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Harrisburg Happenings Dear Friend, Hope you had a nice Memorial Day weekend. The Senate approved Senate Bill 9, legislation which I co-sponsored, that will ban illegal aliens from receiving public benefits, including Medicaid, welfare, and in-state college tuition rates. Government reforms continue as the Senate approved legislation that will increase the monitoring of state vehicle use. The Senate also approved legislation that will pay unemployment compensation benefits for an estimated 45,000 Pennsylvanians for another thirteen weeks. In other news, the Senate confirmed Pennsylvania's new Attorney General - Linda Kelly from Allegheny County. If you find this e-newsletter useful, I invite you to visit my website www.senatormensch.com for more information about your state government. If you do not wish to receive these e-newsletters, please click the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of the page. If you would like to contact my office, please go to my web page and click on the "contact button". Please do not "reply" directly to this e-mail. Sincerely, Bob Mensch Legislation banning public entitlements to illegals, heads to the House Senate Bill 9 would ensure that the Commonwealth's more than 100,000 illegal aliens face tighter scrutiny when applying for services. Under current federal law, illegal aliens are prohibited from receiving federal, state or local public benefits with the exception of emergency medical care, necessary immunizations and disaster relief. SB 9 would require anyone requesting public benefits in the Commonwealth to provide identification proving they are legal residents. Additionally, they would be required to sign an affidavit stating they are a U.S. citizen or an alien legally permitted to live in the United States. Applicant signing an affidavit stating they are a legal alien would have their status verified through the Federal Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement Program (SAVE) operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In a related matter, we also approved Senate Bill 637, legislation that will require all employers that are part of a public-funded project to verify the employment eligibility of all employees through the federal Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program. The verification would ensure that all employees are legally permitted to work in the United States. Penalties and fines would also be imposed on general contractors if their sub-contractors violated the provisions of the bill. Senate approves legislation to monitor state vehicle use As part of our ongoing efforts to reform state government and further open its actions to public scrutiny, the Senate approved legislation that would increase the monitoring of state vehicle use. Senate Bill 104 places commonsense restrictions on the use of state vehicles. The bill would require state vehicles assigned to state employees display a blue "official use" Commonwealth license plate. Cabinet officials assigned a state vehicle would be required to comply with the legislation; employees performing undercover law enforcement duties would be exempt. In January 2009, Auditor General Jack Wagner released a report on the Department of General Services' (DGS) management of the state's 16,637 fleet vehicles which detailed the system's lack of accountability to Pennsylvania taxpayers. It is estimated this lack of central management of the state fleet costs taxpayers approximately $72 million a year. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. Senate acts to preserve UC benefits for 45,000 Pennsylvanians Senate Bill 1030 provides for an alternative "on" indicator for the period December 17, 2010 until December 31, 2011, allowing for a three-year look back period. This alternative look back period was authorized by Congress through the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. The alternative look back period is necessary because on May 20, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that changes in Pennsylvania's employment climate meant that about 45,000 Pennsylvania claimants would lose their eligibility to collect an additional 13 weeks of unemployment compensation benefits as of June 11. SB 1030 will enable an additional 90,000 claimants to remain eligible throughout the remainder of the calendar year to collect the additional 13 weeks of extended benefits, which will result in an additional $350 million in federally funded extended benefits being paid to these claimants. Senate confirms Linda Kelly as state Attorney General On Monday, we confirmed Linda L. Kelly to serve as Pennsylvania's Attorney General, replacing Tom Corbett who resigned from that office late last year to take up a somewhat larger role in state government. Keeping with tradition, Kelly has announced that she will not be a candidate when the office comes up in next year's election. Kelly's nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. She has been a prosecutor for more than 30 years, serving as both an assistant district attorney in Allegheny County and most recently as senior litigation counsel as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Kelly is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English, and the Duquesne University School of Law. She and her husband, Paul, are the parents of a daughter, Kate, who is a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Law. Kelly is Pennsylvania's first female Attorney General to hold the post since the office became an elected position in 1980. The last woman to serve as Attorney General was Anne Alpern from 1959 to 1961. Other bills passed by the Senate this week Senate Bill 27 - a dog purchaser protection measure, that increases the period of time for buyers to pursue remedial options in cases where the animal is clinically ill or dies. Senate Bill 151 - a measure a co-sponsored that amends the Air Pollution Control Act to require 25 percent of any fines or civil penalties imposed and collected under the Act to be paid to the municipality in which the incident occurred. The bill also authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to award an amount greater than 25 percent to the municipality. Senate Bill 326 - amends the Vital Statistics Law of 1953 to require the Department of Health, upon the request of a mother or father, to issue a "certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth" for any fetal death previously filed with the Department of Health. Senate Bill 328 - permits a driver's license suspended for truancy to be restored prior to the expiration of suspension when the suspended driver provides proof that he has completed high school, reached 21 or obtained a GED. Senate Bill 448 - provides immunity from prosecution for underage drinking if a minor seeks emergency medical attention for another person who consumed too much alcohol. Senate Bill 450 - removes the provision that a member of the Fish Commission may only continue to serve for an additional six months after the original term expires if a successor has not been appointed.
Senate Bill 907
- extends the sunset date of provisions governing the
authority of the State Workers' Insurance Board to invest money from June 30,
2010 to June 30, 2015. |
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