Legislative Update July 1, 2021
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans July 1, 2021 | 2:02 PM
I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight legislation I co-sponsored and support that's on the move in the legislature. These bills and resolutions either recently came out of their committees, passed the House or are waiting to be enacted.
Reported out of the Local Government Committee
HB1325 would permit a Borough or City Council to reimburse newly elected members of the governing body for attending conferences, institutes, schools, and conventions prior to officially taking office. This would give such individuals the ability to receive reimbursement for training prior to taking office.
Passed the House
HB69 would include motorcycles in Pennsylvania's Lemon Law.
HB1377 would prohibit a business from jumping Keystone Opportunity Zones upon expiration of their tax credits.
HR15 will conduct an analysis of the current school bus driver industry and provide recommendations as to how the Commonwealth can effectively address the shortage of school bus drivers.
HB581 would grant local authorities a menu of options to pass tax abatements or exemptions for the creation of or improvements to affordable housing of ownership or rental.
Enacted
HB827 is now Act 37 of 2021. It offers municipalities an additional economic development and revitalization tool that addresses unemployment through the advancement of microenterprises developed via public-private partnerships. The purpose of the microenterprise loan program is to assist start-up entrepreneurs and low-income individuals in the establishment of a microenterprise. Microenterprise is defined in the bill as a "business operated by a sole proprietor, worker cooperative corporation or single-member limited liability company that employs one to five employees who are PA residents, is not owned by another LLC or business entity, and has the qualifying amount of capital provided under the federal Small Business Jobs Act of 2010."
HB178 is now Act 30 of 2021. It increases the time allotted for parties to appeal unemployment compensation determinations from 15 days to 21 days and includes changes requested by the department for the new benefit modernization project.
HB741 is now Act 35 of 2021. It requires drug and alcohol recovery houses to attempt to notify the emergency contact as designated by the resident if the resident self-discharges or fails to return to the recovery house in an expected timeframe.
HB944 is now Act 41 of 2021. It requires inpatient treatment facilities to attempt to notify the emergency contact, as designated by the patient, if the patient leaves the treatment facility against medical advice.
HB1429 is now Act 48 of 2021. It establishes criminal offenses for those who use their position of trust to financially exploit older adults or care-dependent individuals.