(The Center Square) – We’re in the second week of session this July, and there’s still no sign of a budget. That doesn’t mean the House has been quiet.
Here’s a round-up of legislation that passed this week.
Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Paoli, saw the passage of three bills aimed at protecting children this week. Two were part of a juvenile justice package of reforms. The other clarifies that “significant changes in circumstances need to be proven” in order for a parent to request a change to an existing custody order. The bill asserts that it will prioritize the best interests of the child in custody determinations.
The House showed near unanimous support for a bill protecting access to Pre-K Counts. Currently, the program is administered by local intermediary units under the federal Head Start program. The legislation ensures IU’s eligibility for Pre-K Counts grants to protect against cuts made by Congress.
“Right now Pennsylvania’s Pre-K Counts program provides high quality early education to thousands of children across the commonwealth, kids who without it might arrive at kindergarten already behind,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D-Blue Bell. “It’s one of our most effective tools at closing the education gap, or the learning gap and setting children on a path for lifelong success.”
The Keystone STARS program which ranks child care centers could receive updates. One would give providers “credit” for years of experience, while the other would educate families about the program by having centers advertise their “STAR status” on their websites and entryways. The bipartisan bill headed up by Rep. Thomas Mehaffie, R-Hershey, passed 176-27.
Audiologists and speech pathologists are likely to soon join the list of professionals participating in interstate compacts that allow for practicing across state lines. Earlier this week, the Shapiro administration celebrated the state’s now full participation in existing medical licensure, nursing licensure, and physical therapy licensure compacts.
A bill from Rep. Roni Green, D-Philadelphia, that would require hotel management to provide hospitality workers with “panic buttons” to use when working alone in guest spaces passed again, after having received support from the House last session.
Inspection of the state’s more than 1,500 funeral homes falls to just four mortuary inspectors. A bill hoping to increase the pool of qualified individuals would reduce the experience required from 10 to five years as a funeral director.
Licensing for barbers can be slowed when the required six board members aren’t available to create a quorum to evaluate applications and perform administrative functions. A bill passed that would change the language of the regulations to require “a majority” of board members.
An estimated 26,000 or more live in high rise residential buildings without sprinkler systems in Philadelphia. The current law requiring them does not apply to constructions from before 1991. To address the issue, Rep. Anthony Bellmon, D-Philadelphia, introduced a bill that would allow the city to create a tax abatement program. The bill passed finally with a vote of 107-96.
“The safety of a building and its residents shouldn’t be determined by the year it was built, and for that reason, I am glad to see my bill pass the House,” said Bellmon.
Vacant industrial buildings throughout the state could soon receive glow-ups. A bill from Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Easton, offering an up to 25% tax credit to owners who repurpose and rehabilitate unused factories and mills passed with a vote of 114-89.
Private parking lot owners who use gateless technology could soon have limited access to PennDOT records. The House passed a bill that would allow them to look up license plates to send invoices for unpaid fees.
Police officers who have been flummoxed by the state’s seat belt laws requiring all drivers and passengers under the age of 18 to be buckled may receive clarification from a bill. Some agencies had misinterpreted the law only to apply when both driver and passenger were unbuckled minors. An amendment to the bill would ensure that teen drivers receive no more than one citation for unbuckled passengers, regardless of how many are in the car.
A bill bringing a 1963 law up to today’s needs would redefine rental equipment as “materials” eligible for a mechanic’s lien in the event that they are damaged during a construction process.
Private campgrounds are currently subject to local amusement and admission taxes not charged to other locations like bowling alleys. The House passed a bipartisan bill that would specifically exempt them in order to improve affordability.
Pennsylvanians frustrated with the paradox of online subscriptions may soon see relief. Rep. Joe Ciresi saw the passage of a bill that would require cancelling subscriptions to be as straightforward as entering into them. It would also require notifications for automatic renewals.
“This bill is a commonsense bill,” said Ciresi. “It needs to be a transparent and easy way to cancel a subscription once their time is up.”
A bill mirroring the federal False Claims Act passed the House with bipartisan support.
