|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Legislative Accomplishments, Updated September 2009
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 35 of 2002 - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Act - Requires all public school districts to implement an IPM Plan by January 1, 2003 in accordance with Department of Agriculture policy. (Senate Bill 705) The pesticide notification provisions originally contained in SB 705 were approved in House Bill 1289 and signed into law as Act 36 of 2002. -- Act 103 of 2001 - Dog & Cat Protection Act - Prohibits the sale of fur, skin or hair of a dog or cat or its use in a product. (Senate Bill 280) -- Act 27 of 1997 - Dog Purchaser Protection Act (Puppy Lemon Law) - Protects consumers who purchase an unhealthy dog at a pet store by requiring a refund, a replacement of the dog or a reimbursement for veterinary fees. (Senate Bill 182) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Greyhound Racing Prohibited - Sen. Greenleaf amended the language from his legislation, SB 93, into HB 832, which makes it a misdemeanor of the first degree for a person to hold, conduct or operate a greyhound race for public exhibition and for monetary remuneration. (Act 36 of 2004) -- Live Animals as Prizes Prohibited - Amended a provision into HB 689, which makes clear that no live animal may be sold in conjunction with the operation of a lottery or contest. (Act 157 of 1998) -- Assessment of Agricultural Easements - Provides the lowest allowable assessment for farmland which is subject to an agricultural conservation easement. ** (A House Bill, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1377, was signed into law as Act 91 of 1994.) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 13 - Designating January 26, 1999, as Service and Therapy Dog Recognition Day. **Adopted, January 26, 1999. Current Legislation Senate Bill 50 - Puppy Lemon Law amendment - Makes numerous revisions to the Puppy Lemon Law as suggested by the Attorney General’s Office which will further strengthen the law. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 177 - Municipal Land Bank and Affordable Housing Act - Allows a local government, with the approval of the voters, to designate all or part of their realty transfer tax revenue to acquire open space for purposes of conservation, recreation and agriculture, or to establish an affordable housing program. (Senate Local Government Committee) Senate Bill 214 - Simulcasting Greyhound Racing - Makes it a misdemeanor of the first degree for a person to transmit or receive interstate or intrastate simulcasting of a greyhound race for commercial purposes. (Senate Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee) Honors and Awards -- Received a Proclamation from the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine acknowledging his role in the advancement of veterinary medicine, public health, and animal welfare in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (October 2008) -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Citizens Against Greyhound Racing Award for passage of his legislation protecting greyhounds in Pennsylvania (2004). -- Recipient of the 1997 Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network (PLAN) "Humane Legislator of the Year" Award. BANKING AND INSURANCE | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 207 of 2002 - Credit Union Code amendments - Provides state credit unions parity with national credit unions. (Senate Bill 1222) -- Act 51 of 1998 - Pennsylvania Securities Commission - Increases the salaries of Securities Commission members up to $28,500 for chairman and $26,000 for other commission members. (Senate Bill 429) -- Act 126 of 1990 - Liens - Helps lenders in their ability to collect on defaults (priority liens). (Senate Bill 693) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Medical Savings Accounts - An employer or individual may set up a tax-free account for medical expenses. ** (House Bill 1468, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1132, was signed into law as Act 179 of 1996.) -- Mother & Newborn Child Health Services - Requires health insurers to provide 48 hour maternity coverage. ** (House Bill 1977, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1237, was signed into law as Act 85 of 1996.) -- Credit Unions - Exempts credit unions from the licensing requirements of the Money Transmission Business Licensing Law. ** (House Bill 2536, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 340, was signed into law as Act 79 of 1996.) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 50 - Special task force to review pending property tax relief legislation. **Adopted, June 30, 1981. Current Legislation Senate Bill 37 - Expand Health Insurance Coverage: adultBasic plus - Expands the existing adultBasic program so that individuals and small business employers (2 to 50 employees) may purchase this insurance coverage at the Insurance Department’s cost. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 38 - Expand Health Insurance Coverage: No-Mandate Health Insurance Plans - Increases the availability of health insurance coverage by having the Insurance Department develop various standardized “basic” health insurance plans that insurers may offer to individuals and small employers (2 to 100 employees) that, in whole or in part, do not offer or provide state-mandated health benefits. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 39 - Expand Health Insurance Coverage: Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperatives - Allows small employers to band together via a health insurance purchasing cooperative so that they gain the same administrative efficiencies and purchasing clout as larger employers. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 41 - Medical Malpractice: Insurance Opt Out - Permits doctors to opt out of the $1 million mandated medical malpractice insurance requirement. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 42 - Medical Malpractice: Four equal installments - Permits doctors to pay annual CAT Fund surcharge in four equal installments. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 222 - Mortgage foreclosure assistance programs - Requires the court of common pleas in each county to establish a residential mortgage foreclosure conciliation program to assist homeowners and mortgage lenders in achieving a mutually agreeable resolution to a mortgage foreclosure action. (Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee) Miscellaneous Member of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. Honors and Awards -- Recipient of the 2003 Pennsylvania Credit Union Association Keystone Award for his work as prime sponsor of legislation that places state charter credit unions on equal footing with federally chartered credit unions. BUSINESS AND LABOR RELATIONS | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 34 of 2001 - Associations Code revisions - Makes various changes to sections of Title 15 relating to corporate transactions and Title 54 relating to fictitious and corporate names. (Senate Bill 215) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Act 80 of 2005 - Unemployment Compensation Law: eliminate offset of Social Security - Eliminates the 50 percent offset of Social Security pensions when calculating unemployment compensation benefit payments. This measure was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 219. -- Act 23 of 2000 - Capital Stock/Franchise: Minimum Tax - Eliminates the minimum capital stock/franchise tax which was $200. This measure was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB418, which reduced the minimum tax to $50. Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 278 - Recognizing April 21, 2008, as Youth in Construction Safety Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 2, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 257 - Designating the month of April 2006 as Landscape Architecture Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, March 29, 2006. -- Senate Resolution 11 - Designating the year 1999 as Landscape Architecture Year in the Commonwealth. ** Adopted, January 25, 1999. -- Senate Resolution 95 - Designating the month of February 1998 as Landscape Architecture Month in the Commonwealth. ** Adopted, November 19, 1997. Current Legislation Senate Bill 176 - Child-Care Tax Credit Act - Provides employers with a tax credit if they provide a workplace child- care program or financial support for an off-site child-care program. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 178 - Self-employment Tax - Allows a self-employed individual to deduct one-half of the self-employment tax from their Personal Income Tax. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 351 - Title 15 codification and revisions - Provides rules governing a nonprofit association’s ownership and transfer of real property and makes changes relating to limited liability companies. ** (Re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 22, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 944 – Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act - The legislation amends the Associations Code, Title 15 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, by adding a new Chapter 91, governing all unincorporated nonprofit associations that are formed or operate in Pennsylvania. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Miscellaneous -- Member of the House Labor Relations Committee from 1977 to 1978. Honors and Awards -- National Federation of Independent Business' Guardian of Small Business Award for having worked effectively to protect and preserve the future of free enterprise and small business (October 2008). -- The National Federation of Independent Business' Guardian of Small Business Award (2003) for outstanding voting record on behalf of small business owners in 2001-02 General Assembly. -- Selected Man of the Year by the Willow Grove Chamber of Commerce. CHILDREN ISSUES | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 16 of 2008 - Child Support Enforcement - Updates Pennsylvania's child support enforcement law to meet the requirements of the Federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. (SB 1278) -- Act 43 of 2005 - Child Protective Services Law amendment - Provides for the investigation of suspected child abuse involving children who are residents of Pennsylvania but where the alleged incidents of child abuse occurred in another state. (SB 86) -- Act 87 of 2004 - Child Witness Testimony: Implementing Legislation - Implements the constitutional amendment which was adopted by the voters on November 4, 2003 allowing a child witness to testify via closed circuit television. (SB 979) -- Pamphlet Laws Resolution #1; - Constitutional Amendment child victim/witness testimony - Redoes constitutional amendment to allow children to testify by closed circuit television in criminal cases in response to Commonwealth Court invalidating 1995 referendum. Passed Sessions of 2002 & 2003 and approved by electorate, Nov. 4, 2003. (Senate Bills 211 and 55) -- Act 86 of 2002 - Statute of Limitations (Child Sexual Abuse) - Enables a victim of childhood sexual abuse to bring civil action until 12 years after age 18 (Senate Bill 212). The measure also extends the criminal statute of limitations for certain sexual offenses up to 12 years after the offense or 12 years after the child turns age 18. (Senate Bill 415) -- Act 14 of 2000 - Sexual exploitation of children - Prohibits the procurement of children for sexual exploitation; a second degree felony. (Senate Bill 383) -- Pamphlet Law Resolution #2; Constitutional amendment - Commonwealth right to jury trial - Gives the state the same right to a jury trial in a criminal case as the accused. (1998; Senate Bill 555). ** (An identical measure was passed in the 1996-97 session. The electorate overwhelmingly approved this measure as a referendum in the Nov. 1998 general election.) -- Act 161 of 1996 - Child Witness legislation - Implements the constitutional amendment which was adopted by the voters on November 7, 1995 allowing a child witness to testify via closed circuit television. (Senate Bill 1322) -- Pamphlet Law Resolution #1; Constitutional amendment child victim/witness testimony - Allows children to testify in court by closed-circuit television. (1995; Special Session Senate Bill 11) ** (An identical measure, SB 218, was passed in 1993-94 session. The electorate overwhelmingly approved this measure as a referendum in the November 1995 general election.) -- Act 10 of 1995 (Special Session) - Definition of Rape: Child Ten or Younger - Eliminates the requirement that force must be used by the perpetrator in order for it to be rape. Instead, intercourse with a child ten years of age or younger by a person 16 years of age or older a crime of rape which is a first-degree felony. (Special Session Senate Bill 2) -- Act 9 of 1991 - Juvenile Detention Protection - Protects alleged dependent and delinquent juveniles in municipal detention from being held with adult detainees and from self- inflicted harm by requiring constant supervision. Places time limits for detaining a juvenile. (Senate Bill 304) -- Act 43 of 1990 - Enhancement of Children's Trust Fund - Provides increased funding for the Fund by placing a $10 surcharge on divorce complaints rather than divorce decrees. The Fund provides grants for community-based programs and services for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. (Senate Bill 848) -- Act 64 of 1989 - Incest - Makes incest a felony of the second degree. (Part of Abortion Control Act) (Senate Bill 369) -- Act 80 of 1987 - Background Checks - Provides for provisional supervised hiring of child care personnel pending background check; and adds funeral directors to the list of mandated reporters of suspected child abuse. (Senate Bill 140) -- Act 14 of 1986 - Pennsylvania Special Court Consideration for Child Victim and Witness Act - Provides for use of anatomically correct dolls, advises courts to utilize child advocates and permits special considerations by the court in recognition of a child's size and maturity. Allows for the use of closed circuit television testimony when a child is too traumatized to testify. (Senate Bill 176) -- Act 49 of 1985 - Statute of Limitations on Child Abuse - Extends the period of legal recourse for abused children by extending the statute of limitations in crimes against those under 18. (Senate Bill 183) -- Act 14 of 1985 - Pennsylvania Missing Children's Act - Requires immediate law enforcement investigation upon receipt of a missing child report and requiring the filing of missing child information into the state computer network. (Senate Bill 184) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Child-care at Courthouses - Allows individual counties to increase the court cost by $5 to pay for the daily operation costs of child drop-in care facilities either on the premises or at a close proximity to the court house. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 386, were amended into SB 958, which was signed into law as Act 105 of 2000.) -- Child Restraint Fund - Inserted an amendment into House Bill 963 which removed the cap on the Child Passenger Restraint Fund so that all monies collected from child safety seat violations will go toward buying more child safety seats for a loaner program. (Act 38 of 1999) -- Drug and Alcohol Dependency of minors - Allows parents to commit their drug or alcohol dependent minor child to a treatment facility without the child's consent. ** (House Bill 679, which was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, Senate Bill 445, was signed into law as Act 53 of 1997.) -- Child Abuse - Initiated legislation in past sessions (SB 469 of 1991-92 session) that would expand the definition of child abuse to include threatening behavior. In 1994, the Legislature passed House Bill 1001, an overhaul of the Child Protective Services Law, which contained an expanded definition of child abuse. (Act 151 of 1994) -- Missing Children Registration - Initiated legislation that requires local law enforcement to report all missing children to the school district and the Bureau of Vital Records. The schools and Bureau will flag the child's school records and birth certificate should someone request this information. ** (A similar bill, HB 1665, was signed into law as Act 106 of 1990.) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 150 – Designating July 22, 2007, as Parents' Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 29, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 331 – Designating July 23, 2006, as Parents' Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 29, 2006. -- Senate Resolution 290 - Recognizing the week of September 27 through October 3, 2004, as Equal Parents' Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 29, 2004. -- Senate Resolution 118 - Recognizing the week of September 22 through 28, 2003, as Equal Parents' Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, July 7, 2003. -- Senate Resolution 41 - Designating the week of April 7 through 13, 1991, as Week of the Young Children in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 2, 1991. -- Senate Resolution 144 - Urging the creation of a task force on children's issues. **Adopted, October 1, 1984. Current Legislation Senate Bill 180 - Child & Dependent Care Expenses - Excludes unreimbursed child and dependent care expenses as income for income tax purposes. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 182 - Missing Children - Establishes a Missing Children Information Clearinghouse in State Police and creates a missing children program in schools. (Senate Aging and Youth Committee) CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 164 of 2006 - Floral Transaction & Consumer Protection Act - Prohibits floral businesses from misrepresenting their geographic locations in telephone directories. (Senate Bill 198) -- Act 94 of 2001 - Automobile Lemon Law - Expands the Lemon Law to include leased vehicles. (Senate Bill 286) -- Act 81 of 2000 - Cosmetology Law amendment - Permits a licensed cosmetologist to manage a shop located within a special care facility. (Senate Bill 1219) -- Act 27 of 1997 - Dog Purchaser Protection Act (Puppy Lemon Law) - Protects consumers who purchase an unhealthy dog at a pet store by requiring a refund, a replacement of the dog or a reimbursement for veterinary fees. (Senate Bill 182) -- Act 4 of 1996 - Amusement Ride Accidents - Strengthens accident reporting requirements. An accident report must be filed with the state if medical treatment is necessary. Closes a loophole which lead to underreporting of amusement accidents. (Senate Bill 725) -- Act 160 of 1994 - Expanded Function Dental Assistants - Provides for the certification of EFDA's and permits dentists to delegate functions to staff. (Senate Bill 1752) -- Act 107 of 1992 - Amusement Ride Safety - Establishes an Amusement Ride Safety Board and regulates all bungee jumping events in the Commonwealth. (Senate Bill 515) -- Act 128 of 1990 - Pensions - Protects pensions in bankruptcy proceedings. (Senate Bill 1535) -- Act 69 of 1990 - Timeshare/Campgrounds - Provides licensure and disclosure requirements on timeshare/campground membership industry. This measure was part of a House-Senate package that also requires a 5-day cancellation option for consumers. (Senate Bill 430) -- Act 87 of 1989 - Health Club Consumer Protection Act - Regulates health clubs providing for a cancellation period and requiring bonding on those clubs which do not limit membership to one year with month-by-month payments. (Senate Bill 134) -- Act 152 of 1986 - Jewelry Appraisals - Requires flat rate appraisal fee for jewelry appraisals and prohibits practices of basing appraisal fees on the value the appraiser assigns to an item. (Senate Bill 734) -- Act 151 of 1986 - Bad Checks - Increases damages in civil actions on bad checks. (Senate Bill 408) -- Act 191 of 1984 - Sale and resale of tickets - Regulating sale & resale of tickets to entertainment events. (Senate Bill 457) -- Act 81 of 1984 - Amusement Ride Inspection Act - Establishes an inspection system for amusement rides in Pennsylvania and requires liability insurance on all rides. (Senate Bill 298) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Senate Bill 897 - Occupational Therapy Practice Act amendments - Permits, in part, referrals from a licensed Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNP's) to an Occupational therapist. ** (A similar measure, HB 1253, was approved by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 48 of 2007.) -- Senate Bill 215 - Telemarketer Registration Act revision: Cell Phones - Extends the benefits of Pennsylvania's do-not-call list law to wireless telephone subscribers. ** (A similar measure was introduced in the House, House Bill 276, which was approved by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 22 of 2003.) -- Senate Bill 1221 - Unsolicited Fax, E-Mail or Wireless Advertisement Law - Prohibits the unsolicited advertising by FAX machine, e-mail or wireless text. ** (A similar measure was introduced in the House, House Bill 2614, which was approved by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 222 of 2002.) -- Senate Bill 1113 - Cosmetology Law amendment - Amends the Cosmetology Law by removing the requirement for licensed managers in cosmetology shops. ** (An identical measure was introduced in the House, House Bill 2020, which was approved by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 98 of 2002.) -- Senate Bill 416 - Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls - Establishes a statewide residential do-not sales call list that telemarketers are prohibited from calling. ** (An identical measure was introduced in the House, House Bill 1469, which was approved by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 24 of 2002.) -- Senate Bill 744 - Caller ID - Requires all telephone companies to make Caller ID display units available to customers at a reasonable fee. ** (An identical measure, Senate Bill 860,was adopted by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 83 of 1993. Act 83 provides individuals and businesses with the option of a caller ID service.) -- Senate Bill 643 - Chiropractic Students - Ensures that students enrolled at the Pennsylvania College of Straight Chiropractic in Horsham, Pennsylvania, will be able to take state licensing examinations. ** (An identical measure was introduced in the House, House Bill 1416, which was approved by the Legislature and signed into law as Act 63 of 1993.) -- Senate Bill 457 PN 499 - Automobile Lemon Law - Originated first Automobile Lemon Law bill in the Commonwealth. ** (A watered-down House version, House Bill 1405, was passed and signed into law as Act 28 of 1984.) Current Legislation Senate Bill 46 - Rent increases limited to seniors in manufacturer housing – Amends the Mobile Home Park Rights Act to limit the amount of rent increase that seniors must pay who own a manufactured home and live in a manufactured home community. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 75 - Disclosure of seller’s return/exchange policy and restocking fees - Amends the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, 1968 Act 387, to require all Pennsylvania retailers to conspicuously display their return/exchange policy, including restocking fees and the merchandise to which the fees will be applied. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 76 - Unused prescription drugs - Allows for the distribution of unused prescriptions drugs to residents who are medically indigent. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 138 - Testing octane levels in gasoline - Requires the Department of Agriculture to conduct random testing of octane levels in gasoline. **(Laid on the Senate table on June 17, 2009 after third consideration.) Senate Bill 149 - Home Inspectors Licensing Board - Amends the PA Home Inspector Law creating a board & licensure requirements for home inspectors. ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on April 20, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 179 - Motor Vehicle Lemon Law: Motorboats - Extends the lemon law provisions to motorboats. (Senate Consumer Protection and professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 181 - Credit/Debit Card blocking - Establishes limitations on credit card and debit card blocking by the retail industry or a provider of travel services. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 183 - Fraudulent Airbags - Makes it a felony of the third degree to knowingly purchase, sell, install or reinstall a fake airbag or junk-filled airbag compartment on a vehicle. (Senate Consumer Protection and professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 187 - Occupational Therapy Practice Act amendments - Amends the Occupational Therapy Practice Act to: (1) permit referrals from a licensed Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) (accomplished via HB 1253), (2) raise the per diem for members of the State Board of Occupational Therapy, (3) include impaired professional language, and (4) establish a continuing competency requirement for occupational therapy assistants. **(Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on June 23, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 188 - Unfair trade practice: Window Tinting - Makes it an unfair trade practice not to disclose that alterations to a motor vehicle, including window tinting, will put the motor vehicle in violation of state safety inspection laws. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 354 - Restroom Access - Requires a retail establishment that has toilet facilities for its employees to allow a customer to use that facility during normal business hours if the customer suffers from an inflammatory bowel disease or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility. ** (Laid on the Senate table on June 10, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 431 - Regulation of Wireless Telephone Companies - Provides for the regulation of wireless telephone companies by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Miscellaneous Member of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. EDUCATION | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 35 of 2002 - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Act - Requires all public school districts to implement an IPM Plan by January 1, 2003 in accordance with Department of Agriculture policy. (Senate Bill 705). The pesticide notification provisions originally contained in SB 705 were approved in House Bill 1289 and signed into law as Act 36 of 2002. -- Act 10A of 2000 - Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research - Appropriated $860,000 for fiscal year 2000-01. (SB 1374) -- Act 26A of 1998 - Berean Training and Industrial School - Appropriated $1,254,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. (SB 1321) -- Act 24A of 1998 - Drexel University - Appropriated $6,623,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. (SB 1319) -- Act 23A of 1998 - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Appropriated $5,222,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. (SB 1318) -- Act 93 of 1989 - Prohibits use of steroids in scholastic athletics - Provides penalties for use and for dispensing except for valid medical reasons. (Senate Bill 454) -- Act 175 of 1982 - Permits the release of public school children for religious instruction for up to 36 hours per school year. (Senate Bill 706) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Bullying in Schools - Requires each school district to develop and implement a policy to reduce bullying (includes cyber bullying) in schools. ** (HB 1067, an Omnibus Public School Code measure, which included the bullying provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 71, was signed into law as Act 61 of 2008.) -- Placement of Twins in the Classroom - Allows parents to request that their twins or higher order multiples be placed in the same or separate classrooms if the children are in the same grade level at the same school. ** (HB 1067, an Omnibus Public School Code measure, which included the classroom placement provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 579, was signed into law as Act 61of 2008.) -- Basic Education Funding: 3.5% Minimum -The 2006-07 state budget included a basic education funding formula which guaranteed each school district a minimum increase of 3.5%. ** (HB 185, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1278, which required a 5% minimum increase, was signed into law as Act 114 of 2006.) -- Asthma: Self-administration of inhalers - Allows students to possess and self-administer asthma inhalers while on school property. ** (HB 1113, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 852, was signed into law as Act 187 of 2004.) -- Criminal background checks - Expands the scope of the criminal background check required of prospective school employees. The bill would require a FBI check as well for prospective school employees. ** (A less comprehensive measure, HB 204, but similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1470, was signed into law as Act 153 of 2002.) -- High School Certificates - Gives local school boards the sole authority to determine whatwill be affixed or denoted on a student's diploma and transcript (SB 1344). ** (The State Board of Education adopted a rule which maintains the local school board's authority to determine what, if anything, is affixed on a student's diploma. (2002)) -- Public School Retirees' Health Insurance Act - Increases health insurance premium assistance for retired school employees from $55 per month to $100 per month. ** (HB 26, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 281 (which raised the assistance to $150 per month), was signed into law as Act 9 of 2001.) -- Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research - Appropriated $860,000 for fiscal year 2001-02. ** (HB 1186, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 726, was signed into law as Act 8A of 2001.) -- Ban Reinstatement of Certain Teachers – Sen. Greenleaf amended a provision into the Professional Educator Discipline Act, House Bill 2189, which was signed into law as Act 123 of 2000, to prevent the reinstatement of a school employee if the indictment was for a sexual offense involving a minor. -- Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research - Appropriated $860,000 for fiscal year 1999-00. ** (HB 1000, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB747, was signed into law as Act 35A of 1999.) -- Walking Arm Attachment for School Buses - Requires every school bus to be equipped with a walking arm attachment on the front bumper. ** (HB 433, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 780, was signed into law as Act 151 of 1998.) -- Tuition Assistance for Dependent Children of Deceased Police Officers - Provides free tuition for college to dependent children of firefighters, law enforcement officers and other public safety officers. ** (HB 2024, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 463, was signed into law as Act 129 of 1998.) -- Jefferson Medical College (Tay-Sachs disease) - Appropriated $56,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. ** (HB 2375, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB1334, was signed into law as Act 18A of 1998.) -- St. Christopher's Hospital - Appropriated $791,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. ** (HB2373, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB1331, was signed into law as Act 16A of 1998.) -- Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research - Appropriated $860,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. ** (HB 2369, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB1326, was signed into law as Act 12A of 1998.) -- Central Penn Oncology Group (PSU Hershey) - Appropriated $143,000 for fiscal year 1998-99. ** (HB 2368, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB1328, was signed into law as Act 11A of 1998.) -- Temple University - Appropriated over $147 million for fiscal year 1998-99. ** (HB2360, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB1313, was signed into law as Act 8A of 1998.) -- Disruptive Students - Requires the Education Department to establish a grant program to encourage school districts to develop alternative forms of education (i.e. regional facilities) for chronically disruptive students. ** (HB 8, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 785, was signed into law as Act 30 of 1997.) -- Truancy - Increases the fine for truancy to $25 for the first offense and $300 for subsequent offenses. The issue of truancy was addressed in the 1995-96 special session through Senate Bill 98 which increases the penalty for truancy and imposes additional penalties on the parent or child. ** (SSSB 98, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 786 was signed into law as Act 29 of 1995.) -- Expulsion of Students - Requires a 1-year expulsion for students who bring a weapon to school. However, gives superintendent discretion on a case-by-case basis. ** (The provision regarding 1-year expulsion of a student for bringing a weapon to school contained in Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 627, was passed through House Bill 20, which was signed into law as Act 26 of 1995.) -- Health Insurance Premium Assistance - Extends premium assistance program for retired public school employees who are 65 years old and have 15 years of service. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's measure, Senate Bill 674, were amended into a COLA bill, Senate Bill 974, for state and public school employees, which was signed into law as Act 29 of 1994.) -- Frozen Annuity (Retired School Teachers) - Allows a retired public school employee who elects to return to public school service to combine his two periods of service for proposes of calculating his retirement benefits. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's measure, Senate Bill 1084, were amended into a COLA bill, Senate Bill 974, for state and public school employees, which was signed into law as Act 29 of 1994). -- Straight Chiropractic College - Reinstates the 5-year grace period so that Pennsylvania College can go through the process of reapplying for accreditation. ** (An identical measure was introduced in the House, House Bill 2568, which was signed into law as Act 62 of 1994.) -- Drug and alcohol education to school children - Initiated legislation in 1989 which would provide state-funded K through 12 drug and alcohol education to school children. ** (Rep. Jarolin took Sen. Greenleaf's language (SB 1201) and amended it into a bill, HB 1810, which was signed into law as Act 211 of 1990.) -- Sidearm stop signal on school buses - This measure was a key component of Sen. Greenleaf's school bus safety bill (SB 510) in 1987-88. ** (It was adopted as part of HB 1452, which was signed into law as Act 163 of 1988.) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 295 - Declaring the week of October 20 through 26, 2002, as Chemistry Week in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, October 9, 2002. -- Senate Resolution 129 - Declaring the week of November 4 through 10, 2001, as Chemistry Week in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, October 22, 2001. -- Senate Resolution 223 - Declaring the week of November 5 through 11, 2000, as Chemistry Week in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, October 11, 2000. -- Senate Resolution 222 - Declaring the week November of 1 through 7, 1998, as Chemistry Week in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, September 29, 1998. -- Senate Resolution 88 - Declaring the week of November 2 through 8, 1997, as Chemistry Week in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, October 22, 1997. Current Legislation Senate Bill 40 - Child Welfare Workers Loan Forgiveness Act - Establishes a loan forgiveness program for members of the child welfare workforce who have qualified outstanding loan balances and have at least an undergraduate degree. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 52 - 30 and out - Extends the 30 and out retirement window for state and public school employees for year 2000 and 2001. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 77 - Volunteer Firefighters & Emergency Personnel: Surviving Spouse - Expands the tuition waiver program to include surviving spouses of deceased firefighters. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 78 - Volunteer Firefighters & Emergency Personnel: Volunteer Tuition Credit Program - Establishes a tuition credit program for members of a volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance service or voluntary rescue squad who are active and in good standing. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 79 - Volunteer Firefighters & Emergency Personnel: Educational Assistance and Loan Forgiveness - Establishes an educational assistance and loan forgiveness program for volunteer emergency service personnel. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 146 - Protecting children in route to school from sex offenders - Allows the state to reimburse school districts for the bussing of children, residing within a mile and one half from school, who would otherwise encounter the residences of registered sex offenders when walking to school. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 147 - Office of Safe Schools - Requires the office to collect and disseminate information about substance abuse and school violence. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 153 - Seat Belts on School Bus - Requires every school bus to be equipped with seat belts. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 180 - Child & Dependent Care Expenses - Excludes unreimbursed child and dependent care expenses as income for income tax purposes. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 184 - School-based Child-care Act - Provides grants to public or private schools to promote extended child care in a school setting. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 348 - Educational Support Services Grant - Revises the Educational Support Services Program by requiring the Department of Education to issue a check payable to both the grant recipient and the qualified provider for tutoring services rendered. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 350 - Pupil Transportation - Shortens the distance a student must reside from school to qualify for bus transportation. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 356 - Educational Reason for Excuse from School - Amends the Public School Code to include an educational reason among the valid excuses for being absent from school. (Senate Education Committee) Senate Bill 357 - Tax Credit for Donated Computer Equipment to Schools - Provides a tax credit up to 50% for corporations that donate computer equipment to schools. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 358 - Sales Tax Exemption - Exempts school booster clubs from having to charge sales tax on items they sell. The measure also covers youth sports programs such as Little League. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 830 - Kindergartens - Lowers the age to 3 at which a child may be enrolled in kindergarten. (Senate Education Committee) Miscellaneous -- Served as a Member of the Senate Education Committee. Honors and Awards -- Recipient of Mid-Eastern Region PSEA "Friend of Education Award" (April 2006) -- Received "Anti-Bullying" Award from the students of William Tennent High School (2005). -- Recipient of the 2002 Clean Water Fund's Florence Neilson Award for Environmental Leadership for his sponsorship of the Pesticide Notification Act, legislation regulating the use of pesticides in school buildings and on school grounds. ELDERLY | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 169 of 2006 - Advance directives: Joint State Government Commission - Provides for the use of a living will and a health care power of attorney to make health care decisions. Based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 628) -- Act 124 of 1996 - Grandparents Custody and Same Sex Marriages - Allows a court to award custody of a child to the child's grandparents if neither parent is fit to have custody. The bill also outlaws same sex marriages. (Senate Bill 434) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Property Tax/Rent Rebate Expansion - Special Session HB 39 expands the Senior Citizens Rebate and Assistance Act by raising the income limits from $15,000 to $35,000 for homeowners. Renters who earn $8,000 or below will receive a maximum rebate of $650, up from $500. ** (SSHB 39, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bills, SB 793 & Special Session Senate Bill 16, which would have raised the income eligibility to $30,000 for both homeowners and renters, was signed into law as Special Session Act 1 of 2006.) -- Unemployment Compensation Law: eliminate offset of Social Security - Eliminates the 50 percent offset of Social Security pensions when calculating unemployment compensation benefit payments. ** (HB163, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's proposal, SB 219, was signed into law as Act 80 of 2005.) -- Expansion of PACE & PACENET Program - Raises the income eligibility limit for the PACE and PACENET Program so that more low to moderate income senior citizens may participate in the subsidized prescription drug program. ** (HB888, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's proposal to expand PACENET, SB 47, was signed into law as Act 37 of 2003.) -- Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance Clearinghouse Act - Establishes a patient prescription drug assistance clearinghouse within the Aging Department to help Pennsylvanians obtain free or low cost drugs offered via patience assistance programs sponsored by drug manufacturers. ** (HB888, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's proposal, SB 94, was signed into law as Act 37 of 2003.) -- Trusts - Clarifies the law on the taxation of transfers to certain types of trusts. A "living trust" would not be subject to the 2% reality transfer tax under certain circumstances. ** (House Bill 134, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's proposal, SB 549, was signed into law as Act 7 of 1997.) -- Inheritance Tax Exemption (Widow's Tax) - Phase out the 6% inheritance tax on transfers between spouses of property which was not jointly owned (SB 232). Reduce 1% each year till 1998. ** (A similar measure, HB 39, which eliminates the tax effective 1/1/96 was signed into law as Act 21 of 1995.) Current Legislation Senate Bill 46 - Rent increases limited to seniors in manufacturer housing – Amends the Mobile Home Park Rights Act to limit the amount of rent increase that seniors must pay who own a manufactured home and live in a manufactured home community. (Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee) Senate Bill 51 - Senior Citizen School Real Property Tax Freeze Act - Exempts homeowners who are at least 65 with an annual income of $40,000 or less from paying increases in their school real property taxes. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 362 - Elderly Volunteers - Authorizes the Department of Aging to make grants to programs (e.g., tutoring children, teenage parents) which allow elderly volunteers to work with children. (Senate Aging and Youth Committee) Senate Bill 520 - Alzheimer’s Disease Program - Establishes a program in the Department of Health to assist Alzheimer’s disease patients. The following services would be provided: 1) temporary nursing; 2) day-care centers and 3) diagnostic and evaluation services. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 941 – Exclude Medicare premiums from income - Amends Chapter 13 (Senior Citizens Property Tax and Rent Rebate Assistance) of the Taxpayer Relief Act to exclude from the definition of income Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums when calculating Social Security benefits. (Senate Finance Committee) Honors and Awards -- The Korean Senior Citizens Service Award ENVIRONMENT | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 153 of 1992 - Sale of land - Authorizes the state to sell, at a reduced price, two tracts of land contiguous to the Wissahickon Valley Association Inc., of Montgomery County. (Senate Bill 1405) -- Act 188 of 1990 - Rails-to-Trails - Authorizes DER to acquire and develop abandoned railroad rights of way for public recreational trails. (Senate Bill 640) -- Act 16 of 1984 - Boating/Water Safety Member - Adding a second boating/water safety member to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission to address boating concerns on State waterways. (Senate Bill 152) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Mercury-Free Thermostat Act - Prohibits the sale of mercury thermostats in Pennsylvania and restricts their disposal. A House measure, HB 44, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 830, was signed into law as Act 97 of 2008. -- Lehigh Water Releases - Helped obtain federal funding to relocate a public access road on top of Francis E. Walter Dam as well as worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to help provide for more water releases from the dam to benefit white water rafting and recreation. (July 2005) -- Revamp of Sewage Facilities Act - Offered an amendment to House Bill 2146, which allowed simultaneous consideration of changes to an official sewage plan by private request to DER and of changes to local zoning ordinance. The bill was signed into law as Act 149 of 1994. -- Condemnation of land for recreational purposes - Initiated legislation to amend the Second Class Township Code to allow for condemnation of land for recreational purposes. Offered language as an amendment to HB 1058, which was signed into law as Act 49 of 1991. -- Tohickon Water Releases: Negotiated with DER to release water from the dam at Nockamixon State Park to Tohickon Creek for white water rafting. Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 298 - Urging the Congress of the United States to provide for a domestic energy policy that ensures an adequate supply of natural gas. **Adopted, November 16, 2004. -- Senate Resolution 211 - Memorializing Prime Minister of Canada and Canadian Parliament to stop the slaughter of infant harp seals. **Adopted, November 18, 1980. Current Legislation Senate Bill 185 - Biking & Jogging Trails - Authorizes DCNR to designate, construct and maintain bicycle and jogging paths in State parks of 1,000 + acres. (Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee) Senate Bill 186 - Water Resources Inventory - Requires DCNR to inventory rivers, streams and lakes to identify recreational opportunities. (Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee) Miscellaneous -- Serves as a Member of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. Honors and Awards -- Honored as the Conservation Legislator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation (1991). -- Selected by Sierra Club as Legislator most interested in environmental issues. JUDICIARY | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 16 of 2008 - Child support enforcement – Updates Pennsylvania's child support enforcement law to meet the requirements of the Federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. (Senate Bill 1278) -- Act 169 of 2006 - Advance directives: Joint State Government Commission - Provides for the use of a living will and a health care power of attorney to make health care decisions. Based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 628) -- Act 109 of 2006 - Collection of Child Support Obligation - Provides, in part, for the interception of workers compensation awards and other insurance payouts if individual is overdue in child support. (Senate Bill 1205) -- Act 100 of 2006 - Interstate Compact Application Fee - Imposes an application fee on offenders who apply to the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole to serve their parole out-of-state through the Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Adult Offenders. (Senate Bill 775) -- Act 98 of 2006 - Uniform Trust Code - Codifies the Pennsylvania Uniform Trust Code as suggested by the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 660) -- Act 43 of 2005 - Child Protective Services Law amendment - Provides for the investigation of suspected child abuse involving children who are residents of Pennsylvania but where the alleged incidents of child abuse occurred in another state. (Senate Bill 86) -- Act 4 of 2005 - Divorce Code - Makes corrective amendment to 2004 Act No. 175 pertaining to the Divorce Code. (Senate Bill 124) -- Act 214 of 2004 - Court Approval for Name Change - Codifies the procedure that must be used when requesting a court to approve a name change. (Senate Bill 1032) -- Act 207 of 2004 - Magisterial District Judge - Changes the name of "district justices" or "justices of the peace" to "magisterial district judges." Recommended by Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Special Court Judges Assoc. (Senate Bill 904) -- Act 175 of 2004 - Divorce Code amendments - Provides comprehensive revisions to the Divorce Code recommended by the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Domestic Relations Law. (Senate Bill 95) -- Act 152 of 2004 - Deficiency Judgment Act amendment & Megan's Law amendment - Addresses a problem that occurs when real property collateral securing the same commercial loan is located in more than one Pennsylvania county. This legislation designates the court in one of the counties as the "deficiency court." Also, it adds the offense of "institutional sexual assault" to the list of crimes for which an offender must register his whereabouts. (Senate Bill 92; provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, Senate Bill 903, were also amended into it.) -- Act 87 of 2004 - Child Witness Testimony: Implementing Legislation - Implements the constitutional amendment which was adopted by the voters on November 4, 2003 allowing a child witness to testify via closed circuit television. (Senate Bill 979) -- Act 54 of 2004 - Interstate Compact for Juveniles - Establishes a new compact for managing the movement of adjudicated youth, the return of non-adjudicated runaway youth, and the return of youth to states where they were charged with delinquent acts. (Senate Bill 319) -- Pamphlet Laws Resolution #1; Constitutional Amendment child victim/witness testimony - Amends constitution to allow children to testify by closed circuit television in criminal cases in response to the Supreme Court invalidating 1995 referendum. Passed Sessions of 2002 & 2003 and approved by electorate, Nov. 4, 2003. (Senate Bills 211 and 55) -- Act 215 of 2002 - Additional judges and warrantless search of juveniles - Adds two judges to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas and authorizes juvenile probation officers to conduct warrantless searches of person and property of juveniles under supervision of probation officers. (Senate Bills 1452 and 224) -- Act 127 of 2002 - Compensation of multi-county investigating grand jury - Amends the Judicial Code to enact recommendations contained in Investigating Grand Jury Report #1 like increased fee, per diem meal expenses and travel allowance. (Senate Bill 138) -- Act 109 of 2002 - Post-Conviction DNA testing - Permits an inmate to request that a DNA test be performed on evidence to show innocence. (Senate Bill 589) -- Act 86 of 2002 - Statute of Limitations (Child Sexual Abuse) - Enables a victim of childhood sexual abuse to bring civil action until 12 years after age 18. (Senate Bill 212) The measure also extends the criminal statute of limitations for certain sexual offenses up to 12 years after the offense or 12 years after the child turns age 18. (Senate Bill 415) -- Act 56 of 2002 - Interstate Compact: Supervision of Probationers and Parolees - Repeals the current outdated compact with a modern version and a national governing commission which deals with movement of parolees between states. (Senate Bill 391) -- Act 50 of 2002 - Pennsylvania Uniform Principal and Income Act - Makes numerous revisions to the Probate Code based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission' Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 1014) -- Act 113 of 2000 - Good Samaritan - Provides civil immunity to a "Good Samaritan" who comes to the aid of a victim of a violent crime. (Senate Bill 844) -- Act 84 of 2000 - Admissibility of Out-of-Court Statements - Permits child victim/or witness to testify out-of-court and be admissible as evidence in civil proceedings. (Senate Bill 1299) -- Act 59 of 2000 - Standby Guardianship Act amendment - Amends the Standby Guardianship Law to clarify that the legal custodian of child may designate a standby guardian for that child. (Senate Bill 1275) -- Act 63 of 2000 - Theft of Identity & Ignition Interlock System - Makes it a crime to assume someone else's identity and provides for restitution. Also, a provision was added to implement a federal requirement for an ignition interlock system for drunk drivers. ** (Senate Bill 849; a signed into law as Act 21 of 2000) -- Act 18 of 2000 - Megan's law revisions - Strengthens existing law which requires sex offenders to register when returning to community. (Senate Bill 380) -- Act 14 of 2000 - Sexual exploitation of children - Prohibits the procurement of children for sexual exploitation; a second degree felony. (Senate Bill 383) -- Act 39 of 1999 - General Powers of Attorney and Misc. Probate Code amendments - Provides greater protection against misuse of powers of attorney; based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 173) -- Act 28 of 1999 - Prudent Investor Rule - Require fiduciaries investing to comply with the prudent investor rule; based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 174) -- Act 144 of 1998 - Deficiency Judgment Act amendments - Provides that value of property acquired by the lender at the execution sale be applied first to non-recourse portion of the loan. (Senate Bill 1262) -- Act 143 of 1998 - Interstate Transfer of Parolees & Transmission of Records to Parole Board - Establishes stricter standards for accepting parolees into Pennsylvania from other states. Also, it requires certain records to be transmitted from county courts to state parole board. ** (SB 1239; provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1516, were also amended into it. NOTE: Rep. Gannon's bill, HB 2258, contains the other part of interstate parole legislation.) -- Act 141 of 1998 - Limitations on Trustee Powers & Probate Code Miscellaneous Amendments - Imposes limits on the exercise of trustee powers. Also, makes various changes to Probate Code as recommended by Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. ** (SB 1205; Provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1359, was also amended into it.) -- Act 103 of 1998 - Standby Guardianship Act - Provides for a legal procedure for a terminally ill patient to designate a trusted relative to standby and be available to act as a child's guardian. (Senate Bill 1051) -- Act 84 of 1998 - Prison Litigation Reform & Collection of Court Costs - Limits inmate law suits, requires inmates to pay filing fees when possible, authorizes the dismissal of frivolous law suits, and limits the available remedies for prison conditions litigation. Also, permits counties to contract out to collect court costs and fines. (SB 640; provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 959, were also amended into it.) -- Act 67 of 1998 - Audio-Video Arraignments - Permits a defendant to be arraigned by two-way electronic audio-visual communication. (Senate Bill 770) -- Act 35 of 1998 - Model Expedited Eviction of Drug Traffickers Act amendment - Gives the Court of Common Pleas jurisdiction over cases where an individual is being evicted due to drug-related offenses. (Senate Bill 769) -- Act 3 of 1998 - Fingerprinting Juveniles - Requires a child found to be delinquent to have their fingerprints and photographs taken. (Senate Bill 641) -- Pamphlet Law Resolution #2; Constitutional amendment - Commonwealth right to jury trial - Gives the state the same right to a jury trial in a criminal case as the accused. (1998; Senate Bill 555). ** (An identical measure was passed in the 1996-97 session. The electorate overwhelmingly approved this measure as a referendum in the Nov. 1998 general election.) -- Act 32 of 1997 - Judicial Computer Project - Provides for the second phase of automating the courts. This bill increases court filing fees to automate the court of common pleas. ** (Partially addressed through HB 86 which was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's proposal, SB 778.) -- Act 2 of 1997 - Additional Judges - Provides for additional judges for several of the county courts of common pleas. (Senate Bill 178) -- Act 161 of 1996 - Child Witness legislation - Implements the constitutional amendment which was adopted by the voters on November 7, 1995 allowing a child witness to testify via closed circuit television. (Senate Bill 1322) -- Act 136 of 1996 - Charitable Instrument Act Revisions - Permits revisions to charitable trusts if needed to ensure compliance with Federal tax laws; based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 598) -- Act 104 of 1996 - Limitations of Time, Adoption: one case one judge and Judicial Computer Project - Further clarifies the statute of limitations for fraud to conform to a recent State Supreme Court decision. Permits a judge who adjudicated a child dependent jurisdiction to also hear proceedings relating to that child on termination of parental rights and adoption and provides additional funding for the judicial computer project. Also includes enhanced penalties for unauthorized practice of law. (Senate Bill 1374) -- Act 77 of 1996 - Mental Capacity to Stand trial - Establishes preponderance of the evidence as the burden of evidence in determining incompetency to stand trial. (Senate Bill 1566) -- Act 20 of 1996 - Divorce and Custody Mediation - Offers an alternative to adversarial proceedings and provides an opportunity for mutual resolution of divorce and custody matters. Allows county court to establish mediation program and provides source of funding. (Senate Bill 432) -- Act 3 of 1996 - Confidential Mediation Communications - Creates a privilege for mediation communications and documents. Also requires the prothonotary to list all judgment over $1,000. (Senate Bill 619) -- Act 32 of 1995 - Post Conviction Hearing Act amendment - Limits the number of appeals (one appeal within one year) which may be taken by a convicted criminal offender under the Post Conviction Relief Act. ** (Special Session SB 81) -- Act 24 of 1995 - Megan's Law: Registration of Sex Offenders - (Senate Bill 225 and Special Session Senate Bill 7) Requires sex offenders to register with the State Police when released into the community; requires public notification; life imprisonment for second time sex offenders; and designates certain offenders as sexually violent predators. ** (Special Session Senate Bill 7) -- Act 10 of 1995 - Definition of Rape: No Means No - Eliminates the requirement that force must be used by the perpetrator in order for it to be rape. Instead, rape conviction will turn on whether there was consent. (Special Session Senate Bill 2) -- Pamphlet Law Resolution #1; Constitutional amendment child victim/witness testimony - Allows children to testify in court by closed-circuit television. (1995; Special Session Senate Bill 11) ** (An identical measure, SB 218, was passed in 1993-94 session. The electorate overwhelmingly approved this measure as a referendum in the November 1995 general election.) -- Act 164 of 1994 - Psychologists - Permits psychologists to provide testimony about a persons' drug dependency. (Senate Bill 1836) -- Act 159 of 1994 - Pre-Parole Drug Screening Tests - Requires that in order to be released on parole, an inmate must have a negative drug test within 45 days of his release. (Senate Bill 1688) -- Act 102 of 1994 - Probate Code amendments and Organ Donor - Clarifies various provisions in the Probate Code; based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. Also contains language to help facilitate the donation of vital organs. (Senate Bill 1662) -- Act 152 of 1992 - Probate Code amendments - Updates the Probate Code (i.e., streamlined provisions relating to advertisement of accounts, clarifies the court's jurisdiction to appoint temporary guardians); based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws. (Senate Bill 1118) -- Act 13 of 1988 - Divorce Code - Reduces the divorce waiting period from 3 to 2 years and provides an updated Divorce Code to conform to case law handed down since passage of original act in 1980. (Senate Bill 409) -- Act 301 of 1978 - Traffic Courts - Provides for optional Traffic Courts in smaller cities and setting standards for delivery of subpoenas in criminal proceedings by certified mail. (House Bill 1863) -- Act 53 of 1978 - Codification – Allows for medial testimony by deposition; became vehicle for codification of the Judicial Code. (House Bill 825) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Expungement of Criminal Records - Amends the Criminal History Record Information Act to permit the expungement of certain criminal conviction data. ** (HB 1543, which partially addresses this issue and is similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 232, was signed into law as Act 134 of 2008). -- Juvenile Justice amendment - Protects young people from self-incrimination when they undergo screening or assessment within the juvenile justice system. ** (A measure, HB 1511, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1269, was signed into law as Act 109 of 2008.) -- Additional Judges - Provides for additional judges for several of the county courts of common pleas. ** (The additional judges language, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 861, was inserted into HB 301, which was signed into law as Act 98 of 2008.) -- Minor Judiciary Education Board amendments – Brings the independent Minor Judiciary Education Board under the umbrella of the Unified Judicial System. ** (Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1153, was inserted into HB 301, which was signed into law as Act 98 of 2008.) -- Court-ordered release of terminally or seriously ill inmates - Establishes a more comprehensive procedure by which the inmate or the inmate's designee, or the Department of Corrections or county correctional institution, may petition a court for a medical release. Recommended by the Advisory Committee on Geriatric and Seriously Ill Inmates. ** (This issue was addressed through a bill, HB 7, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 630, which was signed into law as Act 84 of 2008.) -- Prison Population Reduction Act - Provides for prison population reduction by granting certain nonviolent offenders a merit time allowance and presumptive release at the discretion of the Department of Corrections. ** (This issue was addressed through several bills, HB 4 and HB 6, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 862, which were signed into law as Act 81 and Act 83 of 2008.) -- State Intermediate Punishment Program Expansion - Establishes a procedure by which the Corrections Department may identify an offender, upon intake and evaluation, as someone who would have been otherwise eligible for and benefited from the state intermediate punishment program, an intensive drug treatment program. ** (This issue was addressed through a bill, HB 4, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1027, that was signed into law as Act 81 of 2008.) -- Senior Judges Operational Support Grants - Extends the sunset date for the senior judge operational support grant program to June 30, 2012. ** (SB 116, which contained Sen. Greenleaf's senior judge operational support grant language, SB 365, was signed into law as Act 37 of 2007 -- Mandatory Reporting: Grand Jury report recommendation - Adds a section to the Crimes Code defining the offense of failing to report serious violent or sexual crimes against children (within 72 hours) and provides penalties for the offense. ** (HB 1054, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1026, was signed into law as Act 179 of 2006.) -- Constructive Notice - Requires that a document must be both recorded and indexed properly with the Recorder of Deeds Office in order to provide constructive notice. ** (HB 2425, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1153, was signed into law as Act 86 of 2006.) -- Access to Justice Sunset Extension - Extends the sunset date on the Access Justice Act from 2007 to November 1, 2012. One year prior to expiration, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee shall conduct a performance audit, for submission to the General Assembly, to determine whether there is a continued need for the financial support provided under the Access to Justice Act. **(HB 1746, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 772, was signed into law as Act 81 of 2006.) -- Indecent Assault: Grand Jury report recommendation - Expands the definition of the offense of indecent assault and further delineates the penalties for the offense. ** (HB 1400, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1016, was signed into law as Act 76 of 2005.) -- Custody Law amendments - Includes the Uniform Child Custody and Enforcement Act in the child custody law (SB 275). ** (HB 2083, the uniform act, was signed into law as Act 39 of 2004.) -- Note-taking by Jurors - Allows members of the jury to take notes during the trial. Both civil and criminal trials (SB 97). ** (The Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted rules for note-taking by jurors for civil and criminal trials.) -- Anti-Terrorism Act - Provides for new criminal offense for terrorism, expands the wire tap laws when investigating terrorism, creates a civil action for victims, eliminates red tape for estates of persons presumed dead in 911and builds a memorial for victims of 911. ** (A less comprehensive version, SB 1109, of Sen. Greenleaf's legislation (Senate Bill 1000) was signed into law as Act 82 of 2002.) -- Elections: Judicial Gag Rule Repealed - A constitutional amendment eliminating the "gag rule" so judicial candidates may speak on political and legal issues during their campaigns. ** (The U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 nullified a similar "gag rule" in Minnesota.) (SB 228 of the 2001-02 session) -- Reinstatement of Medical Tort Reform Law - A resolution urging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reinstate certain provisions of Act 135 of 1996 that provide medical malpractice tort reform. ** (HR 385, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's resolution, SR 43, was adopted on December 12, 2001.) -- Child-care at Courthouses & Additional Judges - Allows individual counties to increase the court cost by $5 to pay for the daily operation costs of child drop-in care facilities either on the premises or at a close proximity to the court house. Also provided for nearly 20 additional judges for several of the county courts of common pleas. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bills, SB 386 and 643, were amended into SB 958, which was signed into law as Act 105 of 2000.) -- County Intermediate Punishment - Amends the current County Intermediate Punishment Act to update the Act and to expand the programs in each county. ** (Sen. Greenleaf offered language from his bill, SB 835, as an amendment to HB 28, which was signed into law as Act 41 of 2000.) -- Capital Case Defense Funding - Secured funding ($614,000 line item) in the 2000-01 state budget for capital case defense services. (Act 21A of 2000) -- Indecent Assault involving Corrections Employees - Restores a provision of a law that was eliminated under Special Session Act 10 of 1995, that permitted the Corrections Department to prosecute corrections employees when they engaged in consensual sexual relations with inmates. ** (Sen. Greenleaf offered language from his bill, SB 833, as an amendment to HB 689, which was signed into law as Act 157 of 1998.) -- Habitual Offenders - Toughens penalties for habitual offenders who continue to drive. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1387, were amended into HB 433, which was signed into law as Act 151 of 1998.) -- Alimony Pendente Lite - Prohibits a person who is subject to protection from abuse order from being awarded alimony during the divorce litigation. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1027, were amended into SB 1087, which was signed into law as Act 36 of 1998.) -- Medical Records - Waives any cost incurred for reproducing medical records if it serves the purpose of supporting a claim or appeal under the Social Security Act or any state or federal program based on financial need. ** (HB 1048, which was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 839, was signed into law as Act 26 of 1998.) -- Bankruptcy Exemptions - Exempts a bankruptcy estate for contributions made by a debtor to his retirement fund. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, Senate Bill 898, were amended into House Bill 1048, which was signed into law as Act 26 of 1998.) -- Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act - Permits owners of securities, including stocks and bonds, to name a beneficiary to whom the securities would pass without the cost of probate. ** (HB 299, which was identical to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 785, was signed into law as Act 168 of 1996.) -- Chairman's Report: Prison Overcrowding & Alternative Sentencing - As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Greenleaf held hearings on the issue of overcrowding and issued a report in July of 1996 on how to improve the prison system in Pa. -- Investigation into the Parole of Robert Mudman Simon. - Senator Greenleaf, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a Report in February of 1996, which made a number of legislative and administrative recommendations to improve the parole of violent criminals. -- High Risk Dangerous Offenders; Three Strikes - Requires the PA Sentencing Commission to set up guidelines to identify high risk dangerous offenders and provides maximum sentences for individuals who fit these guidelines. ** (A similar bill, Special Session HB 93, which included Sen. Greenleaf's three strikes proposal, was signed into law as Act 21 of 1995.) -- Psychiatric Examination of Violent Offenders - Requires that an individual convicted of a violent crime must go through a psychiatric exam. If exam shows individual is violent in nature, this will be taken into consideration during sentencing. ** (The contents of this bill are found in the three strikes bill, Special Session HB 93, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB1134, which was signed into law as Act 21 of 1995.) -- "Son of Sam" Law - Strengthens Pennsylvania's law which requires a person convicted of a felony crime to turn over to the state any profits he received from describing his crime in a book. ** (Special Session HB 18, which was amended by Sen. Greenleaf to resemble his bill (SB 588 & SS SB 71), was signed into law as Act 12 of 1995.) -- Juvenile Justice Amendments - Clarifies provisions relating to the jurisdiction and venue of courts over delinquent acts committed by juveniles. ** (Special Session HB 31, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 629, was signed into law as Act 9 of 1995.) -- Crime Victim Notification - Provides for victim notification when the offender is released from a county jail. ** (Special Session SB 14, which is identical to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 229, was signed into law as Act 2 of 1995.) -- Legal Services Funding - Spearheaded the effort to restore $2.5 million in funding for legal services by introducing legislation in 1994 and 1995. Funding was eventually restored in the state budget in 1995. -- Extension of Wiretap Law - Initiated legislation, SB 1767, to extend the Wiretap Law from 1994 to 1999. ** (An identical measure, HB 3067, was signed into law as Act 148 of 1994.) -- Served as Chairman of Senate Impeachment Committee during 1994 impeachment trial of former Pa. Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larsen. -- Capital Representation Resource Center Act - Establishes a resource center for attorneys handling capital (death penalty) cases. A nonprofit organization, the center will train attorneys and track capital cases through the various stages of the judicial system (SB 1000 of 1993-94 session). ** (The Resource Center was established through a legislative grant and other sources -1993-94.) -- Judicial Discipline (Constitutional Amendment) - Revises the state's system of judicial conduct review and discipline. Sets up a two tiered system, including an investigation division (the Judicial Conduct Board) and an adjudicative branch (the Court of Judicial Discipline). Introduced a constitutional amendment in 1992 that passed the Legislature as Joint Resolution #1 (Senate Bill 1000). The Legislature approved HB 1, an identical resolution in 1993 and the voters overwhelmingly (82%) approved a referendum to implement the changes. Resolutions Introduced -- Senate Resolution 9 - Violent crime study - Directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the issue of violent crime, to establish an advisory committee to review proposals that address the issue of violent crime and to report to the Senate with its findings and recommendations. **(Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee after being reported from Judiciary Committee) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 381 - Criminal Justice: Wrongful Convictions Study - Directs the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to study the underlying causes of wrongful convictions and to make findings and recommendations to reduce the possibility that in the future innocent persons will be wrongfully convicted. (SB 1069) **Adopted, November 21, 2006. -- Senate Resolution 160 - Alternative Dispute Resolution Study - Directs the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan task force with an advisory committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the current status of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services. **Adopted, February 7, 2006. -- Senate Resolution 220 - Expressing opposition to amendments of March 12, 2004, to the rules implementing the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision. **Adopted, June 22, 2004. -- Senate Resolution 244 - Tax Force/Advisory Committee: Real Property Law - Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan legislative task force with an advisory committee to complete the codification of Pennsylvania's law on real property and, on a continuing basis, to review and update real property law. **Adopted, November 26, 2002. -- Senate Resolution 149 - Prison Population Study - Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan legislative task force with an advisory committee to study and make recommendations regarding geriatric, seriously ill and lifer populations in Pennsylvania correctional institutions. **Adopted, September 25, 2002. -- Senate Resolution 108 - Designating the week of December 15 through 21, 1997, as Juror Appreciation Week in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, December 10, 1997. -- Senate Resolution 66 - Commending Joint State Government Commission Task Force and Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws for their contributions to the General Assembly for the past fifty years. **Adopted, September 20, 1995. -- Senate Resolution 163 - Removing Justice Rolf Larsen from office and disqualifying him from holding any public office. **Adopted, October 4, 1994. -- Senate Resolution 112 - Commending the Joint State Government Commission Task Force and Advisory Committee on Descendents' Estates Laws for their contribution to General Assembly for 40 years. **Adopted, December 3, 1985. Current Legislation Senate Bill 49 - Alimony: Joint State Government Commission - Repeals the current provisions of the Divorce Code relating to alimony and adds provisions that give courts more guidance in awarding alimony. Based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission’s Advisory Committee on Domestic Relations Law. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 53 - Probate Code amendments: Joint State Government Commission - The amendments do the following: 1) relate to Uniform Trust Act; 2) repeal the rule against perpetuities; 3) payment of the Federal estate tax; 4) the Uniform Principal and Income Act; 5) the rules governing the death of a party during a divorce proceeding; and 6) powers of Attorney. ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on March 9, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 73 - Prison Contraband - Expands and clarifies the Crimes Code provisions prohibiting contraband, including weapons, implements of escape and other dangerous material, in correctional institutions, youth development centers and mental hospitals. ** (Passed the Senate on March 11, 2009 and re-referred to House Appropriations Committee on July 16, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 74 - Criminal Justice and Mental Health Reinvestment Act - Establishes a grant program to assist counties in diverting from the criminal justice system individuals with mental health problems. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 214 - Simulcasting Greyhound Racing - Makes it a misdemeanor of the first degree for a person to transmit or receive interstate or intrastate simulcasting of a greyhound race for commercial purposes. (Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee) Senate Bill 215 - Exemption for Youth Soccer - Exempts Pennsylvania affiliates of US Youth Soccer from paying the criminal history record information fee and child abuse information fee in checking on the criminal backgrounds of prospective volunteers. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 216 - Hospital Immunity for Donations - Provides for limited immunity for hospitals that donate medicine, medical supplies and equipment for humanitarian assistance. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 217 - Retention Election of District Justices - Amends state constitution to require retention elections for district justices. (Senate State Government Committee) Senate Bill 218 - HIV Testing Due to Inmate Assault - Authorizes HIV testing if a corrections officer has come into contact with the blood, seminal fluid, saliva, urine or feces thrown, tossed, spit or expelled at him by an inmate. The inmate must be convicted of inmate assault before the test is conducted. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 220 - Replacing “justice of the peace” with “district justice” - Amends state constitution to replace “justice of the peace” with “magisterial district judge.” ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on June 8, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 223 - Capital Representation Resource Center - Establishes a resource center for attorneys handling capital (death penalty) cases. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 224 - Court Reporters - Prevents parties in interest from establishing any direct financial relationship with court reporters to avoid conflict of interest. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 347 - Exemption from Jury Duty based on Age - Amends the Judicial Code to exempt persons 75 years of age or older who request to be excused. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 391 - Repeal of obsolete juvenile law - Repeals an 1862 Act that gave any judge, mayor, alderman or justice of the peace in Philadelphia the authority to commit “orphan, destitute, abandoned or vagrant children” to one of two named orphanages. While the Act is still technically “on the books,” it has been superseded and should be formally repealed. **(Passed the Senate on March 17, 2009 and re-referred to House Appropriations Committee on August 6, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 432 - Sexual Violence Victim Protection Act - Authorizes protection orders for sexual assault victims. ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on March 11, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 434 - Monetary limits on parental liability - Increases the monetary limits of parental liability for the acts of their children from $1,000 to 2,000 for injuries to one person and $2,500 to $4,000 for injuries to more than one person. ** (Passed the Senate on March 16, 2009 and awaits action in the House Judiciary Committee.) Senate Bill 515 - Drug and alcohol assessment for minors - Expands the list of qualified individuals who are authorized to perform drug and alcohol assessments for the commitment for minors to involuntary drug and alcohol treatment services. ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on April 20, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 516 - Common Law Courts - Prohibits use of an unofficial legal tribunal, referred to as a common law court, from exercising jurisdiction over person or property. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 517 - Strip searches - Requires municipal law enforcement agencies to have a policy that governs procedures for strip searches and body cavity searches. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 519 - Administrative law amendment - Protects the appeal rights of a person who is a party in a case before the Commonwealth agency and who misses an opportunity to appeal the Commonwealth agency’s adjudication in the case because the notice of adjudication was sent by mail and not personally served on the person. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 625 - Involuntary termination of parental rights - Amends section 2511 of the Adoption Act, Part III of the Domestic Relations Code, Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to expand the list of criminal offenses which may result in the involuntary termination of parental rights and to add another ground for the involuntary termination of parental rights. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 626 - Inadmissibility of certain health care provider statements - Amends the Judicial Code, Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to allow a physician to make a simple expression of empathy for a patient’s medical situation without fear that the statement will later be considered evidence of negligence in a medical professional liability action. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 627 - Jury duty exemption for federal and state judges - Exempts state and federal judges from jury duty in the state court system. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 942 - Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act - Amends the Judicial Code to enact the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA). This uniform act applies to any civil action brought in another state or territory for which discovery is sought in Pennsylvania and replaces in part the Uniform Interstate and International Procedure Act (42 Pa.C.S. §§5321--5329) enacted by Pennsylvania in 1976. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 943 - Alimony revised - Repeals the current provisions of the Divorce Code relating to alimony and adds new provisions that give courts more guidance in awarding alimony. Courts may award alimony at the request of either party and upon a determination that the petitioner has unfunded needs and the respondent has excess income. Based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission’s Advisory Committee on Domestic Relations Law. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 944 - Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act - The legislation amends the Associations Code, Title 15 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, by adding a new Chapter 91, governing all unincorporated nonprofit associations that are formed or operate in Pennsylvania. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 1035 - Judicial system funding - Provides funding for judicial system and legal aid services. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Miscellaneous -- Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. -- Appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the United States Circuit Court of Appeals to serve on the Death Penalty Task Force resulting in the introduction of legislation to establish a resource center for attorneys handling capital (death penalty) cases. -- Appointed by Governor Casey to serve on the Judicial Reform Commission. Participated in development of recommendations to improve the process of judicial selection and review. -- Appointed to serve on the task force for computerization of court system in the state. -- Appointed to serve on the Commission for Justice Initiatives (Pa. Bar Association). -- Appointed to serve on the Task Force on Student Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Assistance (Pa Bar Association). -- Served as a Steering Committee Member in the federally sponsored project "Crime Victims and Corrections: Implementing the agenda for the 1990's". -- Chairman of the Joint State Government Commission's Task Force on Decedents' Estates Laws; Task Force on Domestic Relations Law; Task Force on Adoption Law, Task Force on Alternative Dispute Resolution Services and Task Force on Real Property Law. -- Served on House Judiciary Committee as well as the Subcommittee on Crime and Corrections in 1977-78. Honors and Awards -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Bar Institute's William E. Zeiter Award for his ongoing efforts to complete the consolidation of Pennsylvania's statutory laws. (September 2008) -- 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award, The University of Toledo Law School Alumni Association -- Recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Special Recognition Award for bringing mediation and alternative dispute resolution to the citizens of Pennsylvania. (June 8, 2006) -- Recipient of 2005 Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape Leadership Award for legislation protecting victims of sexual violence. -- Recipient of 2004 Keystone State Railroad Association Award for passage of House Bill 1117, the Railroad Trespass Bill. -- The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws recognized Sen. Greenleaf for the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in Pennsylvania (Act 14 of 2004). -- Recipient of the 2003 Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA of Bucks County) Award for child advocacy for his work for child witness electronic testimony. -- Recipient of the 2002 Milton O. Moss Award from the Montgomery Bar Foundation for funding for legal aid services to the indigent, the Access to Justice Act. -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Legal Services Award for the Access to Justice Act (2002). -- Recipient of the 2002 Mattie Muir Award for strong and successful advocacy of victims' rights and victims' services. -- The Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association 1992 annual award in recognition of "efforts and resolve in protecting the rights of Pennsylvanians under civil law". LAW ENFORCEMENT & CORRECTIONS | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 41 of 2007 - Prison Escape (use of force) - Amends the Crimes Code to authorize a correctional officer to use whatever force is necessary to defend himself or another from bodily harm during the pursuit of the escaped person. (Senate Bill 623) -- Act 152 of 2004 - Deficiency Judgment Act amendment & Megan's Law amendment - Addresses a problem that occurs when real property collateral securing the same commercial loan is located in more than one Pennsylvania county. This legislation designates the court in one of the counties as the "deficiency court." Also, it adds the offense of "institutional sexual assault" to the list of crimes for which an offender must register his whereabouts. (Senate Bill 92; provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, Senate Bill 903, were also amended into it.) -- Act 112 of 2004 - State Intermediate Punishment Act - Creates an intermediate punishment Program within the Department of Corrections s for nonviolent criminal offenders who are addicted to drugs. (Senate Bill 217) -- Act 19 of 1998 - Wiretap Amendments & Assault by Prisoner - Changes current law to permit roving surveillance and allow legally intercepted communications to be used in criminal trials. Also, a sentence imposed on an inmate for assaulting a prison employee must be served consecutively to the current sentence rather than concurrently. (Senate Bill 635; provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's wiretap bill, Senate Bill 901, were amended into it.) -- Act 164 of 1996 - Parole Legislation - Amends the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole law by rewriting the legislative purpose section, increasing board membership from 5 to 9, and filing of applications for parole. (Senate Bill 1667) -- Act 40 of 1996 - Prison Medical Services Act - Authorizes the Corrections Department to charge fees to inmates for certain medical services. (Senate Bill 856) -- Act 27 of 1995 - Baseball Bats – Provides that the use of a baseball bat, with the intent to commit a crime, would be considered an instrument of crime. The bill, as passed, was amended to provide for penalties for cruelty to dogs and cats and further provides for aggravated assault for certain public officials (i.e. judges). (Senate Bills 729, 584 & 962) -- Act 132 of 1992 - Private Detectives - Amends the Private Detective Act of 1953 to provide for renewal of a private detective's license for a period up to five years. (Senate Bill 1688) -- Act 117 of 1992 - Probation Officers - Authorizes probation officers to arrest persons who violate the provisions of a sentence of intermediate punishment. (Senate Bill 1487) -- Act 25 of 1992 - Philadelphia Municipal Court - Reenacts certain provisions relating to the Philadelphia Municipal Court - jurisdiction over public nuisance cases, increasing the amount needed for compulsory arbitration from $20,000 to $50,000. (Senate Bill 40) -- Act 1 of 1992 - Probation Officers - Provides immunity to adult probation officers providing services to probationers. (Senate Bill 303) -- Act 9 of 1991 - Juveniles - Protects alleged dependent and delinquent juveniles in municipal detention from being held with adult detainees and from self-inflicted harm by requiring constant supervision. Places time limits for detaining juveniles. (Senate Bill 304) -- Act 193 of 1990 - County Intermediate Punishment - Provides for Intermediate Punishment for county prisoners by providing grant incentives to counties utilizing programs of work release, home monitoring, drug and alcohol rehabilitation as alternatives to incarceration. (Senate Bill 718) -- Act 145 of 1990 - Lethal Injection - Replaces use of electric chair with lethal injection for the death penalty. (Senate Bill 637) -- Act 179 of 1988 - Death Penalty – Provides that if a death penalty sentence is vacated on a technicality, the penalty will not automatically become a life sentence but could be subject to death sentence on retrial. (Senate Bill 1304) -- Act 26 of 1988 - Sentencing Guidelines - Expedites the readoption of the Sentencing Guidelines approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. (Senate Bill 1130) -- Act 151 of 1986 - Bad checks - Increases damages in civil actions on bad checks. (Senate Bill 408) -- Act 41 of 1986 - Sentencing Commission - Reestablishes the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing under the Sunset Act. (Senate Bill 1343) -- Act 40 of 1986 - Pennsylvania Crime Commission - Clarifies procedures of commission relating to dissemination of materials, confidentiality of information and trained use of firearms. (Senate Bill 1342) -- Act 77 of 1985 - District Attorneys - Permits counties of all sizes to determine if they want to provide a full-time District Attorney. (Senate Bill 704) -- Pamphlet Law Resolution #2; Constitutional Amendment on Suppressed Voluntary Confessions - Amends state constitution to provide that suppressed voluntary confessions are admissible if defendant chooses to take the stand to contradict prior confession suppressed on a technicality. (1984; Senate Bill 299) ** (An identical measure, SB 496, was passed in 1981-82 session. The electorate approved this measure as a referendum in the November 1984 general election.) -- Act 2 of 1984 - Deputy Sheriffs - Provides for education and training of Deputy Sheriffs. (Senate Bill 403) -- Act 114 of 1981 - Quotas on tickets - Prohibits quotas on citations and tickets issued by officers of local police, State Police, Game Commission and Fish Commission. (Senate Bill 276) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Straw purchases of firearms - Amends the Crimes Code, Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to strengthen the provisions prohibiting the straw purchase of a firearm. ** (HB 1845, with the same purpose as Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 701, partially addresses this issue, and was signed into law as Act 131 of 2008.) -- Tuition Assistance for Dependent Children of Deceased Police Officers - Provides free tuition for college to dependent children of firefighters, law enforcement officers and other public safety officers. ** (HB 2024, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's proposal, SB 463, was signed into law as Act 129 of 1998.) -- Merging the Crime Victims Compensation Board with PCCD - Administratively moves the Crime Victims Compensation Board to the Commission on Crime and Delinquency and creates the Bureau of Victim Services. ** (Special Session HB 126, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's special session bill, SS SB 104, was signed into law as Act 27 of 1995.) -- Attempted Murder - Making an attempt to commit murder of the first degree a felony of first degree; 20 years with a mandatory 5 years if a gun is used. ** (Special Session SB 16, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 630, was signed into law as Act 3 of 1995.) -- Youth Development Center - Investigation and report which resulted in administrative changes in the juvenile justice system. Recommended private placements of eligible juvenile offenders and more secure facilities for high-risk juveniles. (1992) -- Drunk Driving - Initiated legislation which allows police to wait up to 3 hours between stopping a motorist for drunk driving before administering a blood alcohol level test. The bill supersedes a recent state supreme court decision which invalidated a case where the police officers waited over an hour to give a test. ** (Offered language as amendment to House Bill 355, which was signed into law as Act 174 of 1992.) -- Camp Hill Riots Investigation - Report on reasons behind riots and recommendations for administrative changes. (1990) -- Missing Children Registration - Initiated legislation that requires local law enforcement to report all missing children to the school district and the Bureau of Vital Records. The schools and Bureau will flag the child's school records and birth certificate should someone request this information (recovery mechanism). ** (A similar bill, HB 1665, was signed into law as Act 106 of 1990.) -- Mandatory Minimum Sentence-Trafficking Drugs - Offered an amendment that was incorporated into HB 668 which became law (Act 31 of 1988). The type of drug and the amount of drug determines the mandatory sentence (i.e. 5 grams of amphetamine = mandatory sentence of 2.5 years on first conviction). -- Wiretap Law - Sen. Greenleaf's legislation, SB 1101, to bring the state wiretap statute into line with federal law was adopted as an amendment to SB 797. The provisions provide protection for electronic surveillance of modern telecommunications (e.g. computer terminals). This will give law enforcement a fighting chance against communications technology employed by organized crime. **(SB 797 was signed into law as Act 115 of 1988.) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 407 - Juvenile Detention Centers Week - Declaring October 26 through November 1, 2008 as "Juvenile Detention Centers Week" in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, October 7, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 198 - Juvenile Detention Centers Week - Declaring October 21 through 27, 2007 as "Juvenile Detention Centers Week" in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, October 16, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 381 - Criminal Justice: Wrongful Convictions Study - Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to study the underlying causes of wrongful convictions and to make findings and recommendations to reduce the possibility that in the future innocent persons will be wrongfully convicted. (SB 1069) **Adopted, November 21, 2006. -- Senate Resolution 13 - Parole Board Accreditation - Congratulating the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole for receiving re-accreditation from the American Correctional Association (ACA). **Adopted, February 1, 2005. -- Senate Resolution 82 - Police Officers Memorial Day - Designating May 15, 1994, as Police Officers Memorial Day and the week of May 15 as Police Week. **Adopted, April 26, 1994. -- Senate Resolution 122 - Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Month - Designating the month of February as Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Month. **Adopted, February 10, 1998. -- Senate Resolution 203 - Nazi War Crimes - Memorializing President and Congress to urge the German Federal Republic to abolish or extend statute of limitations relating to Nazi war crimes. **Adopted, May 8, 1979. Current Legislation Senate Bill 44 - Identification of Purchasers of Keg Beer - Requires sellers of kegs of beer to record the purchaser's identification and affix ID labels the kegs. Helps prevent adults from buying beer for minors. ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on March 16, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 73 - Prison Contraband - Expands and clarifies the Crimes Code provisions prohibiting contraband, including weapons, implements of escape and other dangerous material, in correctional institutions, youth development centers and mental hospitals. ** (Passed the Senate on March 11, 2009 and re-referred to House Appropriations Committee on July 16, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 150 - Drug Task Force Act - Establishes a grant program for law enforcement drug and violence task forces. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 182 - Missing Children - Amends Crime Code to make clear that children abducted as part of a domestic dispute or custody battle should be considered missing children. Also establishes a Missing Children Information Clearinghouse in the State Police to act as a central repository for information on children reported missing. (Senate Aging and Youth Committee) Senate Bill 219 - Criminal Records and Fingerprinting Act - Requires correctional facilities, when an escape has been discovered, to immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over the escape. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 221 - Bail Bond Enforcement Agent Law - Provides for regulation and licensure of bail bond enforcement agents (bounty hunters). ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on March 11, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 343 - First Responder Hepatitis B Inoculations - Establishes a statewide program to provide hepatitis B shots for law enforcement officers, firefighters and medical personnel. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 433 - Bad faith actions on insurance policies - Allows the trier of fact (judge or jury) to make a finding that an insurance company acted in bad faith toward an insured and to award punitive damages. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 730 - Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights - Requires law enforcement officers to receive notice prior to dismissal, demotion or reassignment. (Senate Law and Justice Committee) Miscellaneous -- 1977 to 1978 served on House Judiciary Committee as well as the Subcommittee on Crime and Corrections. -- Former Vice Chairman of Senate Law and Justice Committee. -- Served on the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. -- Former Assistant Public Defender for Bucks County. -- Former Assistant District Attorney for Montgomery County. -- Former Chief of Appeals Division for Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. -- A guest lecturer and participant in panel discussions at Pennsylvania Bar Association meetings, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trail Judges on several occasions. -- In a Penn State Ph.D. Dissertation entitled "Correctional Policy in the Political Arena: A case study of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in Transition," Sen. Greenleaf was ranked as the most influential lawmaker in correctional policy-making among a list of 22 elected state lawmakers. -- Appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania State Council Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision (Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole). -- Served as Chairman of the Joint State Government Commission's Task Force on Geriatric and Seriously Ill Inmates. Honors and Awards -- Recipient of 2004 Lois Williamson Memorial Award from PA CURE, a criminal justice advocacy organization focused on inmate issues, for Sen. Greenleaf's work on inmate issues and for his willingness to listen to the concerns of inmate families. -- The Deputy Sheriffs Association Distinguished Public Service Award. LIQUOR LAW | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 24 of 1982 - Allows liquor licensees with Sunday sales permits to conduct business on election day. (Senate Bill 484) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Trade Show Centers - Sen. Greenleaf supported amendatory language contained in House Bill 2105 which, in part, revised the definition of public venue in order to allow a convention center or trade show center with 60,000 square feet and no permanent seating to obtain a public venue liquor license. ** (HB 2105 was signed into law as Act 239 of 2004.) -- Election Day Liquor Sales - Permits the sale of alcoholic beverages on Election Day by hotels and restaurants. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1306, were amended into a Senate Liquor Code bill, Senate Bill 1531, which was signed into law as Act 141 of 2000.) -- Liquor Law Reforms - Sponsored at least ten pieces of legislation to reform the State liquor system which were included in the LCB Sunset Law, HB 1000, which was signed into law as Act 14 of 1987. a) shift of enforcement from the LCB to the State
Police. -- As Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, held extensive hearings on the Liquor Control Board during 1982-83. As a result of the hearings, published a report entitled "P.L.C.B. A System on the Rocks," which recommended changes in licensing & enforcement. Current Legislation Senate Bill 44 - Identification of Purchasers of Keg Beer - Requires sellers of kegs of beer to record the purchaser's identification and affix ID labels on the kegs. Helps prevent adults from buying beer for minors. ** (Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee on March 16, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill - Safe Ride Home Program - Requires the Liquor Control Board to establish a Statewide Safe Ride Home Program which provides safe transportation home for an intoxicated patron. (**Pending reintroduction**) LOCAL GOVERNMENT | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 88 of 2008 - Amateur Radio Antennas – Places restrictions on municipal regulation of amateur radio service communications. A municipality may not regulate antennas below 65 feet. (Senate Bill 884) -- Act 28 of 2002 - Municipal Officers (boroughs) - Permits a member of borough council to vote on an issue despite the fact that they have expressed an opinion on that issue. (Senate Bill 220) -- Act 22 of 2002 - Municipal Officers (first class township) - Permits a member of the board of commissioners to vote on an issue despite the fact they have expressed an opinion on that issue. (Senate Bill 218) -- Act 21 of 2002 - Municipal Officers (second class townships) - Permits a member of the board of supervisors to vote on an issue despite the fact they have expressed an opinion on that issue. (Senate Bill 219) -- Act 104 of 2000 - Tax Collector Continuing Education Act & Installment Payment of Local Taxes - Establishes a continuing education program for qualified tax collectors. The measure also permits the payment of local property taxes on an installment plan. (Senate Bill 769) -- Act 165 of 1996 - Landscape Architects - Amends the Municipalities Planning Code to allow subdivision and land development plans to be prepared in accordance with both the Professional Engineers Registration Law and the Landscape Architects Registration Law. (Senate Bill 1197) -- Acts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 1988 - Uniform Parcel Identifying System - Authorizes counties to establish a uniform parcel identifier system within the office of the Recorder of Deeds or Commissioner of Records to facilitate property transfers and tax assessments and provide for an efficient land record system. (Senate Bills 131, 132, 133 and 134) -- Act 114 of 1981 - Quotas on tickets - Prohibits quotas on citations and tickets issued by officers of local police, State Police, Game Commission and Fish Commission. (Senate Bill 276) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- County Pension Plans - Reduces the vesting period for county employees from 8 years to 5 years and permits the county to establish a new class of county contributions to enhance employees' pensions. ** (HB 545, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 454, was signed into law as Act 43 of 2003.) -- Police Lodge Convention - Authorizes boroughs to provide police officers with paid leave so they may attend FOP or similar lodge meetings. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 783, were amended into HB1155, which was signed into law as Act 34 of 2000.) -- Second Class Township: Criminal Enforcement of Ordinance - Allows criminal enforcement for a violation of a building, housing, property maintenance, health, fire or public safety code or ordinance and for water, air and noise pollution violations. Other violations will be civil violations. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1576, were amended into HB 685, which was signed into law as Act 172 of 1996.) Current Legislation Senate Bill 145 - Reimbursing Municipal Police for Serving Warrants - Permits municipal police to be reimbursed for serving a warrant. (Senate Judiciary Committee) Senate Bill 177 - Municipal Land Bank and Affordable Housing - Allows second class township supervisors, with the approval of the voters, to designate all or part of their realty transfer tax revenue to acquire open space for purposes of conservation, recreation and agriculture, or to establish an affordable housing program. (Senate Local Government Committee) Honors and Awards -- Recipient of the "Legislator of the Year" award from the Pennsylvania State Tax Collectors' Association for his sponsorship of legislation in support of tax collectors (2002). PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 27 of 2008 - Clean Indoor Air Act: no smoking in public and work places - Provides for a statewide policy prohibiting smoking in public places and workplaces. (Senate Bill 246) -- Act 169 of 2006 - Advance directives: Joint State Government Commission - Provides for the use of a living will and a health care power of attorney to make health care decisions. Based on recommendations of the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estates Laws (Senate Bill 628) -- Act 89 of 1994 - DES Public Information & Education - Requires the Health Department to establish a public and professional education and information program to identify and diagnose individuals who were exposed to a drug, Diethylstilbestrol, commonly known as DES, while pregnant or prenatal. (Senate Bill 1396) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Infant Botulism Education Program - Requires the Health Department to establish a public information and education program on infant botulism. In March 2004 the Health Department committed to develop an infant botulism fact sheet and increase awareness among health care professionals of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of the condition. (Senate Bill 1033) -- Smoking Cessation Program-MA - In 2001, DPW administratively authorized MA reimbursement for smoking cessation treatments and services. This was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's legislative proposal. (Senate Bill 1143) -- Mental Retardation Waiting List - In 1999, DPW created a Waiting List Work Group, which developed a long-term plan to reduce the waiting list for MR services. This was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's legislative proposal (Senate Bill 593). Also, supported Gov. Ridge's proposed funding in FY 2000-01 ($50 million) budget to reduce/eliminate the waiting list for MR services. (Act 21A of 2000) -- Funding for DES Public Information & Education - Helped to secure funding ($250,000) in the Department of Health's budget for fiscal year 2000-01 to fully implement the provisions of Act 89 of 1994, which Sen. Greenleaf sponsored, to promote education and public awareness of DES. (Act 21A of 2000) -- Certification/Regulation of Utilization Review Act - Requires each utilization review organization to be certified and regulated by the Insurance Department. ** (SB 91, which contains, in part, language similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 854, was signed into law as Act 68 of 1998.) -- Medical Savings Accounts - An employer or individual may set up a tax-free account for medical expenses. ** (House Bill 1468, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1132, was signed into law as Act 179 of 1996.) -- Mother & Newborn Child Health Services - Requires health insurers to provide 48 hour maternity coverage. ** (House Bill 1977, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 1237, was signed into law as Act 85 of 1996.) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 410 - Recognizing the Community Partners Center for Health and Human Services as the first nonprofit center in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, October 7, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 409 - Recognizing October 21, 2008, as Biomedical Research Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, October 7, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 351 - Designating the month of September 2008 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 25, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 325 – Designating the month of May 2008 as Hemophilia Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, May 7, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 310 – Designating the month of May 2008 as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 30, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 194 – Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a legislative task force with an advisory committee of experts to review, update and codify Pennsylvania's public health law. ** Adopted January 16, 2008. -- Senate Resolution 199 – Recognizing October 21, 2007, as Biomedical Research Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, October 16, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 135 – Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a task force and advisory committee to study the distribution and use of methadone and make a report to the Senate on its findings regarding the drug. ** Adopted, July 2, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 145 - Designating the month of September 2007 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 28, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 104 – Designating the month of May 2007 as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted April 30, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 81 – Designating the month of April 2007 as Hemophilia Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 16, 2007. -- Senate Resolution 330 - Designating the month of September 2006 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 29, 2006. -- Senate Resolution 163 - Designating the month of September 2005 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, September 19, 2005. -- Senate Resolution 96 - Designating May 2005 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month in Pennsylvania and urging the President and Congress to enact legislation to provide additional funding for research. **Adopted, April 20, 2005 -- Senate Resolution 86 - Designating May 2005 as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, April 19, 2005. -- Senate Resolution 321 - Commemorating, on December 1, 2004, the 10th anniversary of the enactment of Act 102 of 1994 relating to anatomical gifts. **Adopted, November 9, 2004. -- Senate Resolution 291 - Designating the month of September 2004 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 29, 2004. -- Senate Resolution 181 - Designating November 24, 2003, as Infant Botulism Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, November 11, 2003. -- Senate Resolution 136 - Designating the month of September 2003 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, September 9, 2003. -- Senate Resolution 115 - Recognizing the week of August 3 through 9, 2003, as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 25, 2003. -- Senate Resolution 61 - Designating the week of May 4 through 10, 2003, as Cancer Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 23, 2003. -- Senate Resolution 253 - Designating the month of September 2002 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 19, 2002. -- Senate Resolution 171 - Urging the Department of health to develop a task force to investigate the health effects of toxic mold. ** Adopted, June 18, 2002. -- Senate Resolution 93 - Designating the month of September 2001 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, June 20, 2001. -- Senate Resolution 209 - Designating the month of September 2000 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, September 26, 2000. -- Senate Resolution 72 - Designating May 12, 1999, as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 4, 1999. -- Senate Resolution 70 - Recognizing the week of May 2 through 8, 1999, as Chastity Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 19, 1999. -- Senate Resolution 223 - Designating the month of October 1998 as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, September 29, 1998. -- Senate Resolution 158 - Recognizing the week of May 3 through 9, 1998, as Chastity Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 28, 1998. -- Senate Resolution 157 - Designating the week of May 3 through 9, 1998, as Stroke Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 22, 1998. -- Senate Resolution 33 - Recognizing the week of April 20 through April 26, 1997, as Chastity Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, April 1, 1997. -- Senate Resolution 63 - Designating Sunday, June 6, 1993, as Cancer Survivors Day in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, May 26, 1993. -- Senate Resolution 127 - Designating the week of January 21through 27, 1990, as Anabolic Steroids Abuse Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, January 1990. -- Senate Resolution 111 - Supporting October 22 through 29, 1989, as Red Ribbon Week; and encouraging citizens of this Commonwealth to participate in drug-prevention education activities. ** Adopted, October 17, 1989. -- Senate Resolution 60 - Designating the week beginning May 1 as Hard of Hearing Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, May 1, 1989. -- Senate Resolution 95 - Designating the week of February 9 through 15, 1986, as Compassionate Friends Awareness Week. ** Adopted, November 20, 1985. Current Legislation Senate Bill 37 - Expand Health Insurance Coverage: adultBasic plus - Expands the existing adultBasic program so that individuals and small business employers (2 to 50 employees) may purchase this insurance coverage at the Insurance Department’s cost. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 38 - Expand Health Insurance Coverage: No-Mandate Health Insurance Plans - Increases the availability of health insurance coverage by having the Insurance Department develop various standardized “basic” health insurance plans that insurers may offer to individuals and small employers (2 to 100 employees) that, in whole or in part, do not offer or provide state-mandated health benefits. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 39 - Expand Health Insurance Coverage: Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperatives - Allows small employers to band together via a health insurance purchasing cooperative so that they gain the same administrative efficiencies and purchasing clout as larger employers. (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee) Senate Bill 113 – Clean Indoor Air Act amendments - Strengthens the Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) by eliminating exceptions to the new statewide smoking ban and providing for local ordinances. (Senate Public health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 151 - Prenatal & Postpartum Counseling & Screening Act - Requires information relating to parenting and prenatal depression, postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis and other emotional trauma counseling and screening to be provided to a pregnant woman. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 251 - Kendra’s Law - Provides for assisted outpatient treatment for individuals with mental illness. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 342 - Medical Assistance bed transfer program - Allows nursing homes to obtain MA certified beds under limited terms and conditions. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 346 - Lyme Disease - Creates a greater public awareness of the dangers of Lyme disease and preventive measures. Also encourages increased research into treatment of the disease. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 349 - Medicaid Bed Exception - Exempts Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) from the MA bed approval process and allows nursing facilities operated by CCRCs to obtain MA certified beds under limited terms and conditions. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Honors and Awards -- Recipient of the 2002 Vince Fitzpatrick Humanitarian Award from the ARC of Montgomery County for his leadership in directing state government attention and funding toward increasing residential placement opportunities for mentally retarded citizens whose parents are no longer able to care for them at home. -- Cited by the University of California's School of Medicine as one of the most effective legislators in the field of tobacco control. (1998) STATE GOVERNMENT | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 29 of 2007 - Reducing continuing medical education for volunteers - Lowers the mandatory continuing medical education credit hours for volunteer licensees from 100 hours to 20 hours. (Senate Bill 72) -- Act 102 of 2001 - Bill of Rights Day - Designates December 15 of each year as Bill of Rights Day in the Commonwealth. (Senate Bill 230) -- Act 51 of 1998 - Pennsylvania Securities Commission - Increases the salaries of Securities Commission members up to $28,500 for chairman and $26,000 for other commission members. (Senate Bill 429) -- Act 89 of 1994 - DES Public Information & Education - Requires the Health Department to establish a public and professional education and information program to identify and diagnose individuals who were exposed to a drug, Diethylstilbestrol, commonly known as DES, while pregnant or prenatal. (Senate Bill 1396) -- Act 153 of 1992 - Sale of land - Authorizes the state to sell, at a reduced price, two tracts of land contiguous to the Wissahickon Valley Association Inc., of Montgomery County. (Senate Bill 1405) -- Act 81 of 1987 - Deferred Compensation Programs - Authorizes deferred compensation programs for state and local government employees. Allowing them to save for retirement while deferring a portion of their federal income tax payment until they retire. (Senate Bill 209) -- Act 51 of 1985 - Conveyance of land - Permits the conveyance of land from the Commonwealth to the East Norriton Fire Company for volunteer fire company purposes. (Senate Bill 766) -- Act 114 of 1981 - Quotas on tickets - Prohibits quotas on citations and tickets issued by officers of local police, State Police, Game Commission and Fish Commission. (Senate Bill 276) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Charitable Organizations: Revises monetary threshold requiring an audit, review or compilation - Amends the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Proposes Act to raise from $125,000 to over $300,000 the amount all charitable organizations may raise before an audit must be performed. It also provides for other financial reviews for organizations that receive less money, with an audit, review or compilation optional for groups raising less than $50,000. ** (HB 632, a measure similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 210, was signed into law as Act 121 of 2006.) -- Absentee Ballots – Extends the deadline for county receipt of absentee ballots cast by military electors and their families, and overseas civilian employees of the US received within seven days following an election, regardless of whether in wartime or not. ** (SB 999, a measure similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 203, was signed into law as Act 45 of 2006.) -- Upper Dublin Township: Project 70 Land Swap - Authorizes the release of Project 70 restrictions on two parcels of land owned by Upper Dublin and convey that land in exchange for other land with Project 70 restrictions (land for parks and recreational use). ** (HB 486, a measure similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 222, was signed into law as Act 2 of 2005.) -- Appointment of Election Watchers - Permits candidates to appoint poll watchers who live in the county instead of the municipality where the polling place is located. ** (SB 1240, a measure similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1113, which was signed into law as Act 44 of 2002.) -- Access to Public Records Act - Enables the public to have access to government information and records. ** (HB 2100, a less comprehensive open records law to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 701, was signed into law as Act 100 of 2002.) -- Sunset Certificate of Need - Allows the certificate of need law to sunset. (The Health Department's CON Program sunset on December 18, 1996 as a result of the legislature's failure to pass legislation extending the program.) *Sen. Greenleaf had introduced similar legislation, SB 1195, to sunset the certificate of need program. -- Source Tax on Pensions - Prohibits Pennsylvania courts from recognizing another state's claim on the pension payments made to a Commonwealth resident. (President Clinton on January 10, 1996 signed into law a bill, HR 394, which would prohibit states from going after a retirees' pension when they move to other states.) *Sen. Greenleaf had introduced similar legislation, SB 1152, to accomplish this. -- Securities Commission-Salary Increase - Increases the chairman's salary from $13,000 to $23,000 and the salary of the two other members from $12,000 to $21,000. ** (Senate Bill 1074, a measure similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1232, was signed into law as Act 51 of 1995.) -- Tax Amnesty Program - Enables delinquent taxpayers for a period of 3 months to pay back taxes without interest and penalties. Taxpayers would be excused 100% of interest if overdue taxes are paid within the first month. Taxpayers during the second and third month would only pay interest on 25% and 50% respectfully. ** (An identical tax amnesty bill, House Bill 39, to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1151, was signed into law as Act 21 of 1995.) -- Absentee Ballots-absent from municipality - Constitutional amendment which will permit voters who are going to be absent from their home municipality on election day to vote by absentee ballot. ** (House Bill 1865, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 1523, was approved by the General Assembly as Pamphlet Law Resolution #2. An identical resolution must be approved next session.) (1995-96) -- Legal Services - Provides a supplemental appropriation of $2.5 million to Public Welfare Department for legal services to the poor. ** (Funding for legal services was included in the 1995-96 state budget as a result of Sen. Greenleaf's efforts.) -- Public Information Kiosks (Senate Bill 1296) - Requires the Department of Labor and Industry to establish a pilot program of kiosks or touch screen computer stations to give Pennsylvanians easier access to information on governmental services. **(In October of 1994, Governor Casey began implementing a similar pilot project with a $125,000 federal grant and $249,890 in state matching funds.) -- PENNSPAN: Pennsylvania Public Affairs Network - Develops a public network in cooperation with Pennsylvania's cable television industry, to provide live and taped coverage of Commonwealth government activities and issues related to state government. ** (Sen. Greenleaf's concept of PENNSPAN, as contained in SB 1742, was developed by the cable industry through the creation of the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN). (1994)) Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 189 - Designating the month of October 2005 as William Penn's Charter of Privileges Month in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, Oct. 18, 2005. -- Senate Resolution 142 - Urging the Governor and the Department of Community and Economic Development to establish relations with the nation of Ukraine in the areas of arts and culture, economic development and travel and tourism. **Adopted, June 29, 2005. -- Senate Resolution 130 - Urging the President and Congress of the United States and all members of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission to remove the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove from the list of military base closures recommended by the Department of Defense. **Adopted, June 15, 2005. -- Senate Resolution 139 - Recognizing December 4, 2001, as National Day of Reconciliation in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, December 3, 2001. -- Senate Resolution 92 - Condemning the vicious terrorist attack that occurred in the City of Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, June 1, 2001, costing 20 innocent young people their lives. **Adopted, June 20, 2001. -- Senate Resolution 47 - Urging Congress to prepare and submit to the states an amendment to the U.S. Constitution providing that no court shall have the power to order a state to levy or increase taxes. ** Adopted, November 20, 2000. -- Senate Resolution 202 - Designating October 2000 as Italian American Heritage Month in Pennsylvania. ** Adopted, September 27, 2000. -- Senate Resolution 134 - Calling on Governor and state agencies to determine the causes of rising heating and fuel oil prices. ** Adopted, February 8, 2000. -- Senate Resolution 25 – Memorializing Congress and the President to take whatever action is necessary to obtain the release of Americans being held against their will in North Korea. ** Adopted, June 14, 1999. -- Senate Resolution 152 - Honoring Captain Snyder for his recent appointment to the U.S.S. Cowpens. ** Adopted, October 2, 1996. -- Senate Resolution 44 - Designating May 4, 1995, as Prayer Day in Pennsylvania in recognition of the National Day of Prayer celebration. ** Adopted, May 1, 1995. -- Senate Resolution 37 - Expressing sympathy to the families of the people who were killed in the bombing of the federal building and urged all Pennsylvanians to turn on their headlights on Wednesday, April 26, 1996 to show support for the people of Oklahoma City. ** Adopted, April 24, 1995. -- Senate Resolution 36 - Supporting the nomination of the Capitol Preservation Committee for the National Preservation Honor Award. ** Adopted, April 25, 1995. Current Legislation Senate Bill 52 - 30 and out - Provides for a “30 and out” retirement window for state and public school employees if they have been credited with 30 years of service and apply between April 1, 2005, and June 30, 2005 or April 1, 2006, and June 30, 2006. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 148 - Internet posting of election results - Requires the county board of elections to post election returns on election night for public access on an Internet website. (Senate State Government Committee) Senate Bill 343 - First Responder Hepatitis B Inoculations - Establishes a statewide program to provide hepatitis B shots for law enforcement, firefighters and medical personnel. (Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee) Senate Bill 353 - Service Clubs - Exempts service clubs from the registration requirements of the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act. (Senate State Government Committee) Senate Bill 355 - Personal Income Tax: offsetting gains and losses - Permits a credit to be taken against other classes of income, when filing a tax return, for a net loss from the disposition of property. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 359 - Retirement Buy-Back: Active Duty for Training - Amends the State Employees Retirement Code by adding “active duty for training” as creditable non-state service that may be purchased toward state retirement. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 360 - Retirement buy back: Previous service in nonpublic school – Amend PSERS by adding previous service in a nonpublic school as credible nonschool service that may be purchased toward retirement. (Senate Finance Committee) Senate Bill 889 – Latin motto: Where Liberty Is, There is My Country - Recognize “Ubi libertas vivit, hic patria mihi” as the official Latin motto of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Senate State Government Committee) TRANSPORTATION | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 63 of 2000 - Theft of Identity & Ignition Interlock System - Makes it a crime to assume someone else's identity and provides for restitution. Also, a provision was added to implement a federal requirement for an ignition interlock system for drunk drivers. ** (Senate Bill 849; a companion bill, HB945, which spells out the crime and penalties for identity theft, was also signed into law as Act 21 of 2000.) -- Act 108 of 1992 - Designates the Central Avenue bridge over the Tookany Creek in Cheltenham Townships, as the Edward F. Drach Bridge. (Senate Bill 1173) -- Act 133 of 1981 - Upgrading ambulance service on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and permitting unimpeded turnpike access for emergency vehicles on call. (Senate Bill 114) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Stable Funding Source for Public Transportation - HB 1590 provides, in part, funding for mass transit via the Pa Turnpike Commission and a dedicated portion of the sales and use tax. ** (Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 631, also attempted to provide a stable funding source for mass transit, which included dedicating additional sales tax revenue to transit. HB 1590 was signed into law as Act 44 of 2007.) -- Elizabeth's Amendment - Prohibits a person to stand or park a motor vehicle within 30 feet in front of a "blind or deaf child" sign if local government adopts an ordinance. ** (HB 550, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 767, was signed into law as Act 58 of 2004.) -- Credit on Driver's License Suspension - Permits a driver to receive credit against the revocation, suspension or disqualification of the driver's operating privileges if the driver shows proof that he did not operate a vehicle during the entire period of disqualification and provides collaborating evidence. ** (SB 8, similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 518, addressed this concern.) (Act 24 of 2003) -- Mass Transit Funding - Earmarks $16.1 million of federal funding to restore mass transit funding to its FY 2002-03 level. ** (Funding was restored via the 2003-04 Supplemental Appropriations bill, HB 1589.) (Act 9A of 2003) -- Automated Red Light Enforcement System - Permits local governments to install and use automated red light enforcement systems. ** (SB 238, similar to Senator Greenleaf's measure, SB 704, limited the automated red light enforcement system to Philadelphia.) (Act 123 of 2002) -- Cross-County Metro - Included in 1999-2000 Capital Budget Project Itemization Act, Senate Bill 572. Pushed for separate legislation (Senate Bill 649) for many years prior to the passage of this bill which will help to create an intra-suburban rail transit line between Downingtown and Morrisville. (Act 35 of 1999) -- Annual Permit for Nondivisible Mobile Cranes - Provides for an annual permit for an overweight truck-mounted crane. ** (The annual permit provision was contained in HB 10, which was similar to Sen. Greenleaf's legislation, SB 644. HB 10 was signed into law as Act 23 of 1999.) -- Uninsured Vehicles: Impoundment - Permits local police to immediately impound a vehicle for various offenses like no insurance. ** (The vehicle impoundment provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill (SB645) were contained in HB 2360, which was signed into law as Act 93 of 1996.) -- Served as a SEPTA BOARD MEMBER since August 1996. -- License Restoration - Establishes a program for individuals whose operating privileges have been suspended or revocated for 18 months. ** (The provisions of Sen. Greenleaf's bill, Senate Bill 587, were included in House Bill 1950, which authorizes limited driving privileges to individuals who have been habitual offenders and lost their operating privileges for 5+ years. HB 1950 was signed into law as Act 143 of 1994.) -- Vehicle Piracy or carjacking - Makes carjacking a felony of the first degree. ** (Language contained in Sen. Greenleaf's bill, SB 463, was part of House Bill 3, which was signed into law as Act 28 of 1993.) Current Legislation Senate Bill 152 - Neighborhood Electric Vehicles - Provides for the operation of neighborhood electric vehicles on certain highways or roadways in the Commonwealth. **(SB 152 was re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 4, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 154 - Funding for mass public transit system - Amends the state constitution to permit gasoline taxes and motor license fees to be used for the development, construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of mass public transportation systems, and the costs and expenses related to them. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 341 - Motor Vehicle Inspection - Eliminates the possibility that a new motor vehicle will have to be inspected twice in one year. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 344 - Emergency Vehicles Involved in Accidents - Enables emergency vehicle drivers to leave the scene of an accident to respond to the initial emergency. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 345 - Automated Enforcement of Law on Passing School Buses - Permits the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to establish and administer a one-year pilot program to evaluate automated enforcement of the law regarding passing school buses. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 352 - Multiple-war license plate - Provides for special registration plate for veterans of WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 361 - Disabled Veterans’ License Plate - Reduces the percentage of disability necessary for a veteran to qualify for a severely disabled veteran plate from 100% to 75%. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 429 - Probationary License - Amends the Vehicles Code to reduce the waiting period for a probationary driver’s license. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 430 - Auto Accidents: Leaving the Scene - Permits an individual in an auto accident to leave the scene of an accident if they fear for their safety. They must go to the nearest police station to report the accident. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 738 - Bike Medics - Amends the Vehicle Code to officially recognize Bike Medics and permit them to operate their bicycles in the same manner as a police officer on a bicycle. (Senate Transportation Committee) Honors and Awards -- Recipient of the 2005 "Philadelphia Award" from the Philadelphia Chapter of Women in Transportation for his support of efforts to find a long-term solution to funding needs of SEPTA and mass transit throughout the Commonwealth. URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 93 of 2006 - Display of American, Commonwealth and Military Flag - Permits an individual to fly an American flag, Commonwealth flag or military flag if they are residents in a unit owners' association, homeowners association or master association. (Senate Bill 82) -- Act 114 of 2000 - Residential Real Estate Transfers Law - Provides for an integrated set of statutory provisions dealing with residential real estate transactions, including the certification and regulation of home inspectors. (Senate Bill 1032) -- Act 203 of 1984 - Termination of lease - Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act to prohibit nonrenewable or termination of a lease based on a tenant's participation in a tenant's association. Allows tenant to place money in escrow account if dwelling is uninhabitable. (Senate Bill 165) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Uniform Condominium Act amendment (Senate Bill 963) Amends the Act to reduce the number of unit owners who must approve the application of the law to properties originally organized under the Unit Property Act. It requires that only 67% of all unit owners approve an amendment to permit the application of the Uniform Condo Act to condominiums organized prior to the effective date of that act. ** (Sen. Greenleaf's language from SB 963 was amended into HB 2295, which was signed into law as Act 49 of 2008.) -- Manufactured\Mobile Home: Taxation (Senate Bill 332) - Eliminates the 6% sales tax that is being charged every time a manufactured home is sold. The measure would only make the 2% reality transfer tax applicable when a manufactured home is sold. ** (This issue was resolved by way of a Department of Revenue rule in 1995 which eliminated the 6% sales tax if the manufactured home remains on the property.) Current Legislation Senate Bill 177 - Municipal Land Bank and Affordable Housing Act - Allows a local government, with the approval of the voters, to designate all or part of their realty transfer tax revenue to acquire open space for purposes of conservation, recreation and agriculture, or to establish an affordable housing program. (Senate Local Government Committee) Senate Bill 222 - Mortgage foreclosure assistance programs - Requires the court of common pleas in each county to establish a residential mortgage foreclosure conciliation program to assist homeowners and mortgage lenders in achieving a mutually agreeable resolution to a mortgage foreclosure action. (Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee) VETERANS | Back to Top Greenleaf Bills Enacted -- Act 93 of 2006 - Display of American, Commonwealth and Military Flag - Permits an individual to fly an American flag, Commonwealth flag or military flag if they are residents in a unit owners' association, homeowners association or master association. (Senate Bill 82) Other Greenleaf Initiatives Accomplished -- Persian Gulf Conflict Bonus - Provides for a referendum for voter approval for indebtedness up to $20 million for compensation to veterans of the Persian Gulf Conflict. ** (House Bill 1820, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 487, was signed into law as Act 29 of 2006.) -- Veterans Bonus (Merchant Marines) - Creates a WW II Merchant Marine bonus program which provides a $500 bonus to Pennsylvania residents who served in the Merchant Marines during WW II. ** (House Bill 58, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 488, was signed into law as Act 22 of 2006.) -- Paralyzed Veteran's Pension - Removed the residency requirement as a condition for eligibility for the Paralyzed Veteran's Pension. ** (House Bill 453, a bill similar to Sen. Greenleaf's measure, SB 282, was signed into law as Act 109 of 2001.) -- Veterans Transportation - Helped to support inclusion of $250,000 within the Military and Veterans Affairs Budget for fiscal year 2001-02 to assist veterans with transportation need for medical visits. Resolutions Adopted -- Senate Resolution 21 - Designating the month of March 1999 as Seabee Month in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, February 9, 1999. -- Senate Resolution 198 - Recognizing May 30 as Merchant Marine Veterans Day in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, May 4, 1998. -- Senate Resolution 236 - Designating July 18, 1980, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. **Adopted, July 3, 1980. -- Senate Resolution 98 - Urging Governor to dedicate a day honoring eight Americans who gave their lives in mission to rescue hostages in Iran. **Adopted, June 30, 1980. -- Senate Resolution 79 - Urging Governor to proclaim a day as Vietnam Veterans Day. **Adopted, March 17, 1980. Current Legislation Senate Bill 48 - Willow Grove Naval Air Station - Provides for a limitation on use of the airport at the Willow Grove Joint Interagency Installation. ** (Passed the Senate on April 27, 2009 and re-referred to House Appropriations Committee on July 13, 2009 after first consideration.) Senate Bill 352 - Multiple-war license plate - Provides for special registration plate for veterans of WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 361 - Disabled Veterans' License Plate - Reduces the percentage necessary for a veteran to qualify for a severely disabled veteran plate from 100% to 75%. (Senate Transportation Committee) Senate Bill 388 - Veterans Bonus (World War II) – Extends the deadline for veterans of World War II to apply for a bonus to December 31, 2011. (Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee) Senate Bill 389 - Veterans Bonus (Korea) - Extends the deadline for veterans of the Korean War to apply for a bonus to December 31, 2011. (Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee) Senate Bill 390 - Veterans Bonus (Vietnam) - Extends deadline for veterans of Vietnam War to apply for a bonus to December 31, 2011. (Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee) Senate Bill 518 - National Guard Youth Challenge Program - Directs the Department of Military Affairs to establish the National Guard Youth Challenge Program aimed at improving the life skills and employment potential of at-risk youth between 16 and 18 years of age by providing structured military-based training and supervised work experience. (Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee) HONORS AND AWARDS | Back to Top -- National Federation of Independent Business' Guardian of Small Business Award for having worked effectively to protect and preserve the future of free enterprise and small business (October 2008). -- Received a Proclamation from the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine acknowledging his role in the advancement of veterinary medicine, public health, and animal welfare in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (October 2008) -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Bar Institute's William E. Zeiter Award for his ongoing efforts to complete the consolidation of Pennsylvania's statutory laws. (September 2008) -- 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award, The University of Toledo Law School Alumni Association. -- Recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Special Recognition Award for his leadership in the effort to bring mediation and alternative dispute resolution to the citizens of Pennsylvania. (June 8, 2006) -- Recipient of Mid-Eastern Region PSEA "Friend of Education Award" (April 2006) -- Recipient of the 2005 "Philadelphia Award" from the Philadelphia Chapter of Women in Transportation for his support of efforts to find a long-term solution to funding needs of SEPTA and mass transit throughout the Commonwealth. -- Received "Anti-Bullying" Award from the students of William Tennent High School (2005). -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape's "Leadership Award" (2005). -- Recipient of 2004 Lois Williamson Memorial Award from PA CURE, a criminal justice advocacy organization focused on inmate issues, for his work on inmate issues and for his willingness to listen to the concerns of inmate families. -- Recipient of 2004 Keystone State Railroad Association Award for his contribution in the passage of House Bill 1117 - Railroad Trespass Bill. -- The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws recognized Sen. Greenleaf for his work in achieving passage of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in Pennsylvania (Act 14 of 2004). -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Citizens Against Greyhound Racing Award for passage of his legislation protecting greyhounds in Pennsylvania (2004). -- National Federation of Independent Business' Guardian of Small Business Award (2003). -- Recipient of the 2003 Pennsylvania Credit Union Association Keystone Award for his work as prime sponsor of legislation that places state charter credit unions on equal footing with federally chartered credit unions. -- Recipient of the 2003 Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA of Bucks County) Award for child advocacy for his work for child witness electronic testimony. -- Recipient of the 2002 Milton O. Moss Award from the Montgomery Bar Foundation for his efforts to provide funding for legal aid services to the indigent and sponsor of Access to Justice Act. -- Recipient of Pennsylvania Legal Services Award for his work on the Access to Justice Act (2002). -- Recipient of the 1999 and 2002 Mattie Muir Award (from Victim Services Center of Montgomery County) for his strong and successful advocacy of victims' rights and victims' services. -- Recipient of the 2002 Clean Water Fund's Florence Neilson Award for Environmental Leadership for his sponsorship of the Pesticide Notification Act, legislation regulating the use of pesticides in school buildings and on school grounds. -- Recipient of the "Legislator of the Year" award from the Pennsylvania State Tax Collectors' Association for his sponsorship of legislation in support of tax collectors (2002). -- Recipient of the 2002 Vince Fitzpatrick Humanitarian Award from the ARC of Montgomery County for his leadership directing state government attention and funding toward increasing residential placement opportunities for mentally retarded citizens whose parents are no longer able to care for them at home. -- Cited by the University of California's School of Medicine as one of the most effective legislators in the field of tobacco control (1998). -- Recipient of the 1993 and 1997 Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network (PLAN) Award "for legislative record on humane issues." -- Pennsylvania Legal Services Outstanding Leadership Award (1996). -- Chosen for Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association 1992 Annual Award to recognize "efforts and resolve in protecting the rights of Pennsylvania under civil law." -- Conservation Legislator of the Year Award by The Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation (1991). -- Man of The Year by The Willow Grove Chamber of Commerce. -- Humane Society of The United States Mid-Atlantic Region Humanitarian Award. -- B'nai B'rith Humanitarian Award. -- North Penn Korean Association Community Award. -- Boy Scouts of America Community Service Award. -- Caroline Earle White Award of The Women's SPCA. -- Man of The Year by The Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center. -- Deputy Sheriffs Association Distinguished Public Service Award. -- Korean Senior Citizens Service Award. -- Montgomery County Bar Association Outstanding Service Award. -- Fraternal Order of Police Award. -- Montgomery County Association for Retarded Citizens President's Award. -- Selected by Sierra Club as Legislator most interested in environmental issues. -- Inducted into the Upper Moreland High School Alumni Hall of Fame. NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED | Back to Top -- Senate Resolution 105 - Urging Soviet Union to permit free and unrestricted immigration of Russian Jews from Russia to Israel. **Adopted February 13, 1984. -- Senate Resolution 162 - Designating May 14, 1986, as Israeli Independence Day in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, April 28, 1986. -- Senate Resolution -202 - Urging more interest in and study of the U.S. Constitution. **Adopted, November 19, 1986. -- Senate Resolution 49 - Declaring May 8, 1987, as Pennsylvania Prison Society Day in Pennsylvania. **Adopted, May 6, 1987. -- Senate Resolution 180 - Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the first public protest against slavery in North America. **Adopted, April 19, 1988. -- Senate Resolution 7 - Supporting "Glasnost" and the emigration of Soviet Jews and Christians. **Adopted, June 14, 1989.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
