Pennsylvania State Capitol. Photo credit: Zack Frank/Shutterstock.com[/caption] Following is a listing of executive and legislative action from the week of June 11. Both houses of the General Assembly were in recess at press time and were scheduled to return to session on Monday.
Energy Technology
Gov. Tom Wolf on June 12 signed into law Senate Bill 234, which creates a program—called PACE, for Property Assessed Clean Energy—to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and water conservation upgrades for commercial and industrial properties. SB 234 was sponsored by Pennsylvania Sen. John Blake, R-Lackawanna. Wolf said the program would spur the creation of clean-energy jobs, cut costs for businesses, and help clean Pennsylvania’s water and air. PACE loans can be used to pay for clean energy upgrades such as new heating and cooling systems, lighting improvements, solar panels, water pumps, and insulation, according to a Wolf administration statement. “This innovative financing mechanism will support the creation of new clean energy and energy efficiency projects throughout the commonwealth, while also enhancing property values and employment opportunities, while lowering the costs of doing business,” Wolf said. The measure is now known as Act 30 of 2018. Among the other bills signed into law were: • Senate Bill 880, which expands the width allowance for truck trailers. • House Bill 566, aimed at speeding the resolution of contractor and subcontractor payment disputes. • House Bill 1952, which addresses a loophole in required sex-offender registration that was created by the 2017 Supreme Court decision Commonwealth v. Muniz. • House Bill 1793, which establishes a commission to plan celebrations for the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026.
Opioid Prescribing
Legislation requiring medical professionals to adhere to strict guidelines when prescribing opioid medications was unanimously approved by the state Senate on June 12. Senate Bill 655, sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, would make mandatory what are current voluntary guidelines developed by the state’s Safe and Effective Prescribing Practices Task Force on the proper and safe prescribing of opioid-related pain medications. The task force—composed of personnel from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Department of State—worked collaboratively to publish evidenced-based, specialty-specific voluntary prescribing guidelines. Yaw’s bill would make those guidelines law. “The guidelines aren’t going to fix Pennsylvania’s drug abuse epidemic single-handedly, but it is a monumental step forward,” Yaw said in a press statement. The bill moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration there.
Postpartum Depression
The state House on June 12 unanimously passed House Bill 200, which is aimed at helping new mothers cope with postpartum depression. The measure's prime sponsor is state Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Luzerne. It now goes to the Pennsylvania Senate. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, is the main Democratic sponsor of the bipartisan bill. “Not only does this bill help ensure that at-risk infants grow up to be happy and healthy adults, but it also creates a critical new connection to mental health services for Pennsylvania moms suffering from depression,” Toohil said. Gov. Tom Wolf applauded the vote and urged the Pennsylvania Senate to quickly move the bill to his desk for signature. “This bill is a smart step toward supporting moms after they give birth,” Wolf said. “Many women struggle with postpartum depression, which can impact their children and entire family.” HB 200 would would include postpartum depression as an at-risk category for early intervention tracking under existing state programs. This step would help to ensure that infants and their mothers affected by postpartum depression have access to services providing support and referrals necessary for the healthy development of infants.
Sexual Abuse
The state House on June 13 approved House Bill 2321, which would open courtroom doors wider for out-of-court testimony by young accusers in sexual abuse trials. The legislation, written by state Rep. Stephen Bloom, R-Cumberland, was passed on a 195-1 vote on the House floor. According to a statement, HB 2321 would expand the “tender years” hearsay rule exception to cases involving human trafficking, incest, endangering the welfare of children (if the conduct involved sexual contact with the child), corruption of minors, sexual abuse of children and sexual exploitation of children. Bloom in a statement called the measure a modernization of the hearsay rule. “Broadening the tender years exception will give more young victims of abuse an evidentiary voice in the courtroom and in bringing their perpetrators to justice while preserving the child’s privacy and protecting them from additional trauma,” Bloom said. The measure now moves to the state Senate for consideration. The House also approved on a 195-1 vote House Bill 2325, sponsored by Rep. Garth Everett, R-Lycoming, that would allow crime victims or witnesses with intellectual disabilities or autism to provide their testimony out of court.
Job Licensing
Wolf on June 14 announced a plan to eliminate 13 job licenses and replace them with less restrictive requirements. Among the job titles to become unlicensed under the plan are auctioneers, barbers and cemetery brokers. The Wolf administration announced its plan as the result of a sweeping review of job licensing in Pennsylvania, which the Department of State’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs was directed to do in an executive order last year. For example, orthotic fitters—who assist persons in choosing the proper prosthetic devices—would no longer need a license but would require credentialing, passing an education program and mandatory training. In one job category, natural hair braiding would become unlicensed without new regulation. Licensing reform would require an act of the General Assembly to become law. Wolf framed the proposal as cutting red tape and bureaucracy and freeing people to use their skills to make a living, saying he wants to “ensure [that] overly burdensome rules and fees do not block hardworking people—especially our military spouses—from getting a good job, supporting their families and growing our economy.”
Higher Education
Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, was named on June 11 as the newest member of the board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), which oversees the 14 state-owned and -operated universities. Turzai used his statutory power to name a governor to name himself to the board, according to a report by The Associated Press. In a statement, Turzai said the 20-member board should consider big changes to shore up the system, including considering whether the state-related universities—Lincoln, Penn State, Pitt and Temple—should take ownership and responsibility for the PASSHE campuses. Turzai also called for curbs on tuition increases at the state-owned schools as well as the state-related universities and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. Earlier this year, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee commissioned a study regarding PASSHE’s future. Turzai emphasized the need to move forward with a review of each of the recommendations outlined in that report and to begin implementing reforms that will make the system stronger moving forward.
Election Safeguards
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale on June 11 announced he will conduct an audit of the state’s voter registration system to help enhance voting security before the 2020 election. “There is zero question that Russians tried to interfere with the 2016 election process in Pennsylvania and other states,” DePasquale said. “I want to use the power of my office to help make sure Pennsylvania is doing everything it can to have a fair and secure election.” The audit is part of an interagency agreement with the Department of State and mirrors legislation introduced by state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, which passed the Senate unanimously earlier this year, but remains stalled in the House. “There is clear bipartisan support for this audit and we need to act now to protect the integrity of Pennsylvania’s election process because any changes that might need to be implemented will take time,” he said. DePasquale said the audit would focus on the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, the centralized voter registration and election management system used by the Department of State and maintained by the election authorities in each county.
