Bills Become Law
Last week Governor Rendell signed my Senate Bill 906, legislation that adds bioterrorism to the Pennsylvania Crime Code and amends the agricultural trespasser offense, and makes it a misdemeanor of the first degree to enter without authorization an agricultural bio-security area or enter an area without first performing bio-security measures. This is my fifth bill to become law. In addition to Senate Bill 906, the Governor also signed the following bills into law:
- House Bill 174 (Act 106): increases government oversight of food inspections;
- House Bill 196 (Act 107): limits the sale of certain over-the-counter cold medicines sometimes used by criminals to illegally manufacture methamphetamine;
- Senate Bill 441 (Act 123): changes responsibilities for school nurse practitioners;
- Senate Bill 642 (Act 124): provides for provisional licenses under the Sign Language Interpreter and Transliterator State Registration Act;
- Senate Bill 976 (Act 126): changes in the Amber Alert system;
- House Bill 708 (Act 108): establishes a statewide electronic waste recycling program;
- House Bill 1394 (Act 109): permits landowners enrolled in the Clean and Green program to allow development of wind and solar power generation;
- House Bill 1482 (Act 110): requires health care facility employees to wear a photo ID badge while working;
- House Bill 1609 (Act 111): amends the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code to provide for traditional neighborhood development
- House Bill 1639 (Act 112): makes child custody changes;
- House Bill 2139 (Act 113): creates the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS);
- House Bill 2172 (Act 114): increases the jurisdictional amounts in the Philadelphia Municipal Court and all magisterial district judge courts;
- House Bill 2258 (Act 115): amends the Juvenile Act to provide for sibling placement and visitation;
- House Bill 2273 (Act 116): provides for a fee for cervidae livestock operation licenses;
- House Bill 2321 (Act 118): applies the E-911 surcharge to prepaid wireless phones;
- House Bill 2338 (Act 119): outlines principles for children in foster care by foster parents and county and private agencies;
- House Bill 2497 (Act 120): makes various changes in Pennsylvania’s public pension systems (SERS and PSERS) to attempt to address their ongoing financial problems;
- House Bill 2521 (Act 121): enacts the Anatomic Pathology Services Disclosure Act; and
- House Bill 2547 (Act 122): provides exceptions to license fees for manufactured homes
Bills Vetoed
Aside from signing numerous bills into law, Governor Rendell vetoed three pieces of legislation, bringing his total number of vetoes this year to six.
- House Bill 1231: creates a presumption of cancer under Pennsylvania’s Occupational Disease law for certain firefighters;
- House Bill 1926: changes the registration requirements for sex offenders and establishes a Pennsylvania “Castle Doctrine;” and
- House Bill 2477: gives counties the option of eliminating jury commissioners and exempts coroner reports from the Right to Know Law.
We Spend How Much
For those of you, who like me, are concerned about out-of-control government spending, taxing, and borrowing, check the new feature on my website. The 2010-2011 state budget is $28 billion, which translates to daily spending of $76 million, hourly spending of $3.2 million, $53,354 each minute, and $889 every second. When you visit my website, you will see how much the state has spent of YOUR hard-earned money in the time you have been on the site.
For more information on these issues or other legislative and state topics, or if you are unable to open the bill links, visit the Pennsylvania General Assembly website at www.legis.state.pa.us.
As always, please feel free to contact me on any state-related matter that may be of concern to you. I can be reached through e-mail, mfolmer@pasen.gov, or at any one of my district offices.
Sincerely,
Mike Folmer
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