Senate Approves Senate Bill 1

Measure increasing accountability to budget process headed to House

The Senate approved legislation intended to fundamentally reform Pennsylvania's budgeting process while increasing transparency and accountability in state government as part of the legislative actives of the session week of July 13, according to Senator Bob Robbins (R-50).

Senate Bill 1, co-sponsored by Senator Robbins, establishes a Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO), a non-partisan, bi-cameral agency with expertise in financial matters. The LFO would have access to the same agency and department financial information as the Governor's Budget Office.

Senate Bill 1 will require state agencies and departments to submit their budget requests to the LFO at the same time they submit them to the Office of the Budget. Pennsylvania is currently one of only eight states where the Legislature does not receive the agency budget requests.

"Senate Bill 1 addresses some of the issues that created the current budget impasse," said Senator Robbins. "It would clearly identify revenue estimates to guide state spending and provide the legislature with a better idea of the priorities of the various state departments and agencies."

The LFO would also develop performance measures for state programs and departments and evaluate the performance reviews of those programs and departments as reported by the Administration.

SB 1 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Other measures approved during the session week of July 13 include:

Senate Resolution 142 directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to complete a study and cost analysis of the implementation of a statewide blighted property database. The database could give municipalities the ability to identify owners of blighted property in other parts of the state. The database could be used to deny local permits for property if an individual has a record of owning blighted properties as well as a history of not maintaining those properties.

Senate Bill 282, co-sponsored by Senator Robbins, amends the Municipal Code to permit one or more local governments, upon passage of an ordinance and one or more municipal authorities, upon passage of a resolution to jointly enter into an agreement to cooperate in the exercise of their respective functions, powers or responsibilities.

Senate Bill 284, co-sponsored by Senator Robbins, amends the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code to permit participating municipalities in cooperative implementation agreements to extend the time to enact the required conforming ordinances by a period specified in the amendment.

Senate Bill 896, co-sponsored by Senator Robbins, requires lobbyist disclosure computerized filings to be posted on the Department of State website within seven days of receipt.

Senate Bill 917, sponsored by Senator Robbins, adds a representative of Clerks of Orphans' Courts on the statewide County Records Committee. The County Records Committee is a 15-member panel whose members are appointed for a four-year term by the Governor and are vested with the power to promulgate guidelines for the disposal of defined "county records" in 2nd to 8th class counties.

Senate Bill 925 amends the Massage Therapy Law to allow the State Board of Massage Therapy to approve accredited colleges, universities, private licensed schools or their equivalent to provide training to massage therapists. Currently the Board of Private Licensed Schools approves instructional institutions to train massage therapists. Senate Bill 925 transfers the approval authority to the State Board of Massage Therapy.

The Senate also approved and sent two House Bills on to the Governor for enactment into law.

House Bill 263 amends the Appalachian Trail Act to extend the deadline for municipalities to adopt required zoning ordinances by one year. Municipalities are required to conserve and maintain those portions of the Appalachian Trail that pass through their borders. Municipalities must adopt a zoning ordinance if necessary to carry out the conservation and maintenance of the trail.

House Bill 703 amends the Landscape Architects' Registration Law to remove provisions that allowed an applicant with 10 years of experience and who is a graduate of an approved institution to bypass the written examination requirement. It also increases the continuing education requirement from 10 to 24 hours in each two-year license period.

Contact:

Michael Hengst
(717) 787-1322