(The Center Square) – As their budget deadline at the end of the month looms, the Pennsylvania House considered several bills this week.
(The Center Square) – As their budget deadline at the end of the month looms, the Pennsylvania House considered several bills this week.
Here’s a round-up of the legislation that made its way to the Senate.
Labor and Development
The long-intractable issue of minimum wage saw progress, though advocates aren’t optimistic about its fate in the Republican-controlled Senate.
A bill passed unanimously that would try to combat appraisal bias in real estate by allowing trainees to work with a variety of mentors to see more types of properties. It would also shorten the experience required to supervise trainees from five to three years.
Rep. Joe Webster, D-Collegeville, sponsored a bill that would help to clarify eligibility and language for the state’s pension system for public school employees and others who have been added to the plan.
Legislation that would establish an Employee Misclassification Working Group to head off circumstances in which employees are listed as independent contractors in order to avoid taxes and other expenses to the employer. The group was a recommendation of a Joint Task Force which reviewed the topic and found the state was losing millions in revenue. Another bill passed earlier this month that would penalize employers for misclassifying construction workers.
Another bill with near unanimous support would require public projects to use American steel.
A bill requiring public construction projects to adhere to prevailing wage law by prohibiting split rates passed the House. It would also require construction projects to pay workers prevailing wages for custom fabrications completed off-site.
Legislation from Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Royersford, requiring larger signs giving notice of plans to develop on or subdivide land passed 108-95. A previous version of the bill passed the House last year, only to stall in the Senate.
Veterans would be able to use their service experience toward qualifying as Career and Technical Education teachers. The bill received unanimous support.
Children
There was a victory for victims of childhood abuse in a bill providing a look-back window after the statute of limitations for such crimes.
House Education committee chair Rep. Peter Schweyer received unanimous support for a bill that would cap teacher certification fees at $50. The House hopes to reduce the burden on individuals looking to enter the field, which is in the midst of a severe staffing shortage.
BMI screenings which take children’s height and weight in school could be a thing of the past thanks to a bill from Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten, D-Exton. Critics say that the practice can be embarrassing and invasive while being an insufficient indicator of health.
The House passed a bill that would require AEDs to be provided at school athletic events. The move would help to prevent fatalities from sudden cardiac events.
A bipartisan effort to reform school transportation saw unanimous bipartisan success. The changes would update the transportation index and require schools to collect data, including using GPS tracking. It would create a program for schools to apply for assistance with transportation funds, and it would require the House to revisit the subject in a year’s time to evaluate the issue.
Healthcare
Two bills intended to curb the power of private equity to interfere with essentials like housing and healthcare passed with notable bipartisan support. Republicans including Attorney General Dave Sunday and House Minority Leader Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, have indicated hesitation around the bill granting the Attorney General’s office oversight in hospital sales and mergers.
“There is specific language within this version which makes our potential role challenging. We wish not to negotiate the language through the media, but look forward to improving the bill as it advances,” said Sunday’s office, declining to specify the challenges.
A bill from Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Cheswick, would expand access to blood pressure cuffs for new moms by requiring insurance companies to cover them.
“Hypertension and related disorders are a leading cause of maternal, neonatal and fetal health complications and death. Early identification and intervention is critical to the health of the mother and baby,” Steele said. “Remote blood pressure monitoring is a reliable, effective strategy in getting control of the mother’s blood pressure and avoiding costly and preventable complications.”
Other Bills
In a 131-72 vote, the House passed a bill repealing the Sunday hunting prohibition. In the process, lawmakers saw spirited conversation over proposed amendments addressing other aspects of game law throughout the commonwealth.
A bill reducing fees on ticket resales promises to save consumers thousands on high-dollar events. It would cap seller and buyer fees to 5% respectively, allowing ticket reseller marketplaces to continue making a 10% profit without gouging consumers.
Recent theft of SNAP benefits has inspired a bill that will require the Department of Human Services to work toward upgrading the system to chip cards. The bill would ask the department to provide a report about the cost to implement a switch as well as data on fraud.
