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Senator Bob Mensch

Dear Friend,

Below is a recap of this week’s legislative activity in the Senate. It covers votes by the full Senate and committee hearings, plus a look ahead.

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Sincerely,

Bob Mensch


In this Edition:

Senate Passes Consumer Protection Measure
Other Bills Passed by the Senate and Sent to the House of Representatives
Committee Approves Taxpayer Protection Measures
Setting an Example: Committee Acts to Move Legislators into 401k Pension
Committee Votes to Require Public Notice Prior to Signing of Government Union Contracts


Senate Passes Consumer Protection Measure

Consumers would be protected against paying multiple copayments for physical therapy, chiropractic and occupational therapy services under a bill unanimously approved by the Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 487 prevents health insurance policies from charging a consumer more than one copayment amount per visit. The bill would also prohibit policies from depleting more than one visit for services provided on a given date.

The bill allows the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance to develop regulations relating to multiple copayments. Violators would be subjected to penalties prescribed in the Unfair Insurance Practices Act.

Other Bills Passed by the Senate and Sent to the House of Representatives

Senate Bill 385 reforms and modernizes the Transit Revitalization Investment District Act.

Senate Bill 427 requires cash-for-gold dealers to retain each item of precious metal for ten business days, instead of five, after purchasing it. This extension of time will enable burglary victims to discover and report the theft and will enable police to investigate the theft. I am co-sponsoring this bill.

Senate Bill 494 repeals a requirement that the General Assembly be furnished with a printed copy of an annual report required under the Flood Insurance Education and Information Act of 1996. The report and other flood-related insurance data are available online at the Department of Insurance website.

Senate Bill 562 provides additional legislative oversight of the regulatory review process. I am co-sponsoring this bill.

Committee Approves Taxpayer Protection Measures

The Senate Finance Committee approved legislation on Tuesday that would restrain the growth of government spending by setting state spending limits in the Pennsylvania Constitution. Senate Bill 70, which I am co-sponsoring, would limit state spending growth based on inflation and population growth.

The bill would require an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution, so lawmakers would have to approve the bill in two consecutive legislative sessions before giving voters the final say via referendum. Since the spending controls would be included in the state Constitution, lawmakers would be prevented from breaching or repealing spending limits with a simple majority vote in the future.

The panel also approved Senate Bill 7, legislation that would enact spending controls and ensure any excess funds collected by the state would be used to pay down pension obligations, boost budgetary reserves and reduce the Personal Income Tax rate.

Setting an Example: Committee Acts to Move Legislators into 401k Pension

The Senate Finance Committee approved legislation Tuesday to move all members of the Pennsylvania Legislature from the current state employee pension plan into a 401k-style plan, just like most state citizens.

Senate Bill 401would convert all members of the Pennsylvania Legislature from a defined benefit pension plan to a defined contribution plan. It would make the conversion mandatory for current and future state Senators and Representatives.

The underfunded, bloated pension systems for state and public school retirees have Pennsylvania taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars in payments for decades to come. This burden is an unsustainable cost that results in tax hikes and cuts to legitimate programs. Converting the members of the General Assembly into plans used by the private sector won’t reap huge savings, but it sets the right example for what needs to be done across the board.

The measure was sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Committee Votes to Require Public Notice Prior to Signing of Government Union Contracts

The Senate State Government Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would add greater transparency and openness to negotiations involving public sector collective bargaining agreements by requiring proposed agreements to be posted online for public review.

Senate Bill 645 would require any proposed collective bargaining agreement to be made available on the public employers’ publicly accessible Internet website within 48 hours. An agreement would have to be posted online two weeks prior and 30 days following the signing of the collective bargaining agreement.

Information posted would include a statement of the terms of the proposed collective bargaining agreement and an estimate of the costs to the public employer associated with the agreement. The law would cover union contract agreements negotiated by school districts as well as state, county and municipal governments.

Proposed collective bargaining agreements and any documents presented by the public employer or received from the employee organization in the course of collective bargaining would be considered public records and subject to the Right-to-Know Law.

The committee also approved Senate Bill 643, which would amend the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law to require public notice and access to any meeting where a public sector collective bargaining agreement is negotiated.

Up Next

The Senate returns to voting session on Monday, May 4.

Senate Committee Schedule


Twitter and Facebook: I post regular updates on legislative action, committee developments, useful state-related information, happenings in the 24th Senatorial District and more on Twitter @SenatorMensch and on my Facebook page.
 


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Harrisburg Office
Senate Box 203024
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3024
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Lansdale, PA 19446
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