PA House Agenda For Tuesday

Here's this week's schedule for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Information has been supplied by Rep. Mike Turzai, Republican Majority Leader.

Unemployment Compensation for State Pensioners When Signed Contract Expires?

In Pennsylvania, retired state employees who have been called back to work temporarily via a signed contract with a definitive end date have been later collecting unemployment benefits when that contract comes to an end. These are retired individuals already collecting a pension. State law dictates that annuitants who are re-employed may not work more than 95 days in a calendar year without impacting their annuities and health care benefits.
 
House Bill 2346 (Rep. Adam Harris, R-Snyder/Mifflin/Juniata counties) would add a new provision to Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation Law to invalidate an individual’s eligibility for unemployment compensation if he or she voluntarily leaves employment to maintain pension or retirement benefits or if an employer terminates an individual to allow that person to maintain eligibility for pension or retirement benefits.
 
Pennsylvania is currently facing an Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund crisis, with the fund being billions of dollars in debt to the federal government. In 2011, 239 state annuitants received unemployment compensation benefits in this circumstance, collecting a total of more than $1.1 million in benefits.

The Weekly Schedule

Bill numbers will be used to identify the legislation being considered either in committee or on the House floor.  The bills, sponsors and summaries are posted below.

Tuesday, May 22 

Committee Meetings/Hearings
STATE GOVERNMENT, 9 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HB 64 (Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Clinton/Centre):  Designates the Piper J-3 Cub as the official state aircraft of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
• HB 876 (Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Cumberland/Franklin):  Constitutional amendment that reduces the size of the state House of Representatives in the graduated manner of 10 districts every 10 years, beginning with the reduction to 193 members in January 2013 and ending with 153 members in January 2053.
• SB 10 (Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Cameron/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter/Tioga/Clearfield/Warren):  Constitutional amendment that prohibits the enactment of any law that requires an individual to purchase health insurance coverage and prohibits the imposition of any fines or penalties on an individual who declines to purchase health insurance.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, 9 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 2325 (Rep. Mark Keller, R-Perry/Franklin):  Reenacts recent changes to the bidding limits in the Public School Code so that the new bid limit of $18,500 will become effective immediately and the indexing of the amount can commence on Jan. 1, 2013, rather than delaying the new bid limit to Jan. 1, 2013, and the indexing to Jan. 1, 2014.
• HB 2252 (Rep. Peter Daley, D-Fayette/Washington):  Authorizes executors or administrators of deceased tax collectors to settle unpaid taxes as the collector would have if still living.
• HB 2167 (Rep. Tom Quigley, R-Montgomery):  Allows earned income tax revenue dedicated to the purchase of open space to be used for expenses incurred preparing the resource, recreation or land use plan and for costs associated with the design, engineering, improvement and development of the open space.
• HB 2223 (Rep. Mauree Gingrich, R-Lebanon):  Allows up to 25 percent of the annual property or earned income tax revenue dedicated to the purchase of open space to be used for the maintenance of the property acquired, but only after the costs and debt associated with the acquisition have been satisfied.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, 9:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

• HB 2371 (Rep. John Maher, R-Allegheny/Washington):  Establishes that implements of husbandry and vehicles not exceeding 12 feet in width can be used to transport an agricultural commodity on highways during the day and that implements of husbandry and vehicles not exceeding 14 feet 6 inches may be used to transport or harvest an agricultural commodity at any time during the day or night.
• HB 2372 (Rep. Dave Hickernell, R-Dauphin/Lancaster):  Allows implements of husbandry not exceeding 14 feet 6 inches in width to be driven between sunrise and sunset on highways between farms no more than 50 miles apart; allows implements of husbandry exceeding 14 feet 6 inches in width to be driven between farms no more than 50 miles apart or to a service mechanic or dealer no more than 150 miles from the owner’s farm, so long as enumerated requirements are met.
• HB 2373 (Rep. Michele Brooks, R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer):  Amends the definition of “multipurpose agricultural vehicle” to increase the width from 60 to 62 inches and to increase the weight from 1,200 to 2,000 pounds; increases the distance any multipurpose agricultural vehicle exempt from registration can travel between farms from two to five miles.
• HB 2374 (Rep. Jim Marshall, R-Beaver):  Expands the operating radius for non-commercial implements of husbandry exempt from registration from 25 to 50 miles and clarifies farm vehicle classifications and processing fees for certificates of exemption.
• HB 2375 (Rep. Mark Keller, R-Perry/Franklin):  Allows a person 14 years of age or older to drive farm equipment from their residence to an annual agricultural-related education event hosted by a school, so long as the distance between the person’s residence and the site of the event does not exceed 15 miles.
• HB 2366 (Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Berks/Lehigh):  Requires local government units to have their parking meters inspected and tested at least once every five years, and authorizes the Department of Agriculture to establish training and certification requirements and procedures for certified parking meter inspectors.

FINANCE, 10 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

• HB 2348 (Rep. Duane Milne, R-Chester):  Requires the Department of Revenue to automatically authorize a filing extension of 30 days for corporate taxpayers if a federal extension has been granted and extends the time period a corporation has to notify the Department of Revenue that the total taxable income on the annual report has been changed by a federal agency from 30 days to six months.
• SB 1150 (Sen. Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster/York):  Establishes a tax credit of up to 25 percent of qualified expenditures incurred to restore certain historic structures and limits the amount of total tax credits granted to no more than $10 million in any fiscal year.
• HB 1509 (Rep. Tom Murt, R-Montgomery/Philadelphia):  Increases the loan assistance available to municipalities from the Department of Community and Economic Development for the purchase of equipment from $25,000 to $50,000 and for the purchase, construction, renovation or rehabilitation of facilities from $50,000 to $100,000.

JUDICIARY, 10 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 1815 (Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster):  Constitutional amendment that establishes an Appellate Court Nominating Commission and requires the governor to nominate for appointment individuals for the offices of justice of the Supreme Court and judge of the Superior and Commonwealth Court exclusively from the list of individuals recommended by the Appellate Court Nominating Commission.
• HB 1816 (Rep. Bryan Cutler):  Statutorily establishes an Appellate Court Nominating Commission to nominate individuals for the offices of justice of the Supreme Court and judge of the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court and sets forth the powers and duties of the commission.
• HB 2189 (Rep. Bryan Cutler):  Establishes the impersonation of a law enforcement officer as a third-degree felony, punishable with up to seven years imprisonment and a $15,000 fine, and requires the seller of an emergency vehicle equipped with flashing lights or audible warning systems to remove the system or lights prior to selling the vehicle.

TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 10 a.m., Room B-31, Main Capitol

• Informational meeting on HB 1495 (Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams/Franklin):  Expands the Recreational Land and Water Use Act to clarify landowner liability protection regarding property improvements; to expand the definition of “recreational purpose”; and to award attorney fees and legal costs to landowners found not to be liable for an injury. 

 
Session
On Tuesday the House will meet at 11 a.m. for legislative business.
 
Votes on Second Consideration

• HB 1972 (Rep. Justin Simmons, R-Lehigh/Northampton):  Codifies an existing research and development tax credit of 10 percent of the excess of qualified expenses and up to 20 percent if the taxpayer is a small business; the total amount of credits approved by the Department of Revenue in any fiscal year after 2015 is limited to no more than $75 million, $15 million of which must be allocated exclusively to small businesses.
• HB 2254 (Rep. Mike Fleck, R-Blair/Huntingdon/Mifflin):  Bridge designation: the Sgt. 1st Class Sidney N. Hamer Memorial Bridge.
• HB 2289 (Rep. Jerry Stern, R-Blair):  Bridge designation: the Williamsburg Memorial Bridge.
• HB 2324 (Rep. Mark Keller, R-Perry/Franklin):  Reenacts recent changes to the bidding limits in the Public Auditorium Authority Law so that the new bid limit of $18,500 will become effective immediately and the indexing of the amount can commence on Jan. 1, 2013, rather than delaying the bid limit to Jan. 1, 2013, and the indexing to Jan. 1, 2014.
• HB 2326 (Rep. Mark Keller):  Increases the minimum limit for requiring full advertising and bidding of contracts under the Economic Development Financing Law from $10,000 to $18,500 and establishes the annual indexing and adjusting for inflation.
• HR 16 (Rep. Will Tallman, R-Adams/York):  Resolution requesting Congress to address concerns regarding the Transportation Security Administration and newly implemented security procedures.

 
Votes on Third Consideration
HB 235 (Rep. Paul Clymer)
HB 2018 (Rep. Sid Kavulich)
HB 2217 (Rep. Dan Truitt)
HB 2224 (Rep. Bryan Cutler)
HB 2321 (Rep. Doyle Heffley)
HB 2331 (Rep. Todd Stephens)
HB 2343 (Rep. Curt Sonney)
HB 2345 (Rep. Mike Vereb)
HB 2346 (Rep. Adam Harris)
SB 1395 (Sen. Dave Argall)
SB 1429 (Sen. Pat Vance)