Weekly Legislative Report

Monday, March 22, 2010

In this report...

·        Vote is Possible on State Spending Plan

·        House Passes 'Green' Building Legislation

·        Lawmakers Announce Anti-Swaps Bills

·        PASBO Testifies on Mandate Waiver Program

·        Education Committee to Consider Cyber Reform Bills

·        Pension Situation Addressed by House, Senate Committees

House Vote is Possible on State Spending Plan

The House and Senate are scheduled to be in session three days this week. The Senate will then recess until April 12 and the House until April 19.

The House plans to amend and vote on HB 2279 (D. Evans), legislation which reflects the Governor's proposed FY 10-11 state spending plan. The Governor's proposal includes a $354 million increase for basic education. Two amendments, however, propose to cut the basic education line item. Please contact your House member immediately, and ask your lawmaker to oppose any amendment that would cut the Governor's proposed basic education increase. Click here to send an email to your House member.

Other bills on which the House intends to act include:

HB 713 (Fleck): Establishes the Science Technology Partnership Program (also known as the Science in Motion Program).

HB 929 (Grucela): Authorizes school boards to establish a program to provide high school diplomas to certain veterans.

HB 1148 (Murt): Further provides for local wellness policies by adding that such policies may include food allergy management and an update of the policy may be done along with the submission of a school district's strategic plan.

HB 1336 (M. Smith): Further provides for the use and administration of asthma inhalers by adding a provision for the possession and use of epinephrine auto-injectors.

The Senate is expected to act on the following legislation:

SB 1202 (Piccola): Requires a school district to post a notice on the district's website if the district chooses to contract with an entity other than the Intermediate Unit for goods or services also offered by the Intermediate Unit.

SR 243 (Piccola): Directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study of 82 school districts that were found to be efficient and successful in a "costing-out" study and report to the Senate Education Committee on those school districts' best practices.

House Passes 'Green' Building Legislation

In action last week, the House passed HB 689 (Drucker), which allows school districts to exclude any additional costs in the construction of a building that are incurred in order to meet "Green Building" standards. Green building construction costs must be submitted to the Department of Education at the same time that other construction cost estimates are submitted for approval.

The House passed two other education-related bills: HB 705 (Burns), which would require school boards to create parent involvement programs and develop parent involvement policies, and HB 2026 (Conklin), which requires the Department of Education to develop a model dating violence policy and school districts to develop a specific dating violence policy and provide for the training of district faculty and administration in the basic principles of dating violence.

The House also sent to the Senate HB 1324 (Josephs), legislation which increases the penalties for violation of the Sunshine Law. An amendment was inserted on the House floor to provide a special exception for school boards to allow them to meet privately to discuss safety and security issues.

Lawmakers Announce Anti-Swaps Bills

Last week Senators Lisa Boscola and Pat Browne, together with Auditor General Jack Wagner, unveiled two bills based on the Auditor General swaps investigation. SB 1277 would ban the use of swaps by all local government units and municipalities. SB 1278 would ban swaps and reform how local government units hire and retain financial advisors by requiring the use of a competitive selection process and requiring a quarterly evaluation of their services. The two bills have not yet been referred to a Senate Committee.

PASBO Testifies on Mandate Waiver Program

The Senate Education Committee last week held a hearing on the Mandate Waiver Program, which is currently set to expire June 30, 2010. PASBO testimony was presented by Jay Himes, Executive Director, and Bob Cochran, Director of Business and Operations for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. Both spoke in favor of reauthorizing the Mandate Waiver Program. Himes said, the Mandate Waiver Program "offers a practical and sound way for school entities to reduce costs beyond their control." Additional flexibility could be provided by expanding waivers regarding property tax collection practices; the Prevailing Wage Act; and competitive bid, purchasing and school district construction thresholds. Cochran spoke of his district's positive experience in working with a prime contractor. To read their testimonies, go to: http://www.pasbo.org/Uploads/10Mar17_PASBO.pdf. Video of the hearing is available online; click here: http://senaterepublicannews.com/committee-hearings.htm.

Education Committee to Consider Cyber School Reform Bills

The House Education Committee will hold a voting meeting on three bills that would reform charter schools: HB 483 (Longietti), which provides that school districts shall not e required to provide per pupil funding to cyber charter schools for a student who does not meet the minimum requirement for the age of kindergarten or beginner established by the school board in the student's school district of residence; HB 2320 (Pallone), which provides that a public school must ensure and certify to the cyber charter school that the student complies with section 1327 (relating to compulsory attendance); and HB 2328 (Tallman), which exempts school districts  that do not transport resident school district students on a daily basis from having to transport students who attend a charter school or regional charter school.

Pension Situation Addressed by House, Senate Committees

Joint public hearings will be held this week by the House Republican and Senate Republican Policy Committees focusing on the State Employees Retirement System and the School Employees Retirement System.

Last week the Senate Finance Committee held its last of three hearings on the pension issue. The committee heard from the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Keystone Research Center, and from the American Federation of Teachers. The advantages and disadvantages of converting to a defined contribution plan or a hybrid defined contribution, defined benefit plan were discussed. To view video of the hearing, go to: http://senaterepublicannews.com/committee-hearings.htm.