HB 1165
(PN 1387) Amends Title 53 (Municipalities) providing every agreement between a local government and the Federal Government, the Commonwealth, any other state or government must be submitted to the Local Government Commission for review and recommendation. The bill outlines guidelines.
Our position:
Support
SB 660
(PN 724) The State Facility Fire Safety Reporting Act requires each state facility to annually collect, maintain and compile statistics regarding the level of fire safety into an annual fire safety report for public distribution in accordance with guidelines established by the State Fire Commissioner. A State facility shall maintain the annual reports and compiled statistics for five years. The bill provides for the duties of the State Fire Commissioner, for inspection, and stipulates that the Auditor General may inspect the reports and supporting records and documents.
Our position:
Support
SB 690
(PN 820) Amends Title 4 (Amusements), in revenues, further providing for an annual transfer of $1,500,000 from the State Gaming Fund to the General Fund where it shall be allocated to the Pennsylvania State Police for the purpose of enforcing and preventing the unlawful operation of slot machines. Any moneys transferred to the board under this provision that are unexpended and unencumbered by the end of each fiscal year shall be transferred to the Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Retention Program Fund, which is established in the State Treasury. Further, an amount equal to the aggregate dollar amount of volunteer responder retention and recruitment tax credits granted by the Department of Revenue under Article XVIII-D of the Tax Reform Code shall be transferred from the fund to the General Fund.
Our position:
Neutral
HB 1174
(PN 1403) Amends Title 71 (State Government) providing for a unified retirement system for employees of the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and other employers to participate in and to provide retirement income security through a system of defined contributions authorized by the Internal Revenue Service, permitting the employees to obtain the advantages inherent in the plans relative to the income tax treatment of the contributions and disbursements under defined contribution plans.
Our position:
Oppose
HB 1179
(PN 1408) Amends the Municipal Police Pension Law further providing for length of service for pension eligibility by adding that each ordinance or resolution establishing a police pension fund must prescribe a minimum period of total service in the aggregate of not less than 20 years (changed from 25 years), in the same borough, town, township or regional police department and may not fix a minimum age after which the members of the force may retire from active duty.
Our position:
Neutral
HB 1180
(PN 1409) Amends the Municipal Police Pension Law further regulating pension calculations by stating the pension the dependent children of a deceased retiree receive shall be calculated at no less than 60% (increased from 50%) of the pension the member was receiving or would have been receiving had he been retired at the time of his death; monthly pension benefits shall be computed based on the average salary of the last 24 months (decreased from 36 month); any borough, town, township or regional police department may establish and pay length of service increments for years of service beyond 25 years for each completed year of service in excess of 25 years, not to exceed $100 per month for each completed year of service in excess of 25 years up to a maximum of $600 (increased from $500) per month after five completed years of service in excess of 25 years; the cost of living increase shall cause the total police pension benefits to exceed 80% (increased from 75%) of the salary for computing retirement benefits.
Our position:
Neutral
HB 1227
(PN 1454) Amends the Telemarketer Registration Act further providing for the definitions of "telemarketing" and "telephone solicitation call" and for unlawful acts and penalties. The legislation would add political parties and political candidates to the definition of "telemarketing" and states that "telephone solicitation call" would include calls made to residential or wireless telephone subscribers to promote or oppose any political candidate or party. The bill also provides that when telemarketing on behalf of a candidate or party, the name of the individual or organization subsidizing the telemarketer or telemarketing business for that particular call must be disclosed.
Our position:
Opposed
Cancer Bill
HB 1231
(PN 1458) Amends the Workers' Compensation Act by amending the definition of "occupational disease" to include cancer, resulting in either temporary or permanent total or partial disability or death, after four years or more of service in firefighting for the benefit or safety of the public, caused by exposure to heat, smoke, fumes, or gasses, arising directly out of the employment of any such firefighter. Further provides the employer shall have the burden of proving that the firefighter's occupation was not a major contributing cause of the firefighter's cancer.
Our position:
Support
HB 1238
(PN 1471) Act repealing "An act relating to the rate of pay for policemen, firemen and park guards in cities of the first class; providing for a system whereby policemen, firemen and park guards of cities of the first class who shall enter, or who shall have entered, the military service during the present hostilities shall be paid upon honorable discharge and re-entry into the police, fire or park guard service at the same rate of pay as if they had actually served on the police force, fire bureau or park guard force of cities of the first class during the years, months or days they were in the military service."
Our position:
Neutral (pending conversation with Local 22)
HB1246
Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled, as amended, "An act providing for the payment of death benefits to the surviving spouse or children or parents of firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad members, law enforcement officers or National Guard members who die as a result of the performance of their duties;" further providing for death benefit eligibility; and repealing certain provisions of the Municipal Police Pension Law and the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act. (FIL )
Our position:
Support
SB 772
(PN 869) Amends the Tax Reform Code further providing for the amount of the Volunteer Responder Retention and Recruitment Tax Credit by incrementally increasing the credit to $500 by 2012. The credit is currently $100.
Our position:
Neutral
SB 773
(PN 870) Amends the Tax Reform Code establishing a tax credit for employers of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services workers. An employer would be eligible if it employs an active volunteer, implements a policy that permits an active volunteer to be absent from work, without penalty, for the purpose of responding to a duty call, and the volunteer provides the taxpayer with a statement from the supervisor or chief stating that the volunteer responded to a duty call. The credit would be $1,000 per volunteer employed; up to $5,000 in a tax year. The Department of Revenue would annually report to the General Assembly on the tax credit.
Our position:
Neutral
SB 774)
(PN 871) The Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Services Postsecondary Education Tuition Reimbursement Program Act establishes the tuition reimbursement program which would provide a credit or payment to a community college, state-owned university, state-related university or independent institution of higher education of 50% of a qualified student's share of tuition for each credit course, with payment from the agency going directly to the institution.
Our position:
Neutral (with the chance to amend to include career personnel)
SB 775
(PN 872) Amends the Fireworks Law providing a 25% sales tax on consumer fireworks; requiring 75% of the money collected to be remitted to the Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Retention Program Fund. The remaining 25% shall be remitted to the county treasurer which will distribute it to the fire department that has jurisdiction over the facility that sold the fireworks.
Our position:
Neutral
