercial driver learner’s permit or initial license applicants and requires medical certification for all commercial drivers in non-excepted interstate or intrastate commerce every two years.

• SB 9 (Sen. Joseph Scarnati, R-Cameron/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter/Tioga/Clearfield/Warren):  Requires a person applying for public benefits, who is 18 years of age or older, to provide proof of citizenship and execute an affidavit confirming their legal presence in the United States; requires agencies that supply public benefits to verify the legal presence of all noncitizen applicants through the Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement program or a successor program designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and provides that these provisions will not apply to those benefits where compliance would result in loss of federal funding or would be in conflict with federal law.

• SB 1249 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester/Delaware):  Divides the Commonwealth into 18 Congressional districts and provides for current officeholders, vacancies and missed political subdivisions.

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 1232 (Rep. Rick Geist):  Establishes a penalty for communities that adopt local ordinances that may conflict with provisions of the Vehicle Code.

• HB 1702 (Rep. Mauree Gingrich, R-Lebanon):  Re-enacts and amends The Borough Code.

• HB 1813 (Rep. Mike Tobash, R-Berks/Schuylkill):  Establishes a program through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to provide land reclamation financial guarantees for qualified mine operators.

• HB 2004 (Rep. Randy Vulakovich, R-Allegheny):  Prohibits any applicant for, or holder of, a Pennsylvania slot machine license from serving as a member of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

• HB 2011 (Rep. Gary Day, R-Berks/Lehigh):  Prohibits enumerated public officials from being appointed to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) for a period of two years following the termination of the official’s term of office and prohibits officers, directors, or key employees of a licensed gaming entity from being appointed to the PGCB for a period of four years following their association with the licensed gaming entity.

• SB 1054 (Sen. Jake Corman, R-Juniata/Perry/Centre/Mifflin/Union):  Provides the capital budget for the fiscal year 2011-2012.

• SB 1310 (Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia/Montour/Northumberland/Snyder/Dauphin/Luzerne):  Amends the Unemployment Compensation Law to permit the PA Economic Development Financing Authority to issue bonds for payment of federal loans to the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fun, increase the statute of limitations for collection of benefit overpayments, and create an amnesty program for collection of unpaid contributions or compensation overpayment.

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Session

On Tuesday the House will meet at 11 a.m. for legislative business.

Votes on Third Consideration

• HB 3 (Rep. Rick Geist)

• HB 665 (Rep. Doug Reichley)

• HB 1000 (Rep. Todd Stephens)

• HB 1333 (Rep. George Dunbar)

• HB 1761 (Rep. Matthew Smith)

• HB 1907 (Rep. Glen Grell)

• HB 2027 (Rep. Jim Cox)

• HB 2036 (Rep. Rick Geist)

• SB 9 (Sen. Joseph Scarnati)

• SB 1249 (Sen. Dominic Pileggi)