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Senator Mike Waugh Prime
Sponsored Legislation Report
28th District – York County
2001-2002 Legislation

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Pre-Approved School Design (S.B. 447):Reduces the cost of designing, planning and constructing new school facilities by establishing a state-held portfolio of pre-approved, standardized plans.

Selective Service Registration (S.B. 457): Requires those who must register with Selective Service under federal law to be registered in order to receive a driver’s license.

• November 19, 2002. Approved in the Senate unanimously; in House Transportation Committee.
• Amended into HB 1553, November 27, 2002. Signed in both House and Senate.
• Vetoed by Governor, December 17, 2002.

Abandoned Vehicles on Private Property (S.B.445): Authorizes private property owners to remove abandoned vehicles from their property to a salvage yard with the permission of a police officer.

Operating a Foreign Vehicle in Pennsylvania (S.B. 444): Closes a loophole in Pennsylvania law that allows vehicles to be operated in state by residents without obtaining a Pennsylvania registration.

Juror Pay (S.B. 455): Increases juror pay from $9 per day to $25 per day for the first three days, and from $25 per day to $50 per day for each day thereafter.

Handicapped Parking (S.B. 458)Removes certain signing requirements regarding  handicapped and disabled veteran parking in order to improve enforcement of parking regulations.

 Similar provisions were amended into SB 238 (became Act 123 of 2002)

Prevailing Wage "Opt-In" (S.B. 446): Reduces the costs of construction for school
 districts and municipalities by allowing local governments to choose whether to be
 under the state prevailing wage mandate.

Appointment and Promotion Preference in Public Employment for Volunteer  Firefighters (S.B. 448): Requires the Commonwealth and municipalities, when
choosing between equally qualified candidates for public employment, to give preference
to volunteer firefighters.

Rescission of Contracts (S.B. 449): Amends the Unfair Trade Practices Act to
prevent buyers from abusing their right to break certain kinds of contracts.

Accelerated Evictions (S.B. 451): Provides landlords who post a $1,500 bond with
an accelerated process for evicting tenants, and provides tenants with the right to make
a claim on the bond if an order of accelerated eviction is wrongfully entered.

Right Lane Driving (S.B. 456): Repeals the requirement for vehicles to be driven in the furthest right lane of limited access highways.

• A negotiated amendment was added to HB 155 (now Act 75 of 2001).

Income Tax Filing by Individuals and Couples with Poverty Income (S.B. 442):
Eliminates the requirement of filing an income tax return for most individuals and couples
who qualify for complete tax forgiveness.

Instruments Under Seal (S.B. 453): Protects individuals who borrow money for a car
or other personal purposes from lenders who abuse the legal doctrine of "instruments under seal" to file lawsuits after the 4-year Statute of Limitations has expired.

Drivers' Financial Responsibility (S.B. 454): Adjusts for inflation the dollar amount of minimum insurance a driver must carry (set in 1974 at $5,000 for property insurance and $15,000 for injury to others).

"Do Not Call Lists" (S.B. 450): Prohibits telemarketers from calling individuals who place themselves on a "Do Not Call List" maintained by local telephone companies.

• A similar bill was passed into law (HB 1469, now Act 24 of 2002).

Telemarketer Caller-ID (S.B. 744): Combines the provisions of SB 450 (above) with a requirement that telemarketing companies disclose accurate caller-ID information and to use telephone carriers or equipment that support caller-ID technology whenever it’s available.

• A similar bill was passed into law (HB 1469, now Act 24 of 2002).

Sales & Use Tax for Out-of-State Vendors (S.B. 443): Closes a loophole that allows out-of-state vendors conducting business in Pennsylvania to evade sales and use taxes.

Sales Tax Exclusion for Recycling Equipment (S.B. 452): Eliminates the sales tax on equipment used for recycling.  

Excused Absences for FFA and 4-H (S.B. 681): Requires school officials to develop policy regarding student absences from school for participation in a project sponsored by the FFH or 4-H.

• Amended into an Omnibus Public School Code bill (SB 705, now Act 35 of 2001).

Volunteer Fire and EMS Grant Program (SB 886): Provides for a reformed $25.1 million volunteer grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency Services Loan Program (SB 974): Establishes a referendum question for a $50 million loan program for the purchase and repair of equipment and facilities.

• Pending on Third Consideration in the Senate.

Agricultural Land Disclosure Information (SB 987): Provides for information on a real estate disclosure form to give purchasers notice that the land has been used for agricultural purposes, is zoned agricultural or is within an Agricultural Security Area.

• Negotiations are pending with the Real Estate Commission to include a similar provision, by regulation, on the disclosure form.

Small Business First Program (SB 1045): Includes production agriculture in the definition of "small business," granting farmers access to the Small Business First low-interest loan program through DCED. Provides for additional interest rate reductions for agricultural producers in the event of a declared natural disaster.

• Approved by the Governor on October 2, 2002 (Act 120 of 2002).

Agriculturally Derived Alternative Fuels (SB 1253): Provides for the development and use of agriculturally derived alternative fuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) in the Commonwealth.

Updated Oath for Witnesses (SB 1318): Re-writes the Commonwealth’s oath and affirmation law to make the oath more understandable.

• Tabled on Second Consideration in the Senate.

Sanitary Standards for Animal Exhibitions (SB 1325): Provides for educational efforts and appropriate hand-washing facilities to be available to the public at animal exhibitions (fairs and petting zoos).

• Approved by the General Assembly, became Act 211 of 2002.

Prototypical School Design Clearinghouse (SB 1351): Reformed version of SB 447 (see above). Allows for a designer’s ownership and a review/rating system of all plans submitted.

Outside Employment of County Officers (SB 1374): Clarifies the law to allow deputy sheriffs to work as security in their off-duty time.

• Amended into HB 2005 (now Act 77 of 2002).

Safe Driver Point System (SB 1418): Gives driver’s "good points" for safe driving to offset points accumulated for minor infractions of the vehicle code in the future.

Order of Preference in Estates (SB 1433): Amends the Probate Code to provide for the order of payment of debts when the assets of an estate are insufficient to pay all of the debts.

• Passed the Senate and on Third Consideration in the House, November 23, 2002.
• Passed the House, and sent to Senate for concurrence in House amendments, November 26,2002.

Occupational Tax Elimination Act amendment (SB 1487): Allows for a simplified implementation of tax shift from Occupational Assessment Tax to Earned Income Tax (Act 24) in the first year.

Next Generation Farmer Loan Program (SB 1552): Establishes the Next Generation Farmer Loan Program in the Job Enhancement Act, to be administered by the Department of Agriculture.

• November 20, 2002. Passed the Senate unanimously; pending in the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
• Identical language amended into SB1370 and approved by the General Assembly, became Act 213 of 2002.

Funeral Procession Safety (SB 1553): Allows funeral directors or their designees to used flashing/revolving yellow or white lights going to and returning from a funeral service.

• November 20, 2002. Passed the Senate unanimously; pending in the House Transportation Committee.

Conservation Easement Purchase Fund (SB 1528): Provides for a one-time, $16.5 million deposit into the Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Fund (Farmland Preservation Program) in the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year 2004-2005, to fulfill the $100 million commitment made to the program through Growing-Greener. The funds will come from tipping fees collected under Title 27.

• Passed the General Assembly unanimously, became Act 233 of 2002.

II. SPECIAL SESSION:

Prototypical School Design Clearinghouse (SB 6): See SB 1351 (above).

III. RESOLUTIONS:

Highways in Boroughs (SR 16): Establishes a select committee within the General Assembly to examine the quality and efficiency of its State highway system within boroughs. 

Farm Bureau Day 2001 (SR 34 & SR 170):  Proclaiming April 2, 2001, as "Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Day" and congratulating Pennsylvania Farm Bureau members for their contribution to this Commonwealth and to this Commonwealth's agricultural industry.

• SR 34 Adopted, March 19, 2001.
• SR 170 Adopted, March 19, 2002.

Horticulture Week (SR 36 & SR 167): Recognizing the week of March 19, 2001, as
"Pennsylvania Horticultural Week." in order to recognize the horticultural industry for its continued commitment to quality and excellence. 

• SR 36 Adopted, March 14, 2001.
• SR 167 Adopted March 12, 2002.

Historic Preservation Month (SR 66):

• Adopted May 8, 2001.

Landscape and Nursery Week (SR 82 & 229):

• SR 82 Adopted June 19, 2001.
• SR 229 Adopted May 8, 2002.

Horse Racing Industry (SR 86): Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct an economic impact study of this Commonwealth's horse racing industry to determine ways in which the industry and the State can help maintain fiscal soundness.

• SR 86 Reported as committed from the Agriculture & Rural Affairs committee June 13, 2001; re-referred to Rules and Executive Nominations June 21, 2001.

H.I.K.E. Day (SR 98):

• Adopted November 14, 2001.

Honoring America’s Police, Fire and EMS Personnel (SR 110):

• Adopted September 25, 2001.

November as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month (SR 117 & SR 302):

• SR 117 Adopted October 23, 2001.
• SR 302 Adopted November 13, 2002.

Veteran’s Affairs Medical Services Funding (SR 229):

• Adopted May 8, 2002.

Fire Prevention Week (SR 266):

• Adopted September 30, 2002.

Recognition of the Eastern Lenape Indian Nation (SR 299):

• Held by Leadership over concerns re: gambling.

Other Legislation

Amendments to the Job Enhancement Act (SB1370): See SB 1552 (above)

• Became Act 213 of 2002

Legislation from 1999 - 2000