2009-2010 Sponsored Bills

Senate Bill 754 (View full text)– Extends rate caps for electric companies

Senate Bill 755 (View full text)– Amends Pennsylvania’s Election Code by establishing a concise Statement of Voter’s Rights.  The bill also requires that the Statement of Voter’s Rights be visible in all voter registration offices and polling places

Senate Bill 756 (View full text)– Creates Robin’s Law, which establishes a statewide registry for domestic violence predators, similar to the Megan’s Law database for sex offenders. This bill honors the memory of Robin Shaffer, a Quakertown woman who was brutally murdered by her estranged husband on June 15, 2004

Senate Bill 769 (View full text)– Prohibits the sale of the drug Salvia within the Commonwealth

Senate Bill 770 (View full text)– Expands the Commonwealth’s DNA database to include adults who are arrested for a felony sex offense

Senate Bill 789 (View full text)– Prohibits any political subdivision from imposing any increase in property taxes on residents who are age 65 or older; who have lived in their homes for at least five years; and who make less than $65,000 annually

Senate Bill 790 (View full text)– Directs the state Department of Education to encourage local school districts to develop and implement uniform guidelines relating to food allergy reaction management programs

Senate Bill 791 (View full text)– Creates an exemption for the surviving spouse of a veteran who was killed or declared missing in action from paying local school property taxes

Senate Bill 792 (View full text)– Directs the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to provide instruction to 11th- and 12th-grade students regarding donating blood.  The instruction will be integrated within the health course of study currently required in our public schools

Senate Bill 793 (View full text)– Provides lawsuit protection for HVAC Contractors relating to mold or mildew in a building

Senate Bill 794 (View full text)– Removes the legal verdict of “not guilty by reason of insanity”, and allows for a “guilty, but insane” verdict

Senate Bill 795 (View full text)– Amends the state’s Constitution to provide for a Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Bureau to draw both legislative and congressional districts following the federal decennial census

Senate Bill 796 (View full text)– Allows eligible persons to register and vote on the same day of any primary, municipal or general election by completing a registration card and providing proof of residence 

Senate Bill 797 (View full text)– Adds cancer to the current definition of “occupational diseases” for firefighters

Senate Bill 798 (View full text)– Establishes the Municipal Firefighter Education and Training Program that would set standards for newly hired firefighters, as well as providing funds to municipalities for education and training programs

Senate Bill 799 (View full text)– Defines “chronic runaway child” as one that runs away from home more than once in any month or at least three times in any year.  The bill also directs DPW to develop specific assessment/counseling plans for chronic runaways as part of county shelter care, custody and detention programs approved by the Commonwealth

Senate Bill 800 (View full text)– Provides financial incentives for high-school students to attend college and stay in Pennsylvania once they’ve graduated

Senate Bill 801 (View full text)– Requires DEP to conduct a community health risk study before approving permits to expand a municipal landfill

Senate Bill 802 (View full text)– Prohibits issuance of permits for siting new landfills or expanding existing landfills where voters have rejected the placement or expansion by referendum vote

Senate Bill 803 (View full text)– Doubles the fines for trash-hauling vehicles that exceed the gross weight currently allowed under the Solid Waste Management Act

Senate Bill 804 (View full text)– Amends the state’s Constitution to permit initiative and referendum in Pennsylvania

Senate Bill 814 (View full text)– Removes Statute of Limitations for Sexual Abuse of Children

Senate Bill 815 (View full text)– Removes statute of limitations on civil actions resulting from murder, voluntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder of voluntary manslaughter, any felony perpetrated in connection with 1st or 2nd degree murder, homicide by vehicle, rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, institutional sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure, incest and sexual abuse of children

Senate Bill 844 (View full text)– Removes the ability of the PUC’s Law Bureau from initiating or participating in proceedings involving transportation, safety, eminent domain, siting or service issues having no impact on rates

Senate Bill 868 (View full text)– Allows electricity customers to choose to phase-in any initial increases in the cost of electric generation upon the expiration of the generation rate cap.  The bill also permits the electric distribution company to fully recover the deferred payment through a reconcilable automatic adjustment charge over a period of time

Senate Bill 869 (View full text)– Increases the penalty for drug delivery or intent to deliver in a drug-free school zone by an administrator, teacher or employee of a public or parochial school, college or university an additional two years

Senate Bill 870 (View full text)– Adds a violation of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act by a school administrator or teacher on school property to the list of crimes related to public office or public employment

Senate Bill 871 (View full text)– Requires the placement of whistle post signage on main track of railroads

Senate Bill 1206 (View full text)– Requires drivers to make a reasonable effort to remove snow or ice from their vehicle

Senate Bill 1207 (View full text)– Requires health insurance companies that cover pregnancy –related benefits in a policy to cover infertility treatment in that same policy

Senate Bill 1265 (View full text)– Terminates parental rights to a child if the parent is found guilty of committing certain offenses under the Crimes Code

Senate Bill 1277 (View full text)– Prohibits any government unit from entering into qualified interest rate management agreements (SWAPS) Prohibits any government unit from entering into qualified interest rate management agreements (SWAPS) and requires the competitive bidding of financial advisor services by government units

Senate Bill 1418 (View full text)– Requires the Pennsylvania residency of any individual holding employment or a position with the Commonwealth, municipalities, municipal authorities and school districts

Senate Bill 1483 (View full text)– Bans electronic debit cards that are issued for unemployment compensation benefits from use in ATMs on any gaming floor or within a licensed facility

Senate Resolution 84 (View full text)– Designates April 2009 as Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Senate Resolution 89 (View full text)– Encourages both public and nonpublic schools to instruct students on blood donation

Senate Resolution 145 (View full text)– Extends a welcome to the United States Women’s Open golf tournament at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem

Senate Resolution 237 (View full text)– Designates January 2010 as Blood Donor Month

Senate Resolution 297 (View full text)– Designates April 2010 as Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Senate Resolution 394 (View full text)– Recognizes September 2010 as ‘Vertebral Subluxation Awareness Month’ adopted on September 21

Senate Resolution 400 (View full text)– Urges the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to adopt policies and regulations that will phase out or reform the Reliability Pricing Model (RPM) to promote competition in the electric market, increased efficiency and savings to electric consumers