HARRISBURG – Legislation sponsored by Sens. Pat Stefano (R-32) and Greg Rothman (R-34) to protect homebuyers is set to be signed into law. Senate Bill 1173 would require anyone who conducts residential wholesaling in Pennsylvania to obtain a real estate salesperson license under the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act.

“Residential wholesaling” is when the wholesaler, who acts as an intermediary between the seller and buyer, enters into a purchase contract from a seller and then flips the contract to a buyer without the seller’s knowledge or consent. Typically, wholesalers look for properties that are distressed with an owner who wants to sell quickly without making updates or repairs. The trade often happens at a price significantly below fair market value, where the wholesaler stands to make substantial profits.

“I appreciate the swift action the House of Representatives took to pass our bill giving homebuyers critical information about what is often one of the biggest purchases of their lives. Greater transparency will offer safeguards for all parties – something we can all support – so I look forward to the governor signing it into law soon,” Stefano said.

The legislation would also provide consumers with disclosures making them aware they’re participating in a wholesale transaction. Additionally, the disclosures would explain that buyers have the right to seek an appraisal and cancel the contract.

“Residential wholesaling of real estate has become prevalent in recent years, often at the expense of the most vulnerable,” said Rothman. “Enactment of this legislation will ensure that both homeowners and homebuyers are fully informed of their rights and are equipped to make well-educated decisions.”

The bill will be sent to the governor for enactment.

CONTACT:    Amanda Cuteri, (Stefano’s office), 717-787-7175
                     Morgan Wagner, (Rothman’s office), 717-773-3266

HARRISBURG – Legislation sponsored by Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37) that would allow doorless driving for vehicles such as Jeeps and Broncos in Pennsylvania was passed by the House of Representatives today.

“This bill aligns Pennsylvania with every other state in the nation when it comes to doorless driving,” said Robinson. “I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues in both chambers and sides of the aisle. Senate Bill 298 not only allows for greater freedom and enjoyment for vehicle owners but also ensures that we maintain the necessary safety standards. It’s a win for both adventure enthusiasts and safety-conscious citizens.”

Senate Bill 298 adheres to logistical and safety standards important to residents and law enforcement, including requiring side view mirrors when doors are removed and upholding the seatbelt protections in place for minors.

CONTACT:
Allison Dutrey

HARRISBURG – Legislation modernizing the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law was recently signed into law, according to the bill’s sponsor Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20).

Senate Bill 403 – now Act 32 of 2024 – resolves long-standing issues and updates critical provisions to align the law with current professional standards and practices. It permits the required four years of work experience for obtaining a professional engineer or professional land surveyor license to be completed either before or after receiving an engineer intern or surveyor-in-training certificate. This change enables the state oversight board to recognize and evaluate an applicant’s professional experience regardless of when it was obtained, thereby streamlining the licensure process.

“Modernizing our professional licensure laws ensures that Pennsylvania remains at the forefront of engineering, surveying and geological sciences,” Baker said. “I am proud of the collaboration and perseverance throughout several legislative sessions to get this bill to the governor’s desk.”

The act now allows distance learning courses to count toward continuing education requirements if they relate to professional licensure and have verifiable hours of instruction. This update supports modern learning methods and ongoing professional development. It also includes technical changes, ensuring clarity and coherence in its application and enforcement.

CONTACT:
Jennifer Wilson

Bill would improve student mental health, academic performance, and social skills.

HARRISBURG – The Senate passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Ryan Aument (R-36) to improve students’ mental health and academic performance by limiting their use of smartphones in schools. The bill passed by a margin of 45-5, demonstrating strong bipartisan support.

Senate Bill 1207 would establish the Cell Phone Lockable Bag Pilot Program to award grants to participating schools to purchase secure, lockable smartphone bags in which students would deposit their mobile devices until the end of the school day. The bill would then require participating schools to track certain metrics like academic performance, mental health, and instances of bullying and other behavioral issues to study the impact of a smartphone-free school on students.

“Kids spend so much time on social media and using their smartphones that it’s taking a toll on them mentally, emotionally, and academically. Smartphone restrictions have proved successful in reversing these trends,” Aument said. “Students deserve to learn without a constant distraction in their pockets, and my legislation would give them that.”

Since the early 2010s, there has been a steep decline in mental health in children, and their academic performance is suffering. This decline directly correlates to the rise of smartphones and social media apps.

“Last year alone, the commonwealth provided $100 million in new funding to schools to care for their students’ mental health. While we continue to provide resources to help students in need of mental health services, we must also target one of the root causes of our children’s mental distress: widespread access to smartphones and social media apps,” Aument said.

Senate Bill 1207 would also require schools participating in the program to include exemptions in their smartphone use policy for students who have a documented medical condition – such as diabetes – that requires the use of a smartphone.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Learn more about Senate Bill 1207 and the research supporting it on Aument’s website at https://www.senatoraument.com/student-cellphone-restrictions-during-school/.

CONTACT: Stephanie Applegate

Removes Onerous Laws for Boarding Kennels, Provides Fee Exemptions for Service Dogs

HARRISBURG – The Senate of Pennsylvania approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) that would update the state’s dog law to extend license fee exemptions to service dogs integral to first responders and address challenges faced by dog boarding kennels.

“By making these significant revisions to the state’s dog law, we can help our first responders and our kennel owners,” Phillips-Hill said. “I am grateful for the feedback during the last several months about how we can move forward as a state to ensure that proper protections are in place to protect dogs, while cutting down on some of the bureaucratic red tape that was adversely impacting boarding kennels.”

Senate Bill 82 prioritizes the contributions of service dogs in various public safety roles, their roles in enhancing sensory capabilities and supporting the mission success of our emergency response teams. Under the legislation, license fee exemptions would be extended to services dogs working for fire departments, sheriff’s offices, and rescue services. Current law only provides exemptions to municipal and state police departments.

Service dogs play a crucial role in detecting threats, aiding in search and rescue missions and providing critical support during medical emergencies. The exemption from licensing fees aims to minimize financial barriers for agencies relying on these highly trained animals.

The measure also provides significant relief for dog kennel owners operating along the state border that board dogs from out-of-state residents.

The bill heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.

HARRISBURG – The state Senate has approved Sen. Dan Laughlin’s legislation that would end Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting.

“While Pennsylvanians are allowed to hunt on three Sundays every year, hunters should have the right to hunt on any Sunday they choose,” said Laughlin (R-49). “The Sunday hunting prohibition is one of the last vestiges of our commonwealth’s antiquated ‘Blue Laws,’ which were created a very long time ago, some dating back to colonial times.”

Authored by Sens. Laughlin and Jim Brewster, Act 107 of 2019 allows hunting on three Sundays each year. These specific Sundays are designated annually by the Pennsylvania Game Commission: one during the deer rifle season, one during the deer archery season, and one at the Commission’s discretion.

Laughlin’s Senate Bill 67 would have Pennsylvania join the 39 states that have no limits on Sunday hunting. Even some of the 10 states that, like Pennsylvania, limit hunting are far more lenient in their restrictions than Pennsylvania is. Only two of those 10 states – Maine and Massachusetts – still have a complete ban on Sunday hunting.

Hunting provides economic benefits to the commonwealth. It supports jobs, generates revenue, and sustains businesses, from sporting goods stores to rural diners.

“We know from surveying hunters and potential hunters that the top reason people have walked away from hunting is a lack of time,” Laughlin explained. “It’s clear allowing hunting on only three Sundays hasn’t provided enough freedom to encourage more people to purchase hunting licenses. Hunting is a tradition passed down through families, a bonding experience between generations, lifting this restriction will not only preserve this tradition but also ensure that it can be fully enjoyed and passed on to future generations.”

Though some have raised concerns about the safety of increased hunting, there haven’t been reported safety issues arising out of the three days of Sunday hunting since it started in 2020, or from the hunting of the few types of game (foxes, crows and coyotes) currently allowed on any Sunday.

“My bill gives the needed latitude to the Game Commission to increase hunting and trapping opportunities, and rebuild interest in hunting, which will end up benefiting all of Pennsylvania,” said Laughlin.

For more state-related news and information, constituents can visit Laughlin’s website at www.senatorlaughlin.com or follow him on Facebook and Twitter @senatorlaughlin.

Contact: David Kozak   717-787-8927

HARRISBURG – The state Senate Monday approved a bill introduced by Sen. Michele Brooks (R-50) that would enable volunteer firefighters to obtain discounted hunting licenses and fishing licenses in Pennsylvania.

Resident adult hunting licenses cost $20.97 and fishing licenses cost $27.97. The legislation would reduce the cost of each to $1 for volunteer firefighters who served at least the previous 12 months in the commonwealth.

“This is a small, but meaningful, way to show our appreciation to these brave men and women who volunteer their time and risk their lives to make our communities a safer place,” Brooks said. “This is not a complete answer to help address the dwindling amount of volunteer firefighters, but it’s my hope that this small benefit is one more way we can help fire companies recruit and retain members.”

Brooks introduced numerous pieces of legislation, in both previous legislative sessions and the current one, to help alleviate burdens for the commonwealth’s volunteer firefighters. This includes Brooks’ Senate Bill 146 that was signed into law as Act 106 of 2019 and allows for online training for volunteer firefighters so they do not have to use vacation time and travel away from their families in order to complete their training.

In the current legislative session, Brooks also introduced Senate Bill 148, which would provide a $500 state tax credit for an active volunteer firefighter who has at least two years of service and has responded to at least 20% of the volunteer fire company’s emergency calls during the last two-year period. This legislation was unanimously reported from the Senate Finance Committee in March.

Brooks’ Senate Bill 522, providing for discounted hunting and fishing licenses for volunteer firefighters, now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Pennsylvania in the 1970s had as many as 300,000 volunteer firefighters. There currently are approximately 38,000 volunteer firefighters in the commonwealth.

CONTACT: Adam Gingrich, 717-787-1322

HARRISBURG – The state Senate today approved a bill introduced by Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27) to enable licensed practical nurses (LPNs) working in a hospice setting to make death pronouncements.

Pennsylvania law allows registered nurses (RNs), medical doctors, physician assistants and coroners to make death pronouncements.

“LPNs in hospice settings provide end-of-life care to patients in the weeks and months before they pass away,” Culver said. “LPNs provide care up until the moment of death, but when the patient dies, the LPN lacks the authority to make a death pronouncement. My bill would enable LPNs to make death pronouncements.”

Culver introduced Senate Bill 1080 after learning many hospice facilities across Pennsylvania face workforce shortages. Giving LPNs the authority to make death pronouncements can help hospice facilities address their staffing issues.

“LPNs provide quality and essential care during a highly emotional time for patients and their families,” Culver said. “Requiring a doctor, RN, physician assistant or coroner to make a death pronouncement when an LPN easily could fulfill that function can be costly.”

Senate Bill 1080 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

More information about Culver is available online at SenatorCulver.com. Residents can follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SenCulver and on Instagram at Instagram.com/SenatorCulver for updates about legislative action in Harrisburg and news in the 27th District.

Media Contact: Betsy Reichenbach
717-787-8928