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December 9, 2011

Senator John Pippy E-News

SENATE NEWS BRIEF

THIRD HEARING HELD ON UPMC-HIGHMARK DISPUTE

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, chaired by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana), held its third public hearing Wednesday on the continuing dispute between UPMC and Highmark.
 
Meeting at the University of Pittsburgh, the committee took testimony from primary witnesses Dr. Ken Melani, President and CEO of Highmark, and Jeffrey Romoff, President and CEO of UPMC.
 
The hearing provided the committee with an update on the current status of the situation and a discussion of potential legislative solutions, as well as an exploration of the outcome of the expiration of the contract between the health care provider and the insurer. 

Click here to view the hearing agenda, review testimony, and see video of the hearing.

BIPARTISAN FLOOD RELIEF PACKAGE APPROVED BY SENATE

The Senate approved a bipartisan, eight-bill package designed to provide relief to those affected by heavy flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene.
 
Sponsors of the package include Sen. John Gordner (Columbia), Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee Chair Lisa Baker (Luzerne) and Sen. Gene Yaw (Lycoming), who introduced the measures in September, shortly after the devastating floods.

Senator Gordner remarked, "Regardless of political party or municipal boundaries, the flooding affected our entire region, and we steadily worked together to bring these bills to votes in a responsible manner so that we can provide financial assistance, infrastructure funding and tax breaks to those who were impacted by this disaster.”

For a list of flood relief bills, please see Fast Facts, below.

JOINT PANEL HOLDS TWO DAYS OF HEARINGS ON FLOOD MITIGATION, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (Venango), and the Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (Delaware), held two joint public hearings on flood mitigation and stormwater management.

Many Pennsylvania communities face ongoing flooding issues, with several hit especially hard by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The joint panel heard from engineers and infrastructure experts, along with local, state and federal officials.
 
On Nov. 15, the committees heard from academics, environmental engineers, and other water resources experts who discussed engineering solutions to stormwater runoff, such as the use of green infrastructure design and ongoing maintenance of stormwater systems.
 
On Nov. 16, the panel took testimony from representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, among others.

Click the links below to see the agenda, review testimony, and watch video of the the hearings: 
Hearing 1 
Hearing 2

SENATE PASSES BRUBAKER FARM EQUIPMENT TRANSPORTATION MEASURE

The Senate approved legislation Nov. 16 that would allow farmers to move farm equipment more freely on Pennsylvania roads.
 
Senate Bill 390, sponsored by Sen. Mike Brubaker (Lancaster), would allow for the transportation of wider equipment on Pennsylvania roads and permit farm equipment transportation at night if proper safety precautions are taken.
 
For producers using their own equipment, the legislation would increase the size of implements of husbandry permitted on roads during the day from 14 feet, 6 inches to 16 feet in width if additional safety precautions are taken. The bill would also provide for the movement of equipment up to 14 feet, 6 inches in width at night with proper precautions. Current law only permits farmers to move equipment at night under very specific circumstances and only during certain times of the year. 

WARD ANNOUNCES LEGISLATION TO BROADEN MANDATED CHILD ABUSE REPORTING

Senate Aging and Youth Committee Chair, Senator Kim Ward (Westmoreland) is introducing legislation to expand the responsibility of mandated reporting of child abuse to institutions of higher learning, as well as increasing the penalties for failure to report child abuse.
 
The committee has been examining Pennsylvania's definition of child abuse and mandated reporting of child abuse, with public hearings held in August and October. In the wake of recent events unfolding at Penn State University, Senator Ward said that urgency was needed legislatively to include universities and other institutions of higher learning in the mandated child abuse reporting requirements.
 
In addition to the new mandated reporting requirement, a second bill introduced by Ward will increase the penalties for failure to report suspected child abuse. The bill will make it a first degree misdemeanor for failure to report in a first violation, and a third degree felony for second and subsequent violations.

FAST FACTS
BIPARTISAN FLOOD RELIEF PACKAGE 

Senate Bill 1264 - Provides for supplemental state assistance to those who have exhausted federal flood benefits and qualify under income eligibility guidelines.
 
Senate Bill 1266 - Authorizes $150 million bond for flood-related highway, bridge and rail rehabilitation projects, as well as flood control and disaster mitigation projects.
 
Senate Bill 1267 - Provides for real estate tax abatement for properties substantially damaged by flooding.

Senate Bill 1268, Senate Bill 1269, Senate Bill 1271 - Authorize county-by-county lists of highways, bridges and rail facilities damaged by the flood that require repair and rehabilitation, and flood control and disaster mitigation projects.
 
Senate Bill 1297 - Establishes a low-interest loan program for small businesses damaged by flooding. 

Senate Bill 1323 - Provides interest rate assistance and loan guarantees to assist farmers in recovering from the natural disasters.

Borders Transfers Customer Database to Barnes & Noble 

Barnes & Noble’s purchase of the now defunct Borders book store chain includes $14 million for a database of nearly 50 million former Borders customers, including the customer’s name, email address, telephone number, birthday, credit card information, and purchase history, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Previous Borders customers can prevent the data transfer by going directly to the Barnes & Noble website for instructions. Option number two allows an individual to respond to the official email being sent by Barnes & Noble to all former Borders customers. Check your email inbox for the notification from Barnes & Noble to opt out of the data transfer.

A large number of Pennsylvania consumers are expected to be affected since Borders operated approximately 30 stores in the Commonwealth. Those not meeting the deadline for the transfer of data will have the choice to opt-out of any future related email contact at the bottom of the unwanted message. 

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URLs for Links Above: 

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General: http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=6225  
Barnes & Noble: http://www.bn.com/borders  

Preventing Lead Poisoning

With nearly 2,600 children statewide showing elevated blood lead levels in 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is reminding parents and families of a variety of health-related problems associated with lead exposure.

Lead poisoning is hard to detect and may be confused with other illnesses with similar symptoms such as:

• stomach aches or cramps;
• convulsions;
• headaches;
• nausea;
• vomiting;
• fatigue;
• irritability;
• vision problems;
• loss of appetite; and
• sleeplessness.

Home Burglary Prevention Guide Now Available

Burglars break into a house, apartment or condominium every 11 seconds, according to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Sixty percent of those residential burglaries occur during the daylight hours when many of us are away from our homes.

A Home Burglary Prevention Guide is now available to help you keep your family, home, and belongings safe and secure.

As holiday shopping and gift giving picks up, the PSP Guide urges residents to avoid flaunting large purchases by leaving intact boxes curbside for trash collection. Boxes should be broken down and positioned under other trash on the day of pick-up.

Holiday plans should remain private. Avoid sharing your shopping, party, travel, and other holiday plans with strangers and social media. Never leave your schedule details in a note on your door. Phone messages should be devoid of information about your plans.

Review the PSP’s prevention tips related to landscaping, windows, doors, locks, and more.
Consult the PSP’s Understanding Crime Prevention to help reduce and eliminate crime.

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URLs for Links Above:

Pennsylvania State Police: www.psp.state.pa.us  
Home Burglary Prevention Guide: http://www.portal.state.pak.us/portal/server.pt/document/339430/psp_home_burglary_prevention_guide_sp5-331__pdf  
Understanding Crime Prevention: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/339435/psp_understanding_crime_prevention_sp5-334_pdf