Independent Living
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Legislative Advocacy
Bill |
Legislator |
Description & Status |
| HB 2279 | STATE BUDGET | On June 30, 2010 the PA General Assembly passed the state budget from July 2010 through June 2011. I was signed by the Governor on July 6 as Act 1A of 2010. It sets state spending at $28.043 billion, a slight increase over the 2009-2010 budget, but still fewer state dollars than were spent in 2006-2007. Funding is increased to meet mandates in Corrections and Public Welfare. Basic education is increased by $250 million. |
| SB 9 | Senator Scarnati (Rep - Jefferson) | This bill would require proof of lawful presence in the United States as a condition for the receipt of public benefitsincluding disability benefits and medical assistance. The bill passed the Senate on April 1, 2009 by a vote of 41-9 and has been referred to the House State Government Committee. |
| SB 251 | Senator Greenleaf (Rep - Montgomery) | The bill provides for court-ordered outpatient mental health and drug and alcohol treatment. It was introduced and referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Feb. 19, 2009. |
| SB 393 | Senator Ferlo (Dem - Allegheny) | The bill would keep the proceeds from the sale of state Mental Health or Mental Retardation Facilities in the system. The bill was referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Feb. 20, 2009. See also HB 1190introduced by Representative Frankel (D-Allegheny) and referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee on April 3, 2009. |
| SB 404 | Senator Leach (Dem - Montgomery) | The bill provides for assisted suicide. It was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 5, 2009. |
| SB 486 | Senator Vance (Rep - Cumberland) | It would amend the state Constitution to provide for absentee votingfor anyone who wants it. It was voted out of the Senate State Government Committee, given first consideration by the full Senate and is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. See also HB 333 introduced by Representative Josephs (D-Philadelphia) which was voted out of the House State Government Committee, given first consideration by the full House and is currently in the House Appropriations Committee. Both bills, because they amend the state constitution, would need to pass both chambers of the General Assembly in consecutive sessions and then be passed by Pennsylvania voters. |
| SB 599 | Senator Yaw (Rep - Bradford) | The bill would create a Housing Fund to, among other things, fund "projects to increase the availability or quality of accessible housing for persons with disabilities." The bill was voted out of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, given first consideration by the full Senate and is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Also see HB 60 by Rep. Daley (D-Fayette) which was voted out of the House Commerce Committee and given first consideration by the full House. It's currently in the House Appropriations Committee. |
| SB 628 | Senator M. White (Rep - Butler) | This is the current session's version of legislation supported by the advocacy community which would prohibit the imposition of the death sentence in cases of mental retardation. It's been voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, given first consideration by the full Senate and is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. |
| SB 642 | Senator Tomlinson (Rep - Bucks) | The bill would amend the Sign Language Interpreter and Transliterator State Registration Act to provide for provisional registration and for exemptions from registration. It's been voted out of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee, given first consideration by the full Senate and sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee. See also HB 916 introduced by Representative Bradford (D-Montgomery) which passed the House on May 12, 2009 and has been referred to the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. |
| SB 699 | Senator Vance (Rep - Cumberland) | This is the bill supported by a coalition of advocates which would create an Adult Protective Services System for adults between the ages of 18 and 59. The bill passed the Senate on July 3, 2010 and has been referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee. See also HB 1319 introduced by Rep. Baker (R-Bradford) and HB1185introduced by Representative Josephs (D-Philadelphia). Both bills are currently in the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee. |
| HB 1 | Representative Eachus (Dem - Luzerne) | The bill would expand adultBasic, Pennsylvania's subsidized health insurance plan, to 130,000 working-age adults from the current 44,000 people insured by adultBasic. Approximately 235,000 people are on the waiting list. The bill would also add prescription drug coverage, chronic disease management, behavioral health coverage, and prevention and wellness care to the coverage. It would also qualify adultBasic for federal matching dollars; currently the program is entirely state-funded. Funding for HB 1 would come from three sources: the Tobacco Settlement Fund, the Health Care Provider Retention Account, and the Community Health Reinvestment Fund (contributions from Blue Cross/Blue Shield). AdultBasic does not receive General Fund dollars. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Insurance Committee on May 21, 2009. |
| HB 56 | Representative K. Smith (Dem - Lackawanna) | This is one of a number of bills amending the Older Adults Protective Services Act. HB 56 would add assisted living facilities to those covered by the act and require reporting of neglect. HB 288 introduced by Representative Murphy (D-Lackawanna) would add person acting under a power of attorney to the definition of exploitation. HB 309 introduced by Representative Johnson (D-Philadelphia) adds assisted living facilities to those covered by the act, adds definitions of "chronic dementia" and "cognitive impairment" and requires physicians to disclose ownership and financial interests. All three bills have passed the House and are currently in the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. |
| HB 245 | Representative Mundy (Dem - Luzerne) | The bill amends the Family Caregiver Support Act. Among other changes, the bill would: remove the requirement that the caregiver be a family member; establish priority for services to "functionally dependent older" adults and adults "60 years of age or older with chronic dementia" (thus making younger people with chronic dementia a lower priority); raise the maximum amounts payable under the act; and make clear that funding is limited to the appropriation of the General Assembly (no entitlement). It was voted out of the House on March 30, 2009 and sent to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. See also HB 826. Introduced by Representative Baker (R-Bradford) which is in the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee. |
| HB 282 | Representative Walko (Dem - Allegheny | It amends the crime code sections on neglect of care-dependent persons. The bill passed the House on March 16, 2009 and has been sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. |
| HB 312 | Representative Gingrich (Rep - Lebanon) | The bill provides for public notice relating to long-term care providers and for information provision. The bill passed the House on March 30, 2009 and has been sent to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. |
| HB 371 | Representative Staback (Dem - Lackawanna) | The bill amends the Public Welfare Code to outline standards for complaint investigations of personal care homes and assisted living residences. It's been voted out of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee and given two considerations by the full House. See also HB 372also introduced by Representative Staback which provides for complaint investigationsin nursing homes. That bill passed the House on March 30, 2009 and is in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. |
| HB 373 | Representative Wansacr (Dem - Lackawanna) | The bill would require the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission to provide for a sentencing enhancement for when neglect of a care-dependent person results in death. It's been voted out of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee and given two considerations by the full House. |
| HB 704 | Representative Sturla (Dem - Lancaster) | The bill would establish a special education funding formula based on the results of costing out studies conducted in 2007 and 2009. As a result of the 2007 study, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation in 2007 that increased state funding for general education. However, special education was left out of that legislation. HB 704 would close the $380 million funding gap over a period of 6 years by mirroring the approach of the basic education funding formula. It also includes new accountability requirements. It is supported by advocates. It was referred to the House Education Committee. |
| HB 821 | Representative Boback (Rep - Columbia) | This bill provides for the relocation of long term care consumers. It was voted out of the House on April 20, 2009 and referred to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. |
| HB 1152 | Representative Mundy (Dem - Luzerne) | The bill would establish a new Department of Aging and Long Term Livingthat would include the programs, services, and personnel of the Office of Long Term Living and the Department of Aging. The General Assembly has held hearings on the new department and disability and aging advocates have weighed in on the bill. The bill was referred to the House Aging and Older Adult Services on March 31,2009. |
| HR 91 | Representative J. Evans (Rep - Crawford) | This House Resolutionurges institutions of higher education that receive state funding to recognize American Sign Languagecourses for foreign language credit. It was adopted by the House on May 4, 2009. |
| HB 1429 | Representative Dermody (Rep - Allegheny) | It provides for joint training and continuing eduication of nursing care providers and nursing facility surveyors, assisted living service providers, and assisted living residence surveyors, and for joint training and concontinuting education of personal care providors and personal home care surveyors. IT has been voted into the House Health and HUman Services Committee and given first consideration by the full House. |
| HB 1594 | Representative Maher (Rep - Allegheny) |
The bill would create the Office for People with Disabilites and Advisory Committee for People with Disabilties in the Governor's Office. The bill passed the House on June 21, 2010 and has been refered to the Senate State Government Comittee. |
| HB 2439 | Representative Ken Smith (Dem - Lackawanna) | This bill would expand the list of those who can certify people to recieve a disabiltiy plate and placard to include optometrists. It was voted out of the House of Transportation Committee and given first consideration by the full House. |
Information provided by:
Slice of PIE - Summer 2010
A Communication from the Policy Information Exchange
Volume 11, Number 3 - Summer 2010
Slice of PIE - Spring 2009
A Communication from the Policy Information Exchange
Volume 10, Number 2 - Spring, 2009
A Slice of Pie is an ongoing publication keeping our readers informed about important public policy issues.
It is the mission of the Policy Information Exchange to educate and inform Pennsylvanians with disabilities, their families and advocates, and the general public, regarding public policy issues and to further the exchange of policy information between the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council and federal, state and local policy makers.
The Policy Information Exchange is funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.
