Legislative Update May 17, 2021
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans May 17, 2021
To keep you informed, I am highlighting recently introduced bills this term that I will be following closely. I broke them down into categories so you can find your specific interests and provided short descriptions that the bill’s sponsor has claimed. If you click on the link for the bill number, you can find out more information about the bill. If you would like to advocate for the bill, follow the link, then click on the link for what committee the bill has been assigned to. This will bring up information about the chairs and other members of that committee who you can contact and advocate for or against the bill.
Education
HB1330 would increase online learning resources for our school entities by requiring the PA Department of Education (PDE) to establish a central repository of online courses accessible to all public schools, nonpublic schools, home education programs, and the public.
HB1363 would establish a grant program for higher education institutions that take certain actions to eliminate hunger on their campus, including providing a food pantry and establishing a hunger task force. As tuition for American colleges and universities continues to rise and financial aid fails to keep up, many students are forced to ignore their basic needs. The sponsor of this bill claims between one-third and one-half of college students struggle to find enough to eat.
Health Care
HB1030 would make enrolling in health care insurance easier. It would put a checkoff box on the personal income tax return. Individuals who check this box will have their eligibility evaluated for health insurance programs, such as premium tax credits. If an individual or their dependent is eligible, they will have an opportunity to enroll in health insurance.
HB1359 would set aside $650 million from the $7.293 billion the state will receive from the American Rescue Plan Act, and these monies will be used by hospitals for our health care heroes, for behavioral health support for all Pennsylvanians and for public health infrastructure.
The funds would be used to:
- Help the hospital workforce, which has given its all this year
- Support and improve Pennsylvania’s behavioral health system
- Provide funds to create a public health infrastructure for the future
HB1368 would require minimum coverages on any health insurance plans that are sold on Pennsylvania’s state-based exchange. These requirements are consistent with federal requirements.
- Coverage for preexisting conditions
- Preventive care coverage including these items:
- Preventive and wellness visits, including chronic disease management
- Maternity and newborn care
- Services and devices to help people with injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions
- Lab tests
- Pediatric care
- Prescription drugs
- Outpatient care
- Emergency room services
- Mental and behavioral health treatment must be covered
- No Limits on coverage (no dollar limit)
- Adult dependent insurance coverage. Adult children up to age 26 can now continue to receive health insurance on their parents' policies.
- New consumer health coverage reports. Consumers have begun receiving a standardized report explaining their health insurance.
HB1384 would address disparities in the LGBTQ+ population that is difficult to manage without knowing the depth of the population and would require all state forms which collect demographic information to contain a voluntary LGBTQ+ identifier question for respondents to answer. The sponsors of this bill believe this small, yet substantial change would not only begin to amass a more accurate accounting of the LGBTQ+ population in Pennsylvania, but it would also allow the Pennsylvania General Assembly to begin proposing initiatives that could make a positive impact in the LGBTQ+ community and potentially save lives.
Business and Employment
HB1329 would require employers receiving tax credits, outside of educational tax credits, to implement a hiring program for disabled individuals. This program is designed to assist these efforts by holding employers who receive tax credits accountable for creating and maintaining inclusive work environments.
HB147 would provide compensation and healthcare protection to school employees if furloughs occur because school buildings are closed for in-person instruction.
HB1327 would require that, for a domestic or foreign business corporation with 200 or more employees to be eligible for a state contract, state funding, or a state grant, the business shall:
- Not have violated the Fair Labor Standards Act within the previous five years,
- Not have been found guilty of an unfair labor practice within the previous five years,
- Not have been found to have violated the Prevailing Wage Act within the previous five years;
And, when they have a governing board,
4. File bylaws with the Department of State that show that at least 20% of their governing board must be employees elected by the workers of that corporation.
HB1360 would address several of the fundamental areas of legal discrimination against farmworkers. This includes:
- Extending the protections of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to persons employed in agriculture, protecting them from discrimination by employers based on race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age for those 40 and over, sex, national origin, familial status, handicap, or disability;
- Providing minimum hourly wage and overtime protections to agricultural workers by removing the exemption of all persons engaged in “labor on a farm” from provisions of the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act of 1968 (Act of 1969, No. 5);
- Including farmworkers who live in housing provided through their employment in the category of persons protected by Pennsylvania tenancy laws; and
- Protecting farmworkers from discrimination or retaliation for exercising rights protected under the Act.
HB1200 would establish “The Family Care Act,” a statewide Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. This important legislation will help attract hard-working Pennsylvanians so they can care for themselves and their families when serious illness strikes or when a parent becomes seriously ill by providing employees the ability to invest small deductions from their weekly earnings into a state-managed fund. Under this proposal all working individuals would make a small payroll contribution to support the program, which would be administered by the Department of Labor and Industry. Eligible employees would be able to care for themselves in the event of a serious health condition, care for a close family member with a serious health condition, care for an aging parent or a new child, or care for a member of the military in qualifying exigent circumstances. Benefits will be calculated on a graduated scale (using a percentage of the statewide average weekly wage) to ensure the program is accessible to low-wage workers. This will enable workers to utilize the fund when they need it, retain their jobs, and return to work, rather than go on unemployment or state entitlement programs.
Housing
HB1324 would require a lead test for any residential structure built prior to 1978 that is being rented or leased. These tests would not need to be administered every time the property is re-rented or leased, but the results and date of the test would need to be supplied to those occupying the premises. It also would require every municipality to maintain a list of the lead test results for these properties.
Family
HB1356 would increase the reimbursement rate for guardians of older adults from $100 to $300. This increase would still require federal approval under the state plan. The $100 rate was established in 1988 and has not received a substantial increase since. This legislation will provide crucial funds to the guardians who are court-appointed to make life altering decisions on behalf of some of our most vulnerable citizens.
Law Enforcement
HB1361 would curb pretextual stops and to prevent police officers from utilizing a pretextual stop to justify searches in the Commonwealth. The sponsor of this bill feels this would address the racial disparities in traffic stops.
HR98 would honor the memory of law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty in the Commonwealth, and recognizing memorial services in their honor, during the week of May 15, 2021.
Environment
HB1354 would address a loophole in the Solid Waste Management Act whereas drilling waste is insufficiently treated as “residual waste” which excludes oil and gas companies from the requirement to thoroughly test or treat waste prior to disposal in municipal landfills or wastewater treatment facilities in our communities that discharge this waste in our waterways. Consequently, drilling waste ends up in our water supplies, and workers hauling the waste have been sickened by exposure to radioactive elements.
HB1355 would address the loophole in our state law that permits unregulated, untreated industrial waste to end up in our drinking water and threatens the safety of people across the Commonwealth. Additionally, this bill would require that all waste streams from conventional and unconventional oil and gas operations be subject to the most stringent, evidence-based radiological testing before leaving a well site.
Elections
HB1376 would allow for curbside voting for people with disabilities.