Dear  

Legislation to extend the June 30 sunset of the 911 wireless fee is now moving quickly through the General Assembly in both the House and Senate. On June 4, the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee reported HB 2275, a bill that provides a simple extension of the wireless sunset to June 30, 2015, by a unanimous vote. That bill is poised for a final vote in the House the week of June 16. At the same time, the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee reported identical legislation, SB 1377, on June 3. The Senate approved that bill on a 49-0 vote on June 9, and it now moves to the House.

With the introduction of HB 2328, legislation that will act as the vehicle for the commonwealth General Fund budget, the House has begun the formal process for FY 2014-2015. The bill as written does not represent any formal proposal, but instead uses the line items from the current fiscal year as a place holder while negotiations continue on a final spending plan. Although the House Appropriations Committee reported the bill on June 11 with no amendment on a party line vote, with Republican members voting in favor and Democratic members voting against, movement of the budget bill and related proposals are largely procedural at this time. The House is expected to take the next procedural step the week of June 16, as representatives may file amendments for floor debate expected Tuesday or Wednesday.

House and Senate leaders are continuing discussions with the Governor's office behind the scenes, faced with the task of re-crafting a budget that recognizes as much as $1.5 billion less in available funds than was anticipated by Gov. Corbett in February. The decline in revenues is attributed to a continuing and significant trend of state revenues falling short of projections in FY 2013-2014 coupled with revised projections for FY 2014-2015.

Meanwhile, legislative consideration has begun on reforming the state and school district pension systems, a key component of the Governor's overall plan to reduce spending for the coming year. Attempts to move a robust reform bill were unsuccessful the week of June 9, and a scaled back proposal may be considered in the House the week of June 16. Additionally, a revised liquor reform proposal may see some movement, after being stalled over the past several years.

The Senate Urban Affairs Committee held a hearing June 11 on the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund. The PHARE program, also known as the State Housing Trust Fund, is currently funded with Act 13 impact fees and was established to help local communities meet housing needs. 

The committee heard success stories from Greene County Commissioner Charles Morris, as well as representatives of the Sullivan County Housing Authority, Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development, and Lycoming County Planning Commission. Each of these counties has unconventional gas wells within its borders, required for eligibility for PHARE funds. Morris explained to the committee that PHARE funding has been instrumental in his county, allowing them to expand affordable accessible housing options through innovative projects. He cited a pilot rental rehabilitation program where landlords may apply for grants from the county to rehabilitate blighted property; once the properties are habitable, the landlords must work with the county's human services department and rent the properties for a period of time to county-referred individuals in need of housing. Morris' full testimony can be viewed on CCAP's Testimony and Advocacy web page.

The House recently gave overwhelming support to legislation addressing training and qualifications for local tax collectors, approving HB 1590 on a 187-8 vote. The legislation, offered by Rep. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe), would require all tax collectors to complete the Department of Community and Economic Development training and certification program, which is currently voluntary, before taking the oath of office. In addition, the bill requires a candidate for the office to submit a criminal history check to the county board of elections as part of the nominating petition and enumerates several crimes for which conviction would render an individual ineligible for the office. Write-in candidates would be required to submit a background check to the county board of elections within 30 days of certification of the vote.

Prior to the final floor vote, the House adopted two amendments, the first a technical amendment offered by Rep. Scavello to assure the background check would be requested by the individual candidate and not by the county. The other amendment, offered by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), proposed language prohibiting payment of taxes to an account in, or including, an individual's name, but allowing taxes to be payable to an account including the name of an office, title or position. A local government would have to provide wording in its tax notices indicating to whom the payment must be made. The Mackenzie amendment was adopted unanimously. House Bill 1590 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.