News Release
For Immediate Release
December 4, 2006
Three Greenleaf Proposals Signed into Law
HARRISBURG – Governor Rendell signed into law three
proposals that Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf
(R-Montgomery/Bucks) pushed during the 2005-06 legislative
session which ended on November 28th. They include measures
dealing with misleading phone listings by flower shops,
advanced directives (living wills, health care powers of
attorney) and mandatory reporting of child abuse.
Senate Bill 198, prime sponsored by Sen. Greenleaf,
outlaws deceptive phone listings by floral suppliers. About
eight years ago several retail florists informed the senator
of an unfair practice within the floral industry involving
the use of fictitious telephone listings as a way to deceive
consumers into believing they are transacting business with
a local Pennsylvania florist. "This new law will make it
unlawful and a deceptive business practice for a floral
vendor to misrepresent its geographic location by listing a
fictitious or assumed name in a local telephone directory"
Greenleaf said. "It provides a person, whether a consumer
or local florist, a private cause of action to petition the
court to enjoin this unfair business practice."
The court may impose a civil fine of up to $500 per day
until the vendor complies with the injunction. "The law
will ensure that a phone listing is clear so that consumers
who wish to support their local flower shops can trust that
they are doing so," said Greenleaf. "It will also help
protect our small businesses which are critical to our
economy." The measure is supported by The Pennsylvania
Floral Industry Association.
The Governor also signed into law another bill prime
sponsored by Sen. Greenleaf, Senate Bill 628, legislation
improving Pennsylvania's health care decision making law.
Senate Bill 628 provides a statutory means for competent
adults to control their health care either directly through
instructions written in advance (living wills) or indirectly
through a health care agent (health care powers of attorney)
or, when there is no advance directive, through a health
care representative (usually a member of the patient's
family). Senator Greenleaf indicated that "Senate Bill 628
is important legislation. It addresses end-of-life issues
that all Pennsylvanians face. Physicians, their patients
and the families of their patients must deal with these
issues every day and this legislation will go a long way in
helping them make difficult decisions."
The legislation includes new sample forms for living
wills and health care powers of attorney and gives
physicians and patients' family members guidance when
patients have not executed an advance directive. According
to Senator Greenleaf, "The new forms provide the individual
with more background information about the purposes of
advance directives such as living wills and health care
powers of attorney, how and why they would be implemented,
and flexibility in expressing specific wishes regarding
life-sustaining medical procedures." "In addition," Senator
Greenleaf continued, "the bill gives doctors and families
guidance when no written instructions are left by patients
who cannot communicate their wishes."
Senator Greenleaf said that "Senate Bill 628 reflects a
consensus based on many hours of meetings, telephone
conference calls, drafts and re-drafts. The result of this
work is a comprehensive bill. With the enactment of Senate
Bill 628, Pennsylvania's law will not only give people more
information and tools to make decisions in advance about
their health care but will also do a better job of
protecting the disabled."
A third proposal by Senator Greenleaf was enacted as part
of a larger package of provisions aimed a stopping child
abuse. Senator Greenleaf's legislation, Senate Bill 1026,
was amended into Senate Bill 1054, which was signed into law
by the Governor and which contains several crime-fighting
provisions relating to Megan's Law and the recommendations
made by the grand jury that investigated sexual abuse of
children by clergy in the Philadelphia area. Senator
Greenleaf's legislation responded to the grand jury's
recommendation "that the obligation to report child abuse to
authorities applies to those who learn of abuse even if not
directly from the child, and even if the child is no longer
in the abuser's control."
Senator Greenleaf's legislation makes clear that an
employer or supervisor has the responsibility to report
suspected child abuse by an employee even if the child did
not come into direct contact with the employer or
supervisor. Senator Greenleaf explained that "It is
important that supervisors who learn of suspected child
abuse by one of their employees don't hide behind the fact
that they had no direct contact with the child as an excuse
for not filing a report."
CONTACT:
GREGG WARNER OR ERIC PAULEY
(717) 787-6599
