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In this Update:
Regan Honors 100-Year-Old World War II Veteran on Senate Floor
On Tuesday I had the distinguished honor of welcoming Mr. William Caparella, a resident of Lower Allen Township, and his family to the Capitol for a luncheon and recognition on the Senate Floor. Mr. Caparella, who turned 100 in January, is a distinguished World War II Veteran, having survived a kamikaze attack in the South Pacific. He went on to have a 42-year career with Pennsylvania Power & Light, and together with his wife, who only recently passed away, raised three daughters, all of whom joined him on Tuesday. Please be sure to watch the above video to hear more about this fine gentleman, who is one of the remaining few of the Greatest Generation. Regan Attends Tunnels to Towers Exhibit at Trinity High School
I joined Trinity High School students this week to welcome the Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation to central Pennsylvania. Thanks to the help of the Trinity Patriots Club, the tractor trailer exhibit was on display to educate local residents about September 11, 2001. It was an honor to say few words to the crowd and welcome them to the 31st Senate District. Police Benefit Bills Sponsored by Regan Advance from Committee
On Tuesday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee, which I chair, advanced two pieces of legislation to provide benefits to law enforcement officers. Senate Bill 429 amends the Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law, also known as the Heart and Lung Act, to extend disability benefits to officers not currently covered under the law. This includes Fort Indiantown Gap Police, commissioned police officers of the Department of Corrections’ Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence, as well as DCNR rangers and park officers, and investigative staff with the Office of State Inspector General. The legislation also provides for certain entities to elect to provide benefits to their officers, including counties for probation and corrections officers, colleges and universities for campus police, and transit and housing authorities for their police officers. Senate Bill 464 provides for full-time, vested police officers with municipal and regional police departments to buy back up to five years for previous part-time and full-time service with a police department. Officers who transfer to a different department within their career often must forfeit any accrued service and start fresh in the new department’s pension system. For others who begin on a part-time basis, that time does not get credited towards their pension. Considering the mental and physical demands of police work, five years towards retirement can make a significant difference. A third bill, Senate Bill 360, was also unanimously supported by the committee. This legislation allows liquor licensees with a “Club” license, which are organizations like Elks Clubs and VFWs, to sell six-packs of beer to-go. This is a long-standing allowance afforded to restaurant licensees. Therefore, SB 360 provides an equal playing field for our club licensees. All three bills are now before the full Senate for consideration. Senate Passes Bill to Protect Newborns
The Senate unanimously passed legislation to protect babies whose parents are unable to care for them. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 267 would expand Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law to allow parents to surrender their unharmed baby at participating urgent care centers. The urgent care centers will ensure the newborn is transported to a hospital and placed in the care of a health care provider. Currently, people may bring their newborn (up to 28 days old) to any Pennsylvania hospital, to a police officer at a police station or to an emergency services provider at an EMS station. The Department of Health estimates that 50 babies have been saved by Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law since 2003. Increasing Accountability and Disaster Response Capability
Legislation requiring Senate confirmation of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) director was approved by a bipartisan Senate vote. Senate Bill 433 would increase accountability and ensure the agency is prepared to deal with emergencies efficiently and effectively. PEMA is the lead emergency coordination agency in the commonwealth tasked with guaranteeing the safety of 13 million residents. This includes oversight of 911 centers and the Emergency Alert System, as well as hazardous materials and incidents involving five nuclear power plants. Five state agencies with fewer employees than PEMA require Senate confirmation. The bill is before the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Votes to Protect Seniors from Financial Exploitation
The Senate approved a bill to help protect Pennsylvania senior citizens from financial exploitation scams using information that is already available within state government. Under Senate Bill 137, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General would notify the Department of Aging about any investigations or enforcement actions involving someone age 65 or older and related to the Pennsylvania Telemarketer Registration Act. The improved information sharing would enable the Department of Aging to deliver warnings to local area agencies on aging in counties across the commonwealth while ensuring strict adherence to confidentiality rules. Senate Bill 137 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Broadband Grant Program Opens May 10
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority recently approved the Pennsylvania Broadband Infrastructure Program which will provide $200 million in funding to businesses, nonprofits, local governments and economic development organizations. This program will fund line extension and development projects, as well as large-scale regional infrastructure projects. Upon completion, projects must deliver service that meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Megabits per second, with prioritization being given to fiber-optic deployment. The application period will begin May 10 and will close July 10. View program guidelines here. Register to Vote by May 1
The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary election is Monday, May 1. Your county election board must receive your application for a mail-in or absentee ballot by Tuesday, May 9. To legally register, individuals must be a citizen of the United States, reside in their local voting precincts at least 30 days prior to the election and be at least age 18 on Election Day, Tuesday, May 16. Once registered to vote, you are not required to register again unless you change your residence, name or political party affiliation. Voter registration forms, mail-in ballot applications and absentee ballot applications are available here or from your local county’s Board of Elections. You can also use the site to check your registration status. Free Tick Testing for All Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of Lyme disease cases. As we continue to fight Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in the commonwealth, East Stroudsburg University offers a valuable resource for all Pennsylvanians. The university has a tick lab, which provides free testing on ticks for harmful diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and more. Send a tick sample to the lab and receive the test results that are often necessary evidence for doctors to treat you and increase your chance of staying healthy. This week, the Senate passed a bill to require school officials to notify a student’s parents or guardian if a tick is removed from them at school and inform them of the symptoms of Lyme disease. The bill also calls for schools to provide the tick to parents or guardians if they would like to send it to the lab for testing. To remove a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin’s surface as possible and then pull upward with a steady, even pressure. Avoid twisting or jerking as this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. For more information about tick-borne diseases or how to submit a tick for testing here. Call Before You Dig
As the weather improves, more people are doing outdoor projects. To stay safe during your excavation project and avoid hitting an underground utility line, call PA One Call by dialing 8-1-1 before you dig. State law requires contractors and residents to contact PA One Call at least three days prior to excavation. This minimizes risk to the contractors or homeowners who are doing the digging; to utility workers and emergency responders who are mobilized to deal with the damage; and to bystanders who live, work or travel near the locations of the incidents. Pennsylvanians can dial 8-1-1 to connect with the One Call system, while out-of-state residents or businesses can call 1-800-242-1776. Learn more here.
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