Senator Regan E-Newsletter

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Week of September 23, 2019

In This Edition:

  • East Penn Little League Recognized by Senate for State Championship
  • Regan Participates in Suicide Awareness Day Rally at the Capitol
  • Resolution Adopted Designating October as Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month
  • Senate Approves Regan Bill Supporting Law Enforcement Personnel
  • Veterans Affairs Committee Approves US Navy Resolution
  • Senate Sends Three Bills to Governor
  • Committee Round-Up
  • Up Next

East Penn Little League Recognized by Senate for State Championship

On Tuesday, I had the honor of welcoming the East Pennsboro Little League Team to the Capitol and recognizing them on the Senate floor. These young athletes brought home the Pennsylvania Little League State Championship this summer and went on to represent the Commonwealth at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Bristol, Connecticut.

Regan Participates in Suicide Awareness Day Rally at the Capitol

9/25/19 - Suicide Prevention Awareness Rally

Prevent Suicide PA hosted a Suicide Awareness Day Rally at the Capitol on Wednesday, and I was given the opportunity to speak about the roundtable discussions I have been holding across the Commonwealth on the issue of Veterans Suicide.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Veterans should Press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, which connects callers to specially trained responders, many of which are Veterans themselves.

Resolution Adopted Designating October as Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month

9/25/19 - Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness

In conjunction with legislation that I have introduced, Senate Bill 836, known as Peyton’s Law, I sponsored Senate Resolution 228, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate on Wednesday to designate the month of October as Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.

Senate Approves Regan Bill Supporting Law Enforcement Personnel

9/25/19 - Heart and Lung (SB 439)
On Wednesday, the Senate voted unanimously in support of Senate Bill 439, legislation I sponsored to expand the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act to include several law enforcement entities that are not currently included in the law.

The Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act ensures that law enforcement officers who are injured on the job are paid their full salary and have their medical expenses paid while they recover.

The law enforcement officers added under the legislation include:

  • Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Fort Indiantown Gap Police
  • Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Park Rangers
  • Department of Corrections Commissioned Police Offices
  • Office of Inspector General Investigative Staff
  • Allegheny County Port Authority Police
  • Allegheny County Housing Authority Police

Additionally, the bill would provide state universities, state-related universities, and community colleges the option to provide coverage to their campus police. The same option would be provided to counties to cover corrections officers, jail guards, and probation officers.

Senate Bill 439 now goes to the House for consideration, along with these additional five bills passed by the Senate this week.

House Bill 265 addresses the transfer of credits between institutions of higher education and includes several career and technical education provisions. The bill returns to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments.

Senate Bill 473 increases the legal age for purchasing all tobacco products – including e-cigarettes – to 21.

Senate Bill 586 addresses licensing requirements for cosmetologists.

Senate Bill 694 allows gas well bores to cross multiple units provided the operator has the right to drill wells on the units via leases with all applicable landowners.

Senate Bill 723 will require public schools to allow students to apply personal finance credits towards satisfying graduation requirements.

Veterans Affairs Committee Approves US Navy Resolution

The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee approved House Resolution 470 on Tuesday. The measure is a Concurrent Resolution recognizing October 13, 2019 as the 244th birthday of the United States Navy.

Senate Sends Three Bills to Governor

The Senate sent three bills to the Governor this week including measures to strengthen Pennsylvania’s Do Not Call list and to require employers in the construction industry to use the federal E-Verify system to ensure that their employees are authorized to work in the United States.

House Bill 318 prohibits telemarketing on legal holidays and removes the renewal requirement, which means phone numbers can be placed on Pennsylvania’s Do Not Call list permanently. Currently, phone numbers must be re-registered every five years.

House Bill 1170 prohibits the employment of unauthorized employees in the construction industry and requires construction industry employers to utilize the E-Verify system when hiring a new employee.

House Bill 1557 amends the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act to conform with federal law related to cessation of operations.

Committee Roundup

Aging & Youth

The Senate Aging & Youth Committee approved three bills on Monday.

House Bill 775 requires the Department of Aging to review the PACE and PACENET programs to remove deceased enrollees.

Senate Bill 819 updates and revises the Older Adults Protective Services Act.

House Bill 956 amends the State Lottery Law to lower the mandated margin rate of return from 25 percent to 20 percent for five-years, ending on June 30, 2024.

Appropriations

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved 15 bills on Monday including:

Senate Bill 114 requires the removal of snow and ice from vehicles before driving.

House Bill 233 amends the Second Class County Code to provide for the decoration of deceased service members graves with flags on Memorial Day.

Senate Bill 586 addresses licensing requirements for cosmetologists.

Environmental Resources & Energy

The Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee approved two bills on Tuesday.

House Bill 374 establishes the Keystone Tree Restricted Account and allows for $3 contributions to the Keystone Tree Restricted Account when electronically renewing a driver’s license.

Senate Bill 790 creates a Conventional Oil and Gas Wells Act.

Finance

The Senate Finance Committee approved House Bill 1085 on Wednesday. The measure repeals the obsolete State Personal Property Tax Act.

The Committee also held a joint hearing with the Senate Majority Policy Committee on Senate Bill 74, which would establish a Pediatric Cancer Research Tax Credit.

Intergovernmental Operations

The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee approved Senate Bill 398 on Wednesday. The measure provides additional legislative oversight of the regulatory review process.

Rules & Executive Nominations

The Senate Rules & Executive Nominations Committee approved House Bill 265 on Tuesday. The bill amends the Public School Code concerning transfers of credits between institutions of higher education and includes other career and technical education provisions.

State Government

The Senate State Government Committee approved six bills on Tuesday.

House Bill 305 directs the Department of General Services to include, in its surveys and inventories of Commonwealth real estate structures and assets, information on the possible use of such assets for fixed or mobile broadband services.

Senate Bill 327 requires executive, independent and state-affiliated agencies to report their space usage to the Department of General Services on an annual basis.

Senate Bill 470 directs the Department of General Services to include, in its surveys and inventories of Commonwealth real estate structures and assets, information on the possible use of such assets for fixed or mobile broadband services.

Senate Bill 532 designates March 6 as First Gulf War Veterans Day, October 7 as Afghanistan War Veterans Day, and December 18 as Second Gulf War Veterans Day, Senate Bill 750 requires the state to repurpose the Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion to support programs for veterans and the National Guard.

House Bill 1222 repeals and then consolidates the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act of 1990 and the Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act of 1997 into Title 10 (Charities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.

Up Next

The Senate returns to session on Monday, October 21, 2019. You can watch live at www.senatormikereganpa.com.

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