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May 9, 2008

Pennsylvania Senate Republican News Brief

"The governor insists on passage of his own costly plans, and ignores compromises put forth by members of both parties of the Senate. We must act to ensure that a final energy plan represents the best interests of the consumer."

-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Chair Mary Jo White (R-Venango) and Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee Chair Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks) in a joint response to recent criticism by the governor regarding energy legislation. (For a list of Senate action on energy policy, please see Fast Facts, below.)

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SENATORS UNVEIL FORECLOSURE RELIEF AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE

Legislation that would increase emergency mortgage assistance, provide grants and loans to homeowners facing foreclosure, and create a housing trust fund was announced by two Republican senators Thursday.

Sen. James Rhoades (R-Schuylkill) and Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny) unveiled the Foreclosure Relief and Affordable Housing Initiative, which could be considered next week by the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, chaired by Senator Pippy.

There were nearly 6,000 foreclosure filings in Pennsylvania in the first quarter of 2008, up 7.6 percent from the previous quarter. This package represents a $32 million effort to provide immediate assistance to families in danger of losing their homes, and to implement long-term initiatives to mitigate future downturns and expand the availability of affordable housing.

For more on the Foreclosure Relief and Affordable Housing Initiative, please see In the Spotlight, below. 

SENATE APPROVES BILL TO IMPROVE REVIEW OF CHILD DEATHS

The Senate approved legislation Tuesday sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) aimed at increasing child safety in Pennsylvania.  The bill would implement a child death review program to coordinate local teams to examine the circumstances surrounding deaths of individuals under the age of 21.

Through the program, the Department of Health would be responsible for developing protocols for child death reviews, coordinating the collection of data, and providing specialized training.  Information regarding the frequency and causes of child injury and death, as well as prevention strategies, would be offered to agencies, health and child care professionals, and the general public.

Senate Bill 684 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

LEGISLATION TO OPEN SPENDING RECORDS APPROVED BY COMMITTEE

The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), approved the Taxpayer Transparency Act on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 1350, sponsored by Senator Browne, would create an online, searchable budget database so that the public can more easily obtain information on state spending.

The database would include Information on grants and contracts provided by government agencies, agency performance indicators and quarterly performance results, and an agency line-by-line appropriation analysis including user-friendly detailed monetary breakouts and detailed narrative descriptions.

COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL ALLOWING MILITARY FAMILY CYBER SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

Legislation that would allow children of military personnel to enroll in a Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School was approved Tuesday by the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Sen. James Rhoades (R-Schuylkill). 

Senate Bill 1281, sponsored by Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny), allows a child whose parents have been called or ordered to active military duty to enroll in a Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.  Presently, if a military family is stationed in another state and owns a residence in Pennsylvania their child is not eligible to attend a cyber charter school.

The legislation designates that if a child's parents own a residence in the school district that child will be considered a resident of the district.
 

COMMITTEE APPROVES BIOFUEL, "PUPPY LEMON LAW," FOOD SAFETY MEASURES

The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), approved three pieces of legislation Tuesday addressing biofuels production and food safety, and strengthening Pennsylvania's "Puppy Lemon Law." 

Senate Bill 1317, sponsored by Sen. Mike Waugh (R-York), would establish the Farms to Fuels Initiatives Act to encourage agricultural operations to plant and harvest bioenergy crops, perennial trees or plants that can be grown to provide raw renewable biomass energy or biofuels.

Senate Bill 536, sponsored by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) and amended by Senator Brubaker, strengthens the remedies available under the "Puppy Lemon Law" for individuals who purchase dogs with health problems by extending the time in which a dog may be determined to have illnesses or congenital and hereditary defects.

Senator Brubaker also introduced amendments to House Bill 1422, which provides changes and codification of law related to food safety, food facility regulation and food handling, including licensing and inspections, noting that food safety is important to all consumers throughout the commonwealth.

Senator Brubaker said: "From farm to fork, we are all responsible for ensuring the quality of the food we eat."
 Senator Waugh
 Senator Greenleaf

SEN. RHOADES CO-CHAIRS GENERAL ASSEMBLY COAL CONFERENCE

Realizing the need to shift focus back to Pennsylvania's most abundant natural resource, Sen. James Rhoades (R-Schuylkill) joined Senate and House members Tuesday in the formation of a General Assembly Coal Conference, a bipartisan committee emphasizing the continued importance of coal and coal-driven technologies in the Commonwealth.

In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Coal Association, the Pennsylvania Anthracite Council and the United Mine Workers of America, the newly formed Coal Conference will serve as a forum through which legislators and industry representatives can collaborate on the needs of the coal industry, focus on the utilization and consumption of coal to significantly reduce consumer demands on foreign fuels and highlight new coal technologies within the industry.

 Hearing (1 hour 13 min)

In the Spotlight

The Foreclosure Relief and Affordable Housing Initiative includes four components:

• Refinancing Assistance Grants – This $10 million program would assist low-income homeowners who have mortgage terms that have become or are in the process of becoming unaffordable due at least in part to the current or readjusting interest rate. Qualified applicants would be eligible for a one-time grant of up to $2,500 to cover closing costs associated with refinancing. This program will not cover any mortgage payments; existing loan programs are available for that purpose. $10 million will be appropriated to PHFA for this program.
• PA Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Act (PHARE) – PHFA has done a tremendous job in addressing housing and community development needs throughout the Commonwealth, yet nearly two-thirds of worthy projects presented to PHFA go unfunded due to a lack of resources. The measure would create a $10 million PHFA Housing Trust Fund.
• Expanding Homeowner Equity Recovery and Refinancing Loan Programs – This program will boost the number of loans available to assist homeowners who have sub-prime or predatory loans -- and in some instances owe more than the current value of their homes -- as well as homeowners who are 60 days or fewer delinquent on mortgage loans that have adjusted to an unaffordable rate or will be adjusting in the future.
• Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) – Senator Rhoades and Senator Pippy also are seeking a $2 million increase in funding for HEMAP to $13 million. HEMAP provides loans to protect Pennsylvanians who are financially unable to make their mortgage payments and are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.

In Pennsylvania, 5,901 foreclosures were filed in the first quarter of 2008, according to RealtyTrac, which publishes a database of foreclosure and bank-owned properties.

Fast Facts

Questions or Comments?

Contact the Senate Republican Communications Office or call 717-787-6725.

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