Capitol Recap

February 21, 2019 COMMITTEE NEWS Contents Comprehensive coverage of House & Senate public hearings & voting meetings COMMITTEE NEWS 1 House Judiciary Committee NEW LEGISLATION 21 LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 23 2/21/2019, 12:20 p.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building UPCOMING MEETINGS 27 By Nicole Trayer, Legislative Services The committee met to consider legislation. SESSION STATUS At 3:34 p.m. on Tuesday, HB 505 Kauffman, Rob - (PN 493) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), February 5, 2019 the in depositions and witnesses, expanding the number of serious crimes under the tender Senate stands in recess years exception. Effective in 60 days. (PN 493) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial until Monday, March 18, Procedure), in depositions and witnesses, expanding the number of serious crimes under 2019 at 1:00 p.m., unless the tender years exception. Effective in 60 days. - The bill was unanimously reported as sooner recalled by the committed. President Pro Tempore. At 1:47 p.m. on Thursday, Rep. (R-Luzerne) recommended the committee also look into the Tender Years February 21, 2019 the exception specifically regarding what “triggers the threshold to allow children to be protected.” House returned briefly and She noted an instance in her county where a case was deemed too traumatic for the child to now stands adjourned until be in attendance, but the child was not covered under the Tender Years exception. Monday, March 11, 2019 at 1:00 p.m., unless sooner HB 503 Everett, Garth - (PN 491) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), in recalled by the Speaker. depositions and witnesses, adding a subchapter providing for procedures to protect victims UPCOMING SESSION DAYS and witnesses with intellectual disabilities or autism. The intent of the bill is to provide House procedures which will protect material witnesses or victims of crime with intellectual disabilities Mar. 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, or autism during their involvement with the criminal justice system. The bill outlines when 25, 26, 27 an out-of-court statement made by an individual with an intellectual disability or autism who April 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, is a victim or witness describing enumerated offenses would be admissible in evidence. 29, 30 Enumerated offenses include homicide, assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual May 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, offenses, burglary, robbery, incest, and corruption of minors. Effective in 60 days. (PN 491) 22, 23 Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), in depositions and witnesses, adding June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, a subchapter providing for procedures to protect victims and witnesses with intellectual 17, 18, 19, 20, 24-28 disabilities or autism. The intent of the bill is to provide procedures which will protect material Budget hearings: Feb. 11 witnesses or victims of crime with intellectual disabilities or autism during their involvement - Mar. 7 with the criminal justice system. The bill outlines when an out-of-court statement made by Senate an individual with an intellectual disability or autism who is a victim or witness describing Mar. 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 enumerated offenses would be admissible in evidence. Enumerated offenses include April 8, 9, 10, 29, 30 homicide, assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual offenses, burglary, robbery, incest, May 1, 6, 7, 8 and corruption of minors. Effective in 60 days. - The bill was unanimously reported as June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, committed. 17, 18, 19, 24-28 Rep. (R-Lycoming), prime sponsor of the bill, explained that this bill would Budget hearings: Feb. 19 expand the Tender Years exception to individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism. - Mar. 7 Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) expressed concern over word choice in the bill with the phrase “any other person” on page four, line 23 of the bill. Karen Dalton, senior counsel for the committee, said that language comes directly from the existing Tender Years statute. Rep. Provided by Pennsylvania Miller said there is not a specific “years” component in this bill and opined that the language Legislative Services in this bill is putting all individuals with autism into one category. Reiterating his concern over 240 N. 3rd St. 6th Floor word choice, he added that the examples provided in the bill of those who can provide expert Harrisburg, PA 17101 testimony on a witness’s diagnosis need to be clear cut. 717.236.6984 phone 717.236.5097 fax Rep. Everett replied that this bill would not apply to anyone with an autism diagnosis or www.mypls.com intellectual disability, but that a judge has to make the determination whether that individual’s impairment would allow them to fall under the Tender Years exception. Rep. Miller clarified that his concern is not necessarily in the judge’s decision, but rather in who is providing the information to the judge.

Rep. (D-Philadelphia) asked whether the use of the word “may” rather than the word “shall” on page four, line 20 of the bill impacts the discretion of the court when making a determination of the witness’s ability to testify. Dalton said that language refers to who the judge may question when making a determination, but that the determination must be made by the judge.

Rep. Toohil said the word used should be “may” to prevent taking away the judge’s discretion to determine if that person is a qualified witness. Dalton added that line 14 on page four includes the “operative language telling the judge that he must make a determination,” therefore the “may” refers to who the judge may question in doing so.

HB 504 Mihalek, Natalie (F) - (PN 492) Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) adding language amending section 3104 relating to evidence of victim›s sexual conduct. Requires a defendant who proposes to offer evidence of the alleged victim›s past sexual victimization, allegations of past sexual victimization, opinion evidence of the alleged victim›s past sexual conduct and reputation evidence of the alleged victim›s past sexual conduct to file a written motion and offer proof at the time of trial. Also expands the number of crimes subject to the protections under the rape shield law. Effective in 60 days. (PN 492) Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) adding language amending section 3104 relating to evidence of victim›s sexual conduct. Requires a defendant who proposes to offer evidence of the alleged victim›s past sexual victimization, allegations of past sexual victimization, opinion evidence of the alleged victim›s past sexual conduct and reputation evidence of the alleged victim›s past sexual conduct to file a written motion and offer proof at the time of trial. Also expands the number of crimes subject to the protections under the rape shield law. Effective in 60 days. - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.

Rep. (R-Allegheny), prime sponsor of the bill, said this would improve the Rape Shield Law by “including additional offenses in which evidence of a victim’s past sexual conduct is inadmissible.” She noted the importance of this legislation to victims of sex trafficking.

HB 502 Hershey, Jonathan (F) - (PN 490) Amends the Crime Victims Act adding language providing victims of crime have the right not to be excluded from any criminal proceeding unless the court, based on the record before it, determines that testimony would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at the proceeding. Effective in 60 days. (PN 490) Amends the Crime Victims Act adding language providing victims of crime have the right not to be excluded from any criminal proceeding unless the court, based on the record before it, determines that testimony would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at the proceeding. Effective in 60 days. - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.

Rep. John Hershey (R-Juniata), prime sponsor of the bill, said this legislation allows crime victims the right to be included in a criminal proceeding when they are the victim unless determined by the court that their testimony could be materially altered if they were to attend.

Rep. Dawkins asked what definition of victim was being used in this bill. Dalton said it is the same definition as found currently in the Pennsylvania Crime Victims Act.

HB 276 Delozier, Sheryl - (PN 284) Joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing rights of victims of crime, dubbed Marsy›s Law. Constitutional amendments require approval in two consecutive legislative sessions and then approval by the voters through a referendum. (PN 284) Joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing rights of victims of crime, dubbed Marsy›s Law. Constitutional amendments require approval in two consecutive legislative sessions and then approval by the voters through a referendum. - The bill was reported as committed with Rep. Dawkins, Rep. (R-Franklin), Rep. (D-Allegheny) and Rep. (D-Philadelphia) voting in the negative.

Rep. Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland), prime sponsor of the bill, said this would establish a Victims Bill of Rights through a constitutional amendment. She added that the hope is for the referendum to be on the ballot this fall.

Chairman Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin) invited Jen Riley, Marsy›s Law Pennsylvania State Director, and Jennifer Storm, 2 victim advocate, to come before the committee and address any questions or concerns.

Minority Chairman (D-Montgomery) expressed concern over the lack of a public hearing for this bill and made a motion to postpone a vote on the bill until a public hearing could be held upon the return to session in March. The motion failed with Republicans voting in the negative.

Rep. (R-Schuylkill) said the constitutional decision on this bill will be made by the voters and noted that both sides of the issue will have an opportunity to address the public. «I believe that we should afford the people of Pennsylvania the opportunity to make that decision,» he said.

Rep. Schemel commented that this legislation is «well-intended, but ill-conceived.» He said giving the victim coequal rights with the accused at the initiation of the trial jeopardizes the presumption of innocence for the defendant. He added that many of the protections being offered already exist in statute. Storm responded that this bill would not give any rights to victims that are not already in statute, but rather addresses the lack of remedies for the victim when those rights are violated. She explained that the Office of Victim Advocate receives calls on a daily basis from victims whose rights have been violated, but there is nothing that can be done. «We have to make sure we have a system that protects victims and enforces their rights,» she said.

Rep. (D-Delaware) noted the potential for «unintended consequences» to arise from this bill based on language. He asked what mechanism this law would create for the enforcement of victims› rights. Storm said it would look like either the prosecutor motioning the court during proceedings or the ability to file a motion with the court following sentencing through pro se measures. Rep. Zabel questioned whether a victim may come forward and assert rights after acquittal. Storm said the victim only has the right to be heard if there is a conviction in the case. She explained that a victim has the right to be informed of the proceedings and to be present and may only be heard during disposition for juvenile cases, sentencing in criminal cases and during the parole process. Rep. Zabel asked if it would be possible for the court to deny a defendant›s request for postponement on the basis of the victim›s rights. Storm said the judge would have to weigh that decision based on whether it is appropriate and noted that the victim cannot object to anything occurring during the prosecutorial process. Rep. Zabel stated that the definition of «victim» being used does not match the current statute and questioned the use of the phrase «directly harmed» in the definition. Storm replied that the stakeholders involved in this legislation felt it was more appropriate to use the phrase «directly harmed» because that is how victims› rights are determined in Pennsylvania. Rep. Zabel questioned whether Storm would object to the definition of «victim» used in the Crime Victims Statute. She said the goal is to ensure the General Assembly has the ability to further define the use of the word «victim.»

Rep. Rabb asked how this would help crime victims to be notified in a timely fashion. Storm said it would ensure notification and pointed out the lack of remedies available in Pennsylvania when a victim›s rights are violated. Rep. Rabb questioned if the bill provides for funding and resources to allow for additional staff. Storm said Pennsylvania already has the necessary staffing and funding to do this. The only request the Office of Victim Advocate has made is for an attorney position to provide training and technical assistance to the counties, she said. Rep. Rabb wondered why the constitution needs to be amended if Pennsylvania already has a «robust» victims› services community. Storm replied that victim advocates have everything they need minus enforcement. Rep. Rabb asked if there is any penalty for entities that fail to comply if this were to become law. Storm said the remedy lies in the ability to motion for reconsideration.

Rep. Miller asked if the current Crime Victims Act could be modified to include the enforcement mechanism. Storm said it could, but it would only be a statutory right. Rep. Miller commented that the statutory right could work, but would always lose to the constitutional right. Storm said «every time.» Rep. Miller asked if victims currently get asked about postponement requests. Storm said they should be informed of any and all continuances. Rep. Miller asked if victims are able to voice their «displeasure» of a postponement and whether they ever win in those instances. Storm said they can, but the victim often loses due to the lack of a mechanism to ensure it happens. He asked whether Storm believes district attorneys are not communicating enough with victims. She said in some cases the violations are in regards to guilty pleas where district attorneys should be talking to victims. Rep. Miller asked how victims receive notification for a Gagnon I hearing. Storm said they come from the victim services usually through the district attorney›s office. Rep. Miller expressed confusion with where the problem lies in regard to proper victim notification and how the mechanism of this bill would differ from what is currently done by a district attorney. Storm said in the Crime Victims Act there are multiple entities responsible in the notification

3 process and that victims do not have a recourse provided to them by law when their right is violated.

Rep. Miller proposed a situation where a victim is not present at a deferred trial disposition and the result is acquittal. He asked how that would be remedied by Marsy›s Law. Storm said they could motion the court for reconsideration. However, if the acquittal has been filed, she said the victim›s rights would cease to exist. Rep. Miller said there would be no remedy to that situation. He stated that the problem is in the notification itself and that a recommitment financially would help to ensure district attorneys are able to establish better systems.

Rep. Dawkins asked whether the «directly harmed» phrase used in the definition of victim in this bill is also included in the Crime Victims Act as defined currently. Riley said everything included in Marsy›s Law is currently in statute. He asked if it is possible for the accused and the victim to be the same person. Riley said no. Storm added that someone determined to be a victim of crime will be afforded their rights by law. Rep. Dawkins asked whether victims would be appointed an attorney if they could not afford one under Marsy›s Law. Storm said no. He also asked if it possible to look at other states who have implemented this law to see the economic and budgetary impacts it had. Riley said Pennsylvania›s version of Marsy›s Law is distinct making it difficult to compare. Thomas Dymek, executive director, noted that the fiscal note from last session only made note of the cost of advertising the proposed amendment.

Rep. Topper said there is misconduct within the current system and that as lawmakers it is time to look at these issues in terms of a constitutional amendment.

Rep. Toohil argued against the use of the word «coequal» and noted that nothing about Marsy›s Law brings the victim to the same level as the defendant. «We do want to fight to have a remedy,» she said. «That victim deserves that day in court.»

Rep. Delozier said this bill is seeking to ensure victims have a remedy and rights that are «fair and balanced.» She added that the district attorneys association was integral in writing the bill and asked the committee for an affirmative vote.

House Appropriations Committee 2/21/2019, Off the Floor, Appropriations Committee Conference Room By Nina Lehr, Pennsylvania Legislative Services

The committee met to consider legislation.

HB 81 Kauffman, Rob - (PN 564) The Surgical Technologist Regulation Act provides for certification of central service technicians; imposes continuing education requirements on central service technicians; provides for duties of hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities and the Department of Health; and regulates the practice of surgical technology and surgical technologists. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 83, 358) - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.

HB 128 Brown, Rosemary - (PN 563) The Pennsylvania First-Time Home Buyer Savings Account Act provides for the establishment of first-time home buyer savings accounts for first-time home buyers in this commonwealth. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 122, 359) - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.

HB 60 Cox, Jim - (PN 565) Amends Title 71 (State Government) removing future employees of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Interstate Commission of the Delaware River Basin from the State Employees› Retirement System. Effective immediately. (Prior Printer Number: 64) - The bill was reported as committed with Democrats voting in the negative.

4 Independent Regulatory Review Commission 2/21/19, 10:00 a.m., 333 Market Street, 14th Floor By Mike Howells, Pennsylvania Legislative Services The commission held a public hearing on wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) service in the commonwealth. Executive Director David Sumner outlined the format of the hearing and noted it is the first public hearing in IRRC’s 35 year history. He reported invitations were extended to various organizations and noted certain stakeholders failed to respond or even acknowledge the invitation to participate. He thanked those who did.

Chairman Bedwick noted IRRC is authorized to hold public hearings under its enabling statute and said there is a certain level of excitement in doing so for the first time. He said the commission thought it would be a good idea to engage in a collaborative effort to dialogue on the issue of wheelchair accessible vehicle service in the state. In terms of regulatory coverage, he noted the Public Utility Commission (PUC) has oversight over the state except for Philadelphia, which is regulated by the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA). He acknowledged written testimony from Sen. Tina Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) which he said was very insightful.

The commission unanimously approved the minutes of the commission’s last meeting and vouchers since the December meeting.

John Herzoq, deputy chief counsel for the PUC, offered a history of the commission’s involvement in the transportation sector over the past 25 years. He said historically the commission regulated property carriers with “extensive” regulation, including tariffs, routes, service requirements and other aspects. “All that changed in 1995,” he said, with the enactment of a federal statute which preempted state regulation of property carrier services, beginning what he called a “march toward relaxed regulation.” He said the business models of UPS and FedEx and other carriers couldn’t exist with the old system. In 1998, Herzoq went on, a second federal exemption statute was passed, and the federal government extended preemption to charter bus services. He said the PUC doesn’t have oversight over local municipality-managed services, or routes that partially span other states. Herzoq said the next “game-changer” was the 2014 entry of transportation network companies (TNCs) into the state. He noted PUC’s oversight over TNCs, taxis and limos does not extend to Philadelphia. Herzoq explained how TNCs work, including the use of surge pricing, in an attempt to match supply with demand in a more responsive way. He said the price quote given to the customer pre-trip is a transparency that helps create an efficient market.

After the advent of TNCs, Herzog said, questions arose over the appropriateness of existing regulations for existing services. He said after looking at the TNC model and examining statewide saturation of various carrier types, the commission determined that it would eliminate need in all carrier classes, focusing on insurance and technical safety issues for carriers. Coming full circle on “relaxed regulation,” Herzoq said in fact deregulation is a misnomer given that the PUC continues to monitor safety. He noted Act 85 of 2016 provided for a relaxation of taxi and limo services to help them compete with TNCs, in part through the use of flexible pricing, and flexibility of supply.

Herzoq detailed the wheelchair accessibility aspect of PUC’s oversight, citing first its statutory responsibility to ensure the provision of safe and reasonable service, and regulation for its enforcement. Drawing a distinction the between PUC and PPA under the TNC law, he said the TNC must provide wheelchair accessible service if it is available, and if not the TNC must direct a customer to a carrier that can provide it. He noted the PUC did not issue separate regulations on the issue but does function within the context of all federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), meaning taxis have to comply with such larger framework laws regardless of PUC regulations in place. On paratransit, Herzoq said vehicles must be properly equipped to offer wheelchair service.

Speaking to the PUC’s experience regarding complaints over adequacy of accessible vehicles, he said there have been very few complaints, and in metro areas like Pittsburgh there are dedicated fleets of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). He said the PUC has a much broader charge than the PPA, having to regulate service in large and small jurisdictions with differing economic constraints and varying demand.

Commissioner Ufberg said he understands the limitations imposed by federal law on the PUC, but added it also seems that if the commission is the only entity in the state outside Philadelphia to provide regulations regarding WAVs, he doesn’t know what “safe and reasonable” means vis a vis accessible vehicles without regulations. He said he had not heard that cost was 5 an issue and that it seems wholly inadequate that there is not more of a regulatory framework in place to guide carriers. Herzoq responded that regarding the availably issue, that was just in the TNC legislation recently passed by the General Assembly, and the commission really doesn’t want to get in the position of second-guessing lawmakers on that policy. He added local governments have a responsibility as well in respect to para-transit service.

Commissioner Ufberg suggested when the legislature does what it did and the PUC has responsibility to oversee the issue in question, there is an advisory duty to guide lawmakers and suggest changes to legislation. Herzoq said he wasn’t involved in discussions and is not even sure there were any. He noted PUC was closely involved in drafting insurance requirements for the TNC legislation. Commissioner Ufberg said it remains an open question whether there was adequate communication on the issue of wheelchair accessibility language.

Herzoq said he does not think there is “a huge problem,” especially within PUC’s purview, on wheelchair accessible vehicles. Commissioner Ufberg reiterated that given PUC’s involvement in the insurance side of the TNC law, it is curious why it was not similarly involved in the wheelchair accessible side.

Chairman Bedwick said in terms of new transportation services, both Uber and Lyft were invited and never responded. He hoped they would respond to PUC inquiries.

Chairman Bedwick asked if it is not reasonable to conclude that “safe and reasonable service” could include adequate service. Herzoq clarified “adequate” is in the statute, which requires “safe, reasonable and adequate service.” Chairman Bedwick asked if that would not at least permit the PUC to assess the demand for wheelchair accessible demand across the state. He said the issue he has is that it is one thing to look at complaints but another to actively seek input on the need, calling it an issue of being proactive versus reactive. “It clearly seems there is a need somewhere,” he remarked. Herzoq said he would take that comment back to the commission under advisement and clarified the PUC recognizes there is a need, and the question is whether it is being met. Herzoq added he is not sure it would pass court scrutiny to try and regulate a minimum number of accessible vehicles for TNCs outside Philadelphia, and it might be better to go back to the legislature on that question. He said it may also be appropriate for that body to examine the issue itself and hold hearings. Commissioner Ufberg said he agrees entirely, and added that at the present time he doesn’t see the current statute going out far enough in terms of the needs that exist. He encouraged the various governmental entities involved to be more cognizant of that fact. Chairman Bedwick acknowledged he isn’t aware of what compromises were required to pass the TNC legislation.

Chairman Bedwick cited PPA’s written testimony which indicated that a number of provisions in the TNC bill impacted their regulation regarding taxis and TNCs in Philadelphia, where their standards were more stringent and in effect had to be reduced. Herzoq said the PUC was involved in that litigation because it involved the issue of whether the agreement between PPA and the PUC was constitutional. They did not get into the issue of whether PPA’s regulations should be voided because they were unreasonable as applied.

Chairman Bedwick clarified his question was relating to the impact of the TNC law. Herzoq said that with Act 85 of 2016 legislators wanted to make sure existing carriers were not placed at an additional disadvantage to TNCs. He said part of the law authorized additional temporary regulations and allowed for things like price flexibility and transparency, and relaxing the requirement that all vehicles must be owned by the certificate holder.

Christine Kirlin, director, of PPA’s Taxi and Limousine Division, along with deputy director Bill Schmid, explained the state of WAV accessibility in Philadelphia. She said Act 119 of 2012 authorized the PPA to issue 15 additional taxicab medallions in the city, with the stipulation they must be for providing WAV service, with 15 more issued then on annually under the same limitation until there are 1,750. She explained the regulatory underpinning for the sale of medallions and said participation during the first year was sparse, so in response in 2015 the PPA initiated a rulemaking for modern taxicab standards, which proposed every medallion taxicab in the city should be wheelchair accessible. She said ultimately the commission received many comments opposing that requirement, and while it was pending the TNC legislation was passed, so the regulation was ultimately withdrawn. She reported there are now 28 WAV taxicabs operating in Philadelphia, and PPA is anticipating 31 more will enter service within the next three to four months. By June 1, 2019, Kirlin said, they will be permitted to sell 45 more at auction.

With 28 current vehicles, Kirlin noted, there are only 43 certified drivers. She said PPA did attempt to provide an incentive 6 for drivers to get certified, and currently covers the cost of training and the application/renewal process. She said that was supposed to come out of proceeds from the sale of WAV medallions, however the authority is still covering the cost. She added there are two certified WAV dispatchers in the city, which are advertised on the website so the community knows which dispatchers have them.

Kirlin told the commission PPA’s regulations heightened requirements above those proscribed by the ADA, and the impacted community applauded those standards. She said, for example, PPA required wider width ramps into vehicles since modern wheelchairs and scooters are bigger than the required widths specified under the ADA. However, the TNC legislation lessened such requirements and PPA could only mandate the lower standards.

Another big issue, Kirlin said, is that PPA used to inspect every cab in Philadelphia every six months, but following Act 164 they can only inspect once every four years, including WAVs. She said cabs in the city now are in worse shape than they were when PPA took over in 2005.

Kirlin said there has not been a single formal complaint regarding WAV service in the past year. She reported 16 regulatory citations were issued relating to WAV service, which represents one percent of all citations issued. She said only one was regarding discrimination.

With respect to TNCs, Kirlin reported there is language in the law regarding WAVs but it is “very, very ambiguous.” She said between the two TNCs combined -- Uber and Lyft -- there must be 70 WAVs on the street by June 2017, but there is no minimum delineated per company. She said also unclear is language that they must be “available in the city,” with no real idea what that means on a day-to-day basis. Kirlin remarked Act 164 also didn’t require an amount of time WAV service must be provided, and also does not allow PPA to certify WAV drivers.

Commissioner Watson asked if PPA knows why the 43 drivers chose to get the certification. Schmid replied there are a variety of reasons, including dedication, a sense of duty and a rapport with customers. He noted many drivers reported customers did not like the smaller ramps.

Commissioner Ufberg asked how many cabs are in Philadelphia. Kirlin replied the number of authorized taxicab medallions is around 1,650 but the actual medallion cabs in operation is about 1,450. Commissioner Ufberg wondered how many cabs are wheelchair accessible, to which Kirlin replied 28. Commissioner Ufberg asked if that’s sufficient for the disabled community in Philadelphia. Kirlin replied in the negative, but explained PPA has held several auctions to sell WAV medallions and no one wanted to buy those medallions. She reported participation was still lacking even as PPA lowered the upset price to let the market decide. She highlighted a 2015 rulemaking that would have required every medallion cab to be wheelchair accessible, but that was met with extreme opposition and in the meantime the legislature lowered standards so the rulemaking was withdrawn. She said PPA has taken the steps it can to ensure WAV service is adequate and noted they have received very few complaints regarding WAV service and trips account for fewer than one percent of all taxicab trips.

Commission Ufberg questioned if the low demand is because they are so difficult to get. Kirlin agreed that could be a possibility and highlighted frequent dialogues with the disabled community in which PPA urges them to submit complaints to PPA if they have problems, “but those complaints aren’t being filed.” Commissioner Ufberg asked if PPA has surveyed the disabled community and anticipated that the number of people requiring assistance will increase over time. He also wondered what happens if a pickup does not occur within the required 20 minutes. Kirlin explained a dispatcher would know immediately if the service can be provided within 20 minutes and if it cannot be done, the request must be fielded to all dispatchers to provide the service. Schmid added it is a routine operation to communicate to get the service provided. He concluded the model is in place, “but it is certainly not perfect.”

Commissioner Ufberg asked PPA’s position on Act 164 while it was working through the legislature. Kirlin replied that prior to Act 164, PPA representatives met with legislators, TNCs and the city to get an agreement on what the law should look like and a lot of the agreed-to language ultimately was stripped from the bill and amendments PPA was unaware of were added. Since the bill was passed, she said, PPA has been actively lobbying for changes to the law but has not yet seen anything formalize as a bill.

Commissioner Ufberg commented there is “a certain dysfunctionality” in the PPC and PUC’s ability to take positions strongly 7 enough to create a meaningful dialogue with the legislature. Relating his frustration, he wondered if it is possible for both agencies to remove the WAV improvements, equipment and requirements from the medallion system and just create a separate category. He pointed to laws in New York that mandate a certain number of those cabs on the road. Kirlin agreed and commented New York is getting it right. She lamented that the Pennsylvania legislature is not acting on PPA’s message, despite “meaningful discussions” with legislators. Commissioner Ufberg asked how the cabs’ position relates to the PPA’s position. Kirlin replied the cabs and TNCs both opposed the authority.

Lastly, Commissioner Ufberg expressed his disappointment with the lack of response from both Uber and Lyft to this hearing. Kirlin noted PAA has had dialogues with Uber and Lyft regarding WAV service and they submit an annual report. She also pointed to Uber’s attorney in attendance in the audience.

Chairman Bedwick recalled that Kirlin reported 23 more WAV vehicles will be coming on line shortly. Kirlin confirmed that should be soon, as the vehicles have been purchased.

Regarding the auction, Chairman Bedwick asked if the inability to get bidders is related to the fact that they were WAV medallions or just to the general drop off in the value of medallions in the past several years. Kirlin responded it had nothing to do with the value because they first tried to sell these when the value of the medallions was at its highest. She opined it was because drivers did not want to make the investments or adhere to the higher standards. Even with the price lowered from $450,000 to $10,000 participation has been low.

Chairman Bedwick asked if PPA has the authority and ability to put an indication on a cab or app that a driver is certified. Kirlin explained the available WAV taxicabs and wheelchair accessible drivers are posted on the PPA website; no one can operate those cabs unless they have the WAV certification and that insignia is on the certificate. Regarding the TNCs, she was not aware of any announcement to the public that they drivers are not certified other than what is in the law.

Lastly, Chairman Bedwick asked about the 20-minute timeframe and wondered if that could include the authority to refer to the TNCs. Kirlin confirmed that is “an idea” but said the regulations only require communications between the certified dispatchers. She was open to considering the idea, but noted the TNCs operate strictly through the app whereas most taxicab service is phone call or hail and she was not sure how that could be communicated to a TNC.

Dynah Haubert, Esq., Assistive Technology Project Director for Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP), emphasized the importance of accessible transportation but lamented that accessible transportation is absent or inadequate throughout most of the commonwealth. She was not aware of reports of the success or failure of trying to use TNCs, but noted regulations merely require TNCs to refer a passenger to an accessible service but in most areas of the state that does not exist or is inadequate. Prior to Act 164, she explained, people in Philadelphia who needed WAV “were often entirely prevented from using Uber or Lyft; today the apps generally do show there are WAVs available in the Philadelphia area.” She called this a tremendous improvement, but added that actual experience can vary greatly including longer wait times, unresponsive drivers, inaccessibility to offered discounts, or difficulty travelling from the Philadelphia airport. Continuing, Haubert was unclear what the requirement for 70 available vehicles means and suggested it could be more meaningful if the regulations specified a percentage of fleet to be WAV. She also did not believe the TNC reports to PPA are publicly available and asked for that access. Haubert concluded by noting that DRP is not aware of developments in accessibility of medallioned taxis. At one time it appeared that efforts were being made to increase the number of WAV taxis in Philadelphia, she said, but since the advent of TNCs in Philadelphia this progress has effectively halted.

Commissioner Ufberg asked if DRP can go to its constituency to ask them to advise DRP of issues so they can intervene. Haubert agreed DRP could advocate for someone with an issue with the PPA, but said those issues are not frequently brought to DRP nor does DRP tend to get feedback from reaching out. Commissioner Ufberg remarked it would be helpful to consider that communication. Haubert was happy to look at it.

Chairman Bedwick agreed with Commissioner Ufberg and wondered if DRP could include contact information for complaints in a newsletter.

After the formal testimony, the floor was opened for public comment.

8 Liam Dougherty, Policy & Project Coordinator for Liberty Resources, Inc, testified the availability of WAVs is of great importance to many members of the disabled community. He noted the requirement that 70 vehicles be accessible, but questioned what “available” means in a “gig-economy.” He pointed out PPA cannot collect its own data about TNCs and accordingly must seek WAV data from Uber and Lyft, the very companies they are seeking to regulate, and neither Uber nor Lyft will share their ride data with the PPA or anyone else, despite repeated requests from Liberty. Regarding PPA’s claim it has received not complains, Dougherty pointed out that he had to inform the PPA that the complaint line information was missing from Uber and Lyft electronic receipts, and thus could not be accessed by the riding public. He reported that quality of service provided by TNCs widely varies from good to bad, especially with the type of WAV that arrives when requested, from acceptable, comfortable lift-equipped minivans to unacceptable, large, commercial sub-contracted ambulance or medical transport vans with an uncomfortable ride. Dougherty stated, “The PPA lacks the will, the resources and the focus to regulate this much-needed WAV service. In my role as Policy and Projects Coordinator at Liberty Resources, I can opine with great conviction that inadequacy of the PPA, compounded with the ambiguity of the legislation, have failed the Philadelphia disability community.”

Commissioner Watson asked about the lack of complaint submission information on receipts. Dougherty explained receipts are emailed and discussed the absence of a complaint line. Commissioner Watson also asked about the TNC vehicles. Dougherty confirmed there are some medical transport vehicles that are essentially ambulances and very uncomfortable to ride. He indicated the app does not specify vehicle type. Commissioner Watson asked if those vehicles are available for people that do not need WAV capabilities. Dougherty replied he was unsure because he goes through the WAV section of Uber to get them. Commissioner Watson wondered if they are off-duty ambulance services or used vehicles purchased by drivers. Dougherty replied he has heard of both cases and confirmed the vehicles are not equipped with medical supplies.

Chairman Bedwick was pleased to receive the clarification about what can be done on the app and asked about the lack of notification of the type of vehicle. He wondered if choosing not to take the particular vehicle would involve a cancellation fee. Dougherty replied that depends on how the acceptance goes, but noted that often the ambulance is the only choice of vehicles on the road.

Zachary Lewis testified as a person with a disability, an activist, an advocate and executive director of Disabled In Action in Pennsylvania. He related his busy schedule and said he is not able to get around where he needs to go “and still maintain my dignity.” He reported, “You would not believe that after I scheduled WAV ride, I’ve met up with former ambulances as poor excuses for a WAV ride to pick me up. Where is the dignity, respect and equality in that? I am not scheduled to get a ride to the hospital, why are they being used? If I’m out at a social event and I get dropped off in an ambulance WAV what is the narrative when getting dropped off? I mean I don’t want to have people looking at me and thinking ‘look at the poor guy in the ambulance, how nice he’s able to come outside this late.’” Lewis asked the commission to also consider costs, explaining there is a greater difference in costs for a WAV ride.

Commissioner Ufberg asked if the disabled community commonly has the same problems and complaints Lewis reported. Lewis affirmed this. Commissioner Ufberg pointed to PPA›s testimony they do not hear from the disabled community, which Lewis disputed stating PPA hears at its monthly board meetings from the disabled community.

Commissioner Watson asked how the costs differ. Lewis replied it could be $5-8 more, depending on time and distance, which he indicated could often double the cost. He related the embarrassment of arriving at social events in an ambulance, complete with beeping noises, and wondered why he›s subjected to that for what he›s paying.

Guy Anthony Brooks, ADAPT, testified that a big part of independent living is being able to leave one’s house and go to a restaurant or movie theater, which requires reliable WAVs. He lamented the lack of WAV medallions and said “since most Uber and Lyft vehicles are not accessible, people with disabilities do not try to hail them.” When he is compelled to rely on a TNC, he continued, sometimes they are not in the area and take a significant time to arrive. He agreed the use of ambulances is “degrading” and “not right.” He called for a solution to the transportation problems that people with a disability face and, to the statements that there are no complaints, offered his heartfelt complaint about the difficulties he faces such as long wait times. Further, Brooks asked for the implementation of WAV medallions by PPA instead of regular medallions, acknowledging that it is difficult to modify but pointing out the need will only grow. He praised the system of black cabs of London, which he said have been wheelchair accessible since 1985.

9 Chairman Bedwick appreciated the questions that are being raised so a dialogue can be started to address the issue.

David Temple, local counsel for Uber, introduced himself to the commissioners, noting that Uber’s regulatory counsel had intended to attend today but was unable at the last minute. He explained he has been with Uber since 2012 and recognized the concerns of the disabled community, stating “Uber does not take those lightly” and meets with PPA regularly. He reviewed the trip data provided to PPA, but did not have extensive data on-hand.

Commissioner Ufberg asked that information be supplied to the commission as to what Uber is doing in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania generally about getting in touch with and providing services to the disabled community. Temple agreed to relay the request to the regulatory counsel, adding “they are addressing issues” and opined Uber is providing the services. Regarding the receipts, he confirmed a change in the logo knocked of the complaint information and once made aware of that, it was restored. He said he handles complaints in Philadelphia, but “I don’t get those...We would address those immediately” if they were coming in. Commissioner Ufberg sought solutions for addressing problems to providing services to disabled persons and appreciated data on Uber cars that can handle disabled passengers and efforts to increase those numbers. Temple pointed to definitions in the statute for the vehicles, which specifies at least 70 but the last audit revealed over 100. He indicated further information would be up to Uber to decide to release. He suggested releasing the information may raise trade secret concerns.

Commissioner Watson asked why using a WAV vehicle costs more. Temple replied there should be no difference. Regarding ambulances, he said some para-transit vehicles are being used, but contended “they’re not ambulances.” To the request to use them without the beeping, he suggested the beeper is a safety issue. Commissioner Watson asked if that is consistent with all WAV vehicles. Temple encouraged it as an attorney.

Speaking anecdotally, Chairman Bedwick spoke of testimony that requested vehicles were effectively cancelled and confirmed that has happened to himself as well. He reported a second driver told him drivers will drop a trip in favor of a better one and worried that this would be a serious inconvenience for a disabled passenger. He wondered if any Uber drivers have “excessive cancellations.” Temple offered to look into that.

Commissioner Watson asked if Uber WAV drivers go through the PPA certification process. Temple replied they have their own training.

Linda Arguedas, Director of Transportation & Marketing for theCenter for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania, spoke of the services her organization provides and highlighted the need for those services. Arguedas emphasized a commitment to quality, timely transportation. She confirmed the 15-passenger vehicle beeps but the MV-1 does not.

Jeffrey Iseman, public policy and outreach coordinator for the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council, supported the comments of Disability Rights Pennsylvania, ADAPT and Liberty Resources, stating many of the problems they see are in other counties as well, if not worse. He highlighted work in the community to improve access. Regarding Act 164, he spoke about the last minute changes and raised concerns about disability discrimination, price gouging and placement of service animals. TNCs, he added, are subcontracting to paratransit agencies.

Sumner expressed appreciation on behalf of Commissioners Mizner and Faber for the helpful testimony. The two commissioners finished watching the hearing remotely due to technical issues.

Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing with PASSHE (BH) 2/21/18, 10:00 a.m., North Office Building, Hearing Room 1 By Matt Hess, Pennsylvania Legislative Services The committee held a budget hearing with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Dr. Dan Greenstein, Chancellor, PASSHE, said he has been on the job for six months and has been to every PASSHE university and spoke with hundreds of the system’s stakeholders. “It’s a remarkable place. The universities offer a liberal arts style education at a public university price. Educational programming is much more tightly aligned to workforce needs

10 than I expected given the narrative around the state system,” he stated. “You all deserve to be remarkably proud of the state system and the universities in it. It’s hard for me to image a Pennsylvania that somehow will meet its workforce needs and creating pathways into and beyond the middle class for its people without such a system. It’s a jewel in the crown and it’s a privilege to serve in this capacity.”

Dr. Greenstein acknowledged issues facing the system, particularly the level of state funding leading to higher tuition, the decline in high school graduates, and a very competitive higher education market in Pennsylvania. “Those challenges have taken a toll on the universities and the system as a whole. We are engaged, and have been for a couple years, in a system redesign process. It has made significant progress to date,” he stated. “We have a new vision for the system that has been adopted by the board. That vision describes a sharing system, imagines a system of universities leveraging high performing academic infrastructure including all back office functions...it also enables individual universities to pursue their own trajectories in ways that leverage the collective academic talent across the system.”

Dr. Greenstein emphasized the need to get tuition under control, align costs with revenues, deal with low-enrolled schools, and provide more accountability and transparency to the General Assembly. “The success of this system is a partnership between the system and the state and as we make trackable, measurable progress, I would enjoy the opportunity to come back to this body and begin a meaningful conversation about investments in public higher education infrastructure and about some of the legislative and regulatory constraints we are operating under,” he stated.

Sen. Aument, chairman of the Education Committee, indicated that there are discussions about establishing a higher education funding commission and asked what the mission is for PASSHE. Dr. Greenstein explained that PASSHE serves lower and middle income students and adults who need additional skills for the workforce and said the mission is to combine vocational and career oriented training with a liberal arts style education. He added the PASSHE universities are regional and vital to those economies.

Sen. Aument noted that there is a demographic issue facing PASSHE with fewer high school graduates and questioned what the system is doing to address lower enrollment. Dr. Greenstein said a main focus is retaining the students who are already in the system and reaching out to the over 1.3 million adult Pennsylvanians who have completed some college coursework but do not have degrees. He added that the universities are offering more online courses and certifications in a variety of areas of need in Pennsylvanian’s economy.

Sen. Aument questioned how PASSHE plans on spending the additional revenue proposed by Gov. Wolf. Dr. Greenstein conceded that next year will be a “tough year” and they are anticipating a possible two percent decline in enrollment. “Our universities have been basically in recession management for over a decade and there is not a lot left to cut. We are positioning ourselves to move to a much more strategic allocation of dollars against goal-oriented strategies. The shared services environment is going to take time to build,” he stated. “We are probably looking at $70 million deficit. That’s a deficit against a cost-to-carry budget so in my professional opinion it is not going to be pretty and we’re have to accelerate the pace that we engage in the new strategy as a result.”

Sen. Aument inquired about the situation at Cheyney University. Dr. Greenstein lauded the efforts of Cheyney President Aaron Walton who has served in that capacity for two years. “It is my opinion that Aaron has arrived several years too late,” he stated. Dr. Greenstein said enrollment is 415 individuals down from a high watermark of 1,600 and the university has a $43 million debt to the system and $39 million will have to be paid by the other universities in the system. “Cheyney’s projected cash flow for the current year suggests that it will incur another debt of $9-10 million, a debt that the system’s board is going to have to act to alleviate,” he stated. “It’s worth pointing out that two of the four conditions of Cheyney’s continuing accreditation has to deal with balancing it’s budget which it is not position to do in 2018-19.”

Dr. Greenstein said the university’s six-year graduation rate is 15-25 percent and nearly one-third of students default on their student loans. “These are the most deserving students we enroll in the system and we are delivering results that are weak in comparison to the industry and in particular HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the industry. This is not just a matter of funding, Cheyney routinely receives more than twice the system average expenditure per student,” he stated. “We are at a watershed moment. The board is meeting next week because I don’t have the authority to allocate that kind of money against Cheyney’s shortfall. I will also ask the board to instruct the chancellor about which path to pursue with Cheyney. There are only three. One is to continue as we are which in my opinion is not viable. A second path, to recommend 11 to the legislature to close the university; that in my opinion would be the wrong thing to do. A third path is to acknowledge the likelihood that accreditation will not be retained and immediately begin to plan for our students and employees. Then begin work with the community and the commitment of the board the continued allocation of state funds to Cheyney University to demonstrate that we can continue Cheyney in a way that is relevant and sustainable and in a way we all can be proud of. There are lessons to be learned from what has happened at Cheyney. Whatever happens I hope we will take the time and create the space to learn those lessons so they will never be repeated in this commonwealth or in this country. I also hope we will leverage the creative leadership of President Walton and use this opportunity and seize this moment to create a new path not just for Cheyney but for Historical Black Colleges and Universities who are in a similar position.”

Sen. Dinniman, minority chairman of the Education Committee, said he has spoken to Cheyney University’s alumni association along with a number of legislators and indicated they sent a letter to the chancellor regarding a proposal that would have students from high schools in challenging areas that do not have AP courses enroll at Cheyney their senior year to engage in dual enrollment. He questioned if the chancellor has considered the proposal. Dr. Greenstein said he has heard a variety of proposals but emphasized the need to immediately address the issues the university is facing. “We have to backstop a very serious debt and we have to deal fairly with those students and employees and likely transition them, he said, adding the need to acknowledge that the school is likely going to lose accreditation.

Sen. Dinniman asked if the chancellor believes it is his responsibility to fight for more funding for PASSHE. Dr. Greenstein acknowledged that it is his job to fight for an appropriation. “I am not equipped at this stage to do that because I don’t have the managing tools or the budgeting processes in place to do that,” he stated. “I will change that with my leadership team. When I am at this hearing next year I will be able to tell you to the dollar if not the penny what the budget is allocated against and how the budget is aligned with goals and how those goals are going to be measure progress towards those goals.” Sen. Dinniman appreciated the chancellor’s honesty but expressed concern that his comments could have a negative impact on student enrollment.

Sen. Martin noted the decline in enrollment at many PASSHE universities and questioned what the system is doing to “right- size” the universities. Dr. Greenstein indicated that the system is working with APSCUF to offer 800-1,000 faculty a phased retirement program. “The cost reductions we’ll be able to achieve in a shared services environment will be significant and we are engaging with a consultant to see what the full range of opportunities are,” he stated.

Sen. Martin said many of the universities have worked hard to maintain or grow their enrollment and asked what incentive there is for those universities to pay off the debts of other universities that are struggling. Dr. Greenstein emphasized that the sharing system will have a new accountability regime. “Structurally we are a single corporate entity,” he stated. “The success of any individual institution relies on the success of the other institutions.”

Sen. Phillips-Hill said York College is retooling their courses to align them with workforce needs in areas such as cybersecurity and nursing. She asked if PASSHE is undergoing a similar overhaul. Dr. Greenstein explained that PASSHE already has the tools in place to align courses to workforce needs. “One of the great things about PASSHE is that it has probably the best data I’ve seen. We can identify as good of pinpoint accuracy as can be had about what employer needs are by 2026 and we can build programs to meet those needs and we do that routinely,” he stated. “Every single program that is developed by a university by aligning itself to workforce needs and what the opportunities will be. It’s a real strength.”

Sen. Santarsiero said community colleges have been successful in their mission and questioned if PASSHE has considered a hybrid approach that would allow system schools where community colleges are not available to offer two-year degrees. Dr. Greenstein responded “yes” and said most of the schools have good relationships with community colleges where transition into system schools is seamless.

Sen. Santarsiero said PASSHE is requesting $505 million and 11 years ago the allocation for PASSHE was $503 million. “Seems to me if we are serious about the challenges of this century and the changing economy we are already being confronted with, investing in education at every level is critical. Getting back to funding from 11 years ago is not an outrageous request,” he stated. Dr. Greenstein said Pennsylvania is 48th in the country in funding public hearing education and as a result the cost for students is higher.

Sen. Killion asked what happens if Cheyney does not receive accreditation. Dr. Greenstein explained that if the accreditation 12 is not renewed, Cheyney has until June to “teach out” their students. “We have that in place and we know what it costs,” he said, adding it raises a question of whether it is appropriate to enroll students for next year. “You can get accreditation back by going through a re-accreditation process and it takes several years or you can affiliate yourself with an accredited institution and you can teach in effect as a department of that accredited institution...there is real innovation in higher education today in an arena that does not require accreditation which has to deal with workforce alignment, workforce re- skilling and training, and reaching out to underserved communities and providing pathways to other opportunities. There is a potential opportunity for Cheyney not just to survive and thrive but to create a model for others that may need to follow in the future.”

Sen. Vogel said someone defaced a Black History Month poster at Slippery Rock’s campus and questioned if racial issues are prevalent across the state system universities. Dr. Greenstein opined there is “general uptick of racial insensitivity in a variety of ways across this country” but said the state system has not experienced an uptick in racial situations but PASSHE is monitoring the issue.

Sen. Vogel inquired about the prevalence of sexual assault on PASSHE campuses. Dr. Greenstein said the state system has changed policies over the years to address the issue of sexual assault. “Our policy environment is effective and there are relevant safeguards in place and one thing I was impressed with was how involved our students around this issue and they are the best advocates,” he stated. “Safety is our number one concern and there is always room to improve.”

Sen. Mensch said the state-relateds, community colleges, and PASSHE are all funded by the state and emphasized that there is competition for Pennsylvania students among those higher education entities. He questioned if there is a way for those institution to work together and not cannibalize those students. Dr. Greenstein said Ohio, Tennessee, and California offer models that Pennsylvania could adopt. “That is going to require action at the highest level of state government. In my view it is critical to the future success of Pennsylvania,” he stated.

Sen. Aument noted that a contract dispute with APSCUF resulted in a walk out by teachers and had negative impacts on student enrollment. He said he is encouraged by how recent conversations are going between the APSCUF and PASSHE and inquired about the system’s approach to the next round of negotiations. Dr. Greenstein said the relationship between PASSHE and APSCUF was strained and a “fragile trust” exists between the parties. “My work with Dr. Nash was to take that head on and recognize that the relationship was incredibly frayed between faculty and management and unless we address those issues head on we would be unlikely to succeed,” he stated. “There was a complete distrust about where we were financially and we opened up the data and colleagues of mine are meeting with colleagues of APSCUF to see where we disagree...we have engaged in an interest based bargaining approach.”

Sen. Schwank noted that she is on PASSHE’s Board of Governors and inquired about the issue of retention particularly with regard to remedial education. Dr. Greenstein said retention is a priority for every state system university. “Remedial education is an area that is extensively well-researched and there are practices that can be adopted readily. I see significant progress in that arena in the near term,” he stated.

Sen. Vogel inquired about graduation rates and expressed concern about student debt due to students being on campuses beyond four years. Dr. Greenstein said PASSHE’s six-year graduation rate is 60 percent and the four-year graduation is 45 percent, which are both above the national average.

Sen. Martin said public universities in other states are attracting students with “out-of-state merit scholarships” and asked why it is more expensive to go to college in Pennsylvania as compared to other states. Dr. Greenstein said others states engage in tuition discounting and indicated that PASSHE has been constrained by policies that prevent them from also offering the discounting. In terms of the high cost of higher education, Dr. Greenstein pointed to the lack of state support. “If you took all of our salaries and benefits and we got them to the national average it would result in an eight percent reduction in student tuition. If we took our state appropriation and we got it to the national average it would result in a 22 percent reduction in student tuition,” he stated.

Sen. Phillips-Hill requested that the chancellor provide a list of regulatory and statutory reforms that PASSHE would like to see implemented. Dr. Greenstein said he will provide that information to the committee.

13 Sen. Phillips-Hill asked if the chancellor has reviewed the reports issued last year and considered the recommendations. Dr. Greenstein said he reviewed both reports and disputed that closing universities is necessary. “I don’t think it makes political sense, I don’t think it makes economic sense. Many of these universities are the number one, two, or three employers in their areas. The financial cost of this is exceptionally high. You’re taking educational opportunities away from areas that need it most. I just think the ROI isn’t there,” he stated.

Sen. Street questioned if the chancellor will be reaching out to Cheyney stakeholders, particularly students and alumni, with a sustainable plan moving forward. Dr. Greenstein said he “looks forward to instruction by the board to engage in that process.” Sen. Street disputed that he needs board guidance to begin a thorough discussion with stakeholders. Dr. Greenstein responded, “I need us to comprehend together the likely future that we face.”

Chairman Hughes emphasized that the “governors and legislators have failed the universities” and said the system is “down collectively well over $600 million” since 2009 and explained that the state appropriation dropped from $503 million to $412 million. “Almost three quarters of a billion has been taken out of this system with the expectation that they run and maintain themselves at the same level of proficiency,” he stated. “The reality is we are all responsible for it because we approve these appropriations.”

Chairman Hughes said only two new buildings were constructed at Cheyney over the past 30 years and pointed out that students make decisions about where to go to college based on the amenities. “How do we expect students to make a choice in any university when the investment in the physical infrastructure has been de minimis,” he questioned. Dr. Greenstein said 54 percent of PASSHE buildings have not been renovated in the last 25 years and there is a deferred maintenance backlog of $1.5 billion.

Chairman Hughes thanked Dr. Greenstein for his remarks about Cheyney President Aaron Walton and said he secured the university’s accreditation two years ago. Dr. Greenstein explained that the university is still in the process of receiving accreditation. Chairman Hughes emphasized that Cheyney is still an accredited university today and questioned why the chancellor assumes accreditation will be lost. Dr. Greenstein said accreditation is contingent upon Cheyney having a balanced 2018-19 budget and they are showing a $9.7 million deficit. Chairman Hughes said there is still time and Gov. Wolf has expressed support for continuing Cheyney University.

Chairman Hughes cited a 2017 Upward Mobility Study which ranked Cheyney first for moving first generation black students out of poverty. He said Cheyney has seen a 33 percent increase in applications for fall of 2019, a 333 percent increase in offers to students, and a 3,550 percent year-over-year increase in deposits.

“There is a role and a place for this institution and there is failure to go around for everybody. There were problems on the campus with significantly incompetent individuals who caused major problems and some intentional issues on campus where 3,000 applications were hid that nobody knew about,” Chairman Hughes stated. “The members of our caucus are prepared to work with you, the governor, and the majority to create a better educational environment for all our students. A thriving Cheyney University within the 14 state system universities has got to be part of that solution. There has been two years of hard decisions that nobody wanted to make before and there’s a positive trends now. I don’t want us to snatch the rug out under that positive trend. If there is a short term number we have to reach, I think you said over $9 million, we need to be in the business of trying to reach that number.”

Chairman Brown noted that it is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and said Pennsylvania has fundamental demographic issue related to an increase in senior citizens and a decrease in high school graduates. “The foundation of Pennsylvania fundamentally is a lot more challenging than it used to be and we have to own that. If we don’t address those fundamental challenges and that is a state moving in the wrong direction demographically than there is nothing we can do to look to a strong future for our higher education institutions in total,” he stated. “The paradox of that and the way out of that is to look to our strongest economic asset and that is Pennsylvania’s unmatched portfolio of higher education institutions. There is no one in the country that matches us.”

Chairman Brown explained that there has not been an overall strategy for higher education in Pennsylvania. “Everyone has to look at themselves as partners here. That includes the legislature and all of higher education,” he stated. “We are not going to be closing institutions so the pure competition model doesn’t work. There’s to be cooperation with all of higher 14 education including state-relateds and private institutions...We have already decided as a matter of course that many of these institutions are not going to go away so what is the strategy for the future.”

Chairman Brown said one proposal the legislature is considering is a Higher Education Funding Commission. “The goal of that will be is to look at higher ed in the context of the challenges Pennsylvania fundamentally has,” he stated. “These are very big questions that will require very difficult answers. I remember the speech JFK made at Rice University when he was selling the moon program. ‘We do it because it’s hard.’ None of this is going to happen unless we make some hard decisions and I think we’ve been in denial a long time. We’re just treading water and if we keep treading water the only people that are going to be at risk is our young people that need the value of higher education institution.”

Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing with PEMA/OFSC (BH) 2/21/19, 3:00 p.m., Hearing Room 1 North Office Building By Emily Mistishen, Pennsylvania Legislative Services The committee held a budget hearing with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner, represented by the following: · Bruce Trego, Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner · David Padfield, acting director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency · Jeff Thomas, executive deputy director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Sen. Regan, chairman of the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee, began by asking about the process of appointing PEMA directors and whether future directors can be appointed without scrutiny. Padfield expressed his belief that the current process has not hindered the department’s processes so far. He stressed the importance of choosing candidates that fulfill the large number of qualifications that the position calls for. He added that he could not weigh in on the question for one side, but reiterated the importance of focusing on qualifications, leadership, and principles. Sen. Regan asked if the governor can appoint whoever they want under the current law. Padfield responded that was correct and said that governors do not want “an Achilles heel” in disaster situations. Sen. Regan queried if Padfield did not think a governor would choose an unqualified candidate or if the appointment process should be treated similarly to the State Police’s process. Padfield acknowledged Sen. Regan’s concerns and stated it is important to have confidence in candidates.

Sen. Regan inquired about the governor’s stance on SR 6 in regards to budgeting and what the recommendations are. Trego answered that he is unsure about how the governor feels about SR 6 and said that while there are many good recommendations available, many of them require legislation. He added that there is no “cookie-cutter” solution and said his team is happy to work with the governor towards addressing the recommendations.

Sen. Williams, minority chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, asked whether there was anything in the current budget that will help implement the recommendations for SR 6 or if there are any goals to add something to the budget to support the recommendations. Trego noted that tax breaks were recommended, but explained that his priorities were focused on recruitment and retention. Many firefighters were lost to suicide, he commented, and while recruitment brings people in, retention still remains an issue. Sen. Williams questioned what could be done legislatively to address the problem. Trego stated that more information needs to be established on what works best and noted that education is one area that still needs to be explored. Sen. Williams inquired what the department is currently doing to manage the issue, including certain programs to address the increased suicides. Trego responded that the department is currently working with the Department of Health and activities have been incorporated into training to promote awareness and provide information on it.

Sen. Williams continued by querying about cuts to the Hazardous Material Response Fund and what the cuts resulted from, particularly in grants to counties. Padfield remarked that the fund is predicated on fees and many people are using fewer chemicals and more environmentally-friendly options. He added that the long-term effects of this are being looked at.

Sen. Vogel asked about PEMA›s role regarding outbreaks. Padfield stated that PEMA collaborates with a number of other state agencies to establish a course of action and pointed to the opioid epidemic as an example of this. He added that the process focuses on coordination. 15 Sen. Vogel inquired on how much was received from the fireworks tax. Trego stated $17,000 was earned and was applied to a software program to support online training. The Department of Revenue anticipates the earnings to increase to $300,000 this year, he explained. Sen. Vogel asked how many can be served with online training through that amount. Trego responded that it depends on staff and curriculum, noting that some training requires hands-on experience, and said it still needs research.

Sen. Vogel questioned if there are any incentives or available funding for merging fire departments. Trego explained that money is appropriated for merging and it is incentivized.

Sen. Langerholc noted that first responders «see the worst of the worst» and inquired whether there is counseling available to combat the trauma. He continued by asking what can be done to manage the problem. Trego highlighted that various programs that are being worked on with the National Volunteer Fire Council and the First Responder Network Authority to assist all different types of first responders. He noted that there are also several phone numbers available for first responders to use to talk with peers. Most responders don›t want to talk to someone, he commented, and the main goal is to promote awareness on the issue and provide a way for responders to talk to peers if they don›t want counseling. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression is something leaders need to learn to do, he stated. Sen. Langerholc asked where the phone numbers can be found and if they are available to be publicized. Trego responded that the numbers are on the department›s website and that he can share additional information with the senator.

Sen. Langerholc asked about the possible reduction of funds for fire departments that merge together. Trego stated that it is a «money issue» and said it depends entirely on whether the money can be extended through legislation. He suggested a merit-type of funding can be a possibility.

Sen. Street commented that increased rainfall has led to flooding. He questioned if there are associated costs with the flooding and whether improved, green infrastructure can combat these costs. Padfield said that data shows a 75 percent increase in significant precipitation events that are of shorter duration and higher intensity. He cited that 2018 had $163.5 million in public infrastructure damages with only $62 million received in a federal disaster declaration. He cautioned that the gap is absorbed by counties and that the small, high-intensity precipitation events result in localized damage that doesn›t reach the federal disaster thresholds. He explained that the costs of mitigating these gaps is being looked at and said, «For every $1 of mitigation funding that was spent, it saves us about $7 in the response and recovery.» However, he explained that while there is a «huge need» for mitigation, there is not enough funding. He expressed support for Gov. Wolf›s Restore Pennsylvania initiative. There are many mitigation projects out there, he reiterated, but there needs to be more funding. Sen. Street opined on the importance of providing context when discussing investment in infrastructure and said that it can help stimulate the economy, create jobs, and save money.

Sen. Phillips-Hill explained that she has heard frustration from businesses regarding emergency declarations and traffic restrictions on commercial vehicles. She noted that while public safety is very important, the declarations impact businesses, particularly as the state is a «transportation hub.» She queried what the process is for vehicle restrictions and what determinations and actions are taken. Padfield pointed to previous examples of incidents on highways resulting from weather that lasted for extensive periods of time. He explained «decisions aren›t made in a vacuum» and that many agencies and organizations are involved in the process. A state highway closure framework was established after a specific incident in 2016, he said, and while the restrictions are inconvenient, the alternative could result in life-threatening situations. He highlighted that despite the department›s best efforts, incidents still occurred and Gov. Wolf›s office suggested a more proactive approach, resulting in a preventative strategy. «We›re maturing that process significantly as we go,» he stated, and the goal is to restrict vehicles long before snow arrives. Padfield acknowledged the restrictions› impact on industry, but said that the department is looking at it from a safety aspect. He noted that there currently are meetings with the Turnpike Commission to discuss the issue and they are continually working to make the process more efficient and remove restrictions as soon as possible. Sen. Phillips-Hill remarked that she would appreciate the refinement of the process and stressed that safety is always important. She added that she would like to review the policy in place regarding restrictions. Padfield responded that they are currently in the process of finalizing it and that there is no «one threshold» that is being used.

Sen. Laughlin asked if Trego is pushing for residential sprinklers. Trego answered «no». He continued by saying that the

16 department is currently looking at the advantages of sprinklers, but there is not push for them at the moment. Sen. Laughlin cited that 95 percent of residential structure fires occurred in older homes and smoke detectors are more successful in saving lives rather than sprinklers. Fire fatalities result from smoke inhalation, he added, instead of flames. Trego stated he sees both sides of the story and it is essential to take a closer look at the issue and reduce risks.

Sen. Collett inquired about the resources available for firefighters regarding physical and psychological trauma. Trego commented that the department is working on behavioral health issues and the best thing to do is raise awareness and get the conversation started on where they can go to get help. He noted they can›t mandate anything, but reiterated the phone numbers available on the website. Sen. Collett asked if there is any analysis on whether pain management and suicide are deterrents for firefighter recruitment. Trego responded that the data on the subject is difficult to extract and the department is currently looking for an accurate method to look at the data. Sen. Collett questioned if there are any efforts in highlighting studies to get data. Trego answered that he is not aware of any but he will look into it.

Chairman Browne said some of the balances and funds under the budget for PEMA are continuing balances with consistent funds, and questioned if their balances should be kept at such high figures given what may be encumbered against them. Trego said this year they did not do as many loans because they were down on staff. Additionally, one of the SR 6 recommendations was to open it up to career firefighters, not just volunteer firefighters. He reported they would have to calculate the estimated loans encumbered against the funds for 2019-20. Chairman Browne noted the number appears to be $20 million and said maybe some of its cash flow can be redirected without any impact on loans.

On fire safety, Chairman Browne said an issue is being considered now to enact certification and licensure for fire equipment extinguishers and commercial fire systems. He said they don›t want to put into a proposal an administrative agency or platform without having a clear understanding that that is the best place to put it. He said the state fire commissioner would top the list, but any alternative resources that are more comfortable would be worth discussing. Trego agreed.

Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing with PSP (BH) 2/21/18, 1:00 p.m., North Office Building, Hearing Room 1 By Jeff Cox, Pennsylvania Legislative Services The committee held a budget hearing with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Sen. Stefano, chairman of the Law and Justice Committee, commented that the legislature has heard a lot of talk about the municipalities and those that have local police coverage and those who don’t. He wanted to know, based on the areas covered by the State Police, if there is a population density where the State Police feels a municipality should be considering local coverage. Lt. Col. Robert Evanchick, acting Commissioner, responded, “As we look around the state we see varying densities of population.” He explained, “The State Police is required to provide coverage to anyone who does not have police coverage.” Lt. Col. Evanchick added, “In cases where there is part-time police coverage, we also fill that void as well.” He pointed out there are some areas where the requests for service are higher than others and there are some areas that have a greater need than others. Sen. Stefano asked if the State Police has any numbers in mind regarding population density. He pointed out Pennsylvania has some municipalities with just a couple of hundred people and some with many thousands. Regarding incident reports, Sen. Stefano said the committee had data submitted by the State Police from 2015 regarding the number of incidents per municipality and in that report it is broken down into areas where the State Police cover entirely, the areas where there are part-time municipal police support, and those with fulltime municipal police support. He asked if the State Police has any newer data than that. Lt. Col. Evanchick responded that they do have newer data showing the number of incidents per township or borough. He noted that it would be raw numbers and there would be a need to extrapolate some of the numbers such as traffic violations and other types of things. Lt. Col. Evanchick indicated they would provide the committee with a more current report. Sen. Stefano asked what the incident number includes. Lt. Col. Evanchick explained it takes the number of every police contact, every police incident the State Police does, every traffic stop and DUI violation among others. He again spoke of the need to extrapolate some of those numbers to get a truer picture of every call for service. Sen. Stefano asked if it would include liquor control enforcement and casino enforcement. Lt. Col. Evanchick said it would.

According to Sen. Stefano, the presumed budget before the legislature gives the State Police $100 million for the municipal 17 service fees. He wanted to know if that amount “does not get over finish line” how it would impact the State Police’s services. Lt. Col. Evanchick said it could impact their cadet classes going forward, their current services, their assistance to local and federal law enforcement, overtime costs, and officer safety. He told members, “Without that fee or something to fill that void, it puts a big dent in our budget.” Lt. Col. Evanchick added, “We also have about $70 million worth of equipment and safety needs that are not included in the budget at this time that are nearing end of life and they have to be replaced.” Sen. Stefano wanted to know how many cadet classes are in place. Lt. Col. Evanchick indicated there are three classes in place for this fiscal year. He added they are trying to put one more through in June. Sen. Stefano asked how many troopers from the classes are anticipated to be put on the PSP rolls. Lt. Col. Evanchick explained they usually start with a class of about 120 cadets and their attrition rate sometimes takes them down to between 95 and 100 graduating cadets as troopers. He there are currently 341 vacancies in the PSP as of February 16. Sen. Stefano observed that these next three classes could almost fill those vacancies. Lt. Col. Evanchick responded, “Yes, I believe so.”

Sen. Stefano then asked about the number of State Police employees eligible for retirement. Lt. Col. Evanchick reported that right now they have about 1,058 employees that have twenty years of service or more eligible for retirement at the 20- year mark. He further reported that out of the 1,058, 274 have more than 25 years of service. Lt. Col. Evanchick noted they have no idea how people will decide to retire at any particular point in time. He did say they could have 274 retirements in the coming year. Sen. Stefano wanted to know if there are any plans to close any barracks. Lt. Col. Evanchick responded in the negative but added, “We are always looking for efficiency in our operations as well and if we have any discussions about potential closings it would require public input and public hearings.” Sen. Stefano stated that the last study that was done regarding the State Police’s complement numbers was done in 2001. Sen. Stefano reported he has circulated a co- sponsorship memo regarding the complement number which calls for a new study. He asked if it is a good time to have the study done again. Lt. Col. Evanchick agreed and offered his assistance. Sen. Stefano commented that in previous hearings the legislature has been looking at the cost to provide local coverage and there has been reluctance to talk about the cost per service model. He asked if it was decided to charge municipalities for the services provided, would there be an attempt to recover costs for the work such as the PSP laboratory does, deployments, collision analysis or other services provided by the State Police. Lt. Col. Evanchick explained that all of the services provided by the State Police to local law enforcement or federal agencies come basically without cost to them. He further explained that with laboratory they do have user fees but pointed out that most of the laboratory services are two-thirds PSP and one-third local law enforcement. According to Lt. Col. Evanchick, last year the State Police billed for $17 million in lab user fees and got a return of about nine percent. He noted the user fees have not been increased in ten years or longer. Sen. Stefano asked if the legislature went with the fee for services model, would the State Police have to consider charging for some of these services. Lt. Col. Evanchick commented that it would be a possibility. He explained some of the difficulties which would arise if the State Police started charging for some of the services they provide such as aviation.

According to Chairman Browne, during last year’s hearings there was a lot of discussion regarding an alternative model for reimbursement based on cost of service instead of a population for local police coverage. He asked if anything has been done about that internally. Lt. Col. Evanchick replied, “Not that I am aware of.” He said nothing was put forward and there was no legislation. Chairman Browne asked who is developing the model now. Lt. Col. Evanchick said it was developed by the Office of the Budget in conjunction with the Governor’s office and input from the State Police. Chairman Browne said the goal is to raise money to offset costs. He also said that if an alternative model has been put forth by members of the committee, it would make sense to come up with a different model and not come back with the same one. Chairman Browne asserted, “These conversations that happen every year don’t happen just to happen.” He continued, “They happen because there is an interest in actually accomplishing a goal possibly.” Chairman Browne argued that what the administration is putting forward is “the same population model repackaged.” He said there is a feeling on the committee that the population model does not accurately track the actual services being provided. Chairman Browne stated, “I seriously suggest and recommend when at least two or three members of this committee recommend an alternative to what you are offering that your department and the Budget Office take those recommendations seriously because we are left at the same place now where we were last year.”

Sen. Martin commented that he doesn’t believe anyone truly understands what the State Police does for the entire Commonwealth. He reported the State Police’s 2015 data indicates 45 percent of the incidents that the PSP was involved with happened in municipalities that have fulltime local police. Sen. Martin also reported the 2018 data indicates that three of the top five municipalities that utilized the PSP had their own local police force. He wanted to know what services 18 are provided by the State Police that benefits all Pennsylvanians. Major James Degnan, acting Deputy Commissioner of Operations, provided an overview of the services provided including their emergency response team, aviation services, a tactical mounted unit, and assisting with homicide investigations.

Sen. Langerholc reported that last year the General Assembly enacted school safety legislation which allocated significant school funding. He said part of Act 44 was to require the State Police to increase the number of troopers who are part the risk and vulnerability assessment teams and by March 31 of this year, establish three risk and vulnerability assessment teams. He asked for an update on those requirements. According to Lt. Col. Evanchick, in 2018 the State Police conducted 104 assessments of which 85 were schools alone. He added that right now their backlog for schools is 120 for K-12, 60 for private schools K-12, 16 for higher education, and the total education backlog comes to 198 assessments. Lt. Col. Evanchick told members PSP will have three teams across the state with three members on each team. He pointed out there is a training curve for them and there is a learning curve where they have to do some curriculum and training. Lt. Col. Evanchick said they are on track to move forward on those assessments.

Sen Langerholc observed the PSP has seven crime labs operating throughout the commonwealth. He asked about the burden on the labs in terms of turnaround time and backlogs. Lt. Col. Evanchick explained that DNA has to go through a two- step process beginning with the serology section and then be processed by the DNA section. He said in 2018, the serology section backlog decreased from 1,544 cases to 748 cases and the DNA section backlog decreased from 813 cases to 592 cases. Lt. Col. Evanchick reported there has been a 17 percent decrease in the turnaround time. He stated that emergency priority cases can be done in two to four days. Major Edward Hoke, acting Deputy Commissioner of Staff, added that in 2018, 40,049 cases were submitted to the labs. He said the lab team was successful in completing over 41,000 cases including some of the cases that were in the backlog. Hoke explained that at the end of the calendar year they were 7,424 cases behind including all disciplines. Lt. Col. Evanchick added that PSP was slated to have their new DNA laboratory up and running by the end of this year but because of construction setbacks the building will not be up and running until June 2021. Sen. Langerholc wanted to know if the biannual report on the rape kit backlog has been submitted to the Department of Health. Hoke responded that the information PSP has been able to compile thus far has been provided to the department. He reported that last year PSP received 1,028 rape kits and 1,163 were completed.

Sen. Street wanted to know how crimes of ethnic intimidation are reported. Major Scott Price, acting Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Professional Responsibility, responded that the PSP has a Heritage Affairs Unit and it is tasked with monitoring the types of incidents where there may be racial tension. He explained when they receive a report, the unit reaches out to the local communities where that tension may have occurred or reaches out to the local agency who may be involved in an investigation to provide investigative support and guidance. Price said what they find sometimes is there is potentially some misunderstanding of the elements of some of the offenses and what is defined as ethnic intimidation.

Sen. Laughlin asked how much additional overtime for troopers is anticipated in the coming year. Lt. Col. Evanchick responded that is hard to predict based. He reported PSP was given an allotment of about $33 million and basically that is to keep up with benefits and contractual salary increases. Sen. Laughlin wanted to know what the cutoff point is where it is cheaper to hire a new trooper instead of paying more overtime. Lt. Col. Evanchick said he could probably provide a calculation. Sen. Laughlin asked if a pension cap at 100 percent of full salary be a reasonable point. Lt. Col. Evanchick said that would be an issue that deals with collective bargaining agreement with the union.

Sen. Vogel asked about the process for a cadet to be hired and then becoming a trooper. Price explained the hiring process begins with a written test then moves onto an oral interview stage. He further explained that after the oral interview the results are combined and then there is a process wherein a background investigation is conducted. Price reported there is a physical readiness test and medical and psychological exams which occur before entering the State Police academy. He noted PSP has been pretty fortunate in the number of candidates they have coming through the door. According to Price, in the last three years they have had 35,000 applicants. He offered an overview of their training and said that the whole process from graduating the academy to becoming a trooper is about 18 months.

Sen Vogel wanted to know about PSP’s study of the use of body cameras and what were the results. Hoke reported that they concluded a six-month study on body cameras at the end of the calendar year. He said they deployed 30 devices to troopers assigned to three of their stations, Uniontown, Avondale and Somerset. According to Hoke, the devices were

19 purchased with moneys from a federal grant. He said PSP has received very favorable reviews of the body camera program and PSP is looking at carrying that program forward into the future but “there is a price tag associated with that and it is a hefty price tag.”

Sen Aument asked for an update on the statewide radio network. Hoke replied, “On schedule and on budget.” He reported the P25 radio system is being “aggressively rolled out.” Hoke said 34 counties are in the coverage area including seven PSP troops. He also said the vendor for the $44 million contract has been “very responsive to many issues with regard to technical issues that have cropped up with the program.” Hoke told members that for this year, PSP is requesting approximately $50 million to fund the project and keep it moving forward. He commented, “The project pays huge benefits in public safety from the standpoint of interoperability.” Hoke added, “This is something that has been lacking across the commonwealth for way too long.” He said that once it is fully deployed and implemented it will allow troopers to communicate across the entire commonwealth and with other agencies and their federal partners. Sen. Aument commented that the project took a significant favorable turn under the direction of Major Diane Stackhouse. He also commented that it is his understanding an audit was being done by the PSP in conjunction with the Office of the Budget of the previous contract for a statewide radio network. Sen. Aument wanted to know if the audit has been completed and if any of its results could be shared with the committee. Hoke responded that he believes the audit has been completed but he cannot speak about the legal aspects of it.

Sen. Killion asked about the building of a new barracks in Delaware County. Hoke said the bid is progressing and he will provide Sen. Killion with more details after the meeting.

Sen. Phillips-Hill wanted to know if all the towers from the Open Sky system are being utilized with the new P25 system. Hoke said there will be 173 towers remaining from the Open Sky network. Sen. Phillips-Hill asked if those towers that are not going to be used are owned or leased by the State Police. Hoke responded, “Both.” Sen. Phillips-Hill spoke of her interest in increasing access to high speed internet service in rural areas and asked if the some of the towers that are not going to be used could be used for increasing access. Lt. Col. Evanchick responded that the towers could possibly be re- purposed but that is only an assumption on his part. Sen. Phillips-Hill then asked what the State Police is doing to combat human trafficking. Degnan explained that the PSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation is very active in human trafficking investigations within the state and all of its federal partners. He also said there has been additional training on how to conduct investigations and what to look for. Degnan added that the PSP would look forward to working with Sen. Phillips-Hill on her human trafficking legislation.

Sen. Mensch reported that a couple of years ago the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee did an analysis of the backlog on rape kit reporting. According to Sen. Mensch, what they began to find out was there a difference of definitions throughout the process and quite a few of the kits that were being inventoried as not yet examined were actually sitting on shelves because the cases had been pulled or had not gone to court or the accuser for one reason or another never followed through with the prosecution of the case. He said these were being counted as part of the backlog. Sen. Mensch asked if there is now a better assessment or accounting of that today. Hoke explained that the recent legislative change that occurred in October of last year which now compels a mandatory reporting by local police and the State Police is causing PSP to play catch-up. He did note very good compliance by the law enforcement community with the new requirements.

Sen. Santarsiero asked about firearm background checks and the difference in scope between the National Instant Check System (NICS) and the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS). Price explained that PSP runs and operates the PICS system. According to Price, PICS hits about 14 different databases when they do firearms background checks. He noted there are records in Pennsylvania that PSP has access to but they simply cannot get into the NICS system with the most significant being protection from abuse (PFA) orders. Price explained the process for an individual to appeal when either system denies that individual from purchasing a firearm.

Sen. Martin asked if there has ever been any effort looking at how fees are distributed. Price responded that itishis understanding there has not been a specific effort by the legislature to look at Act 81 and the fee distributions. Sen. Martin wanted to know how many counties want to get on the P25 system. Hoke responded that the counties want to get on board with the P25 systems simply because of the cost savings initiatives.

Chairman Browne wanted to know what the counties are paying for use of the system. Hoke responded that he will have to 20 get back to the committee with that information.

Sen. Santarsiero asked about the State Police’s efforts to improve hiring of minorities and women. Price reported they are seeing an uptick in the diverse representation of the cadet classes. He said they are also seeing gradual improvements in the diversity of their complement but “we are not where we would like to be.”

Minority Chairman Hughes asked about the PSP’s level of effort in recruiting women and minorities. Price provided an overview of their efforts including advertising and other programs. He pointed out the PSP use to do things basedon anecdotal information but they are now basing their efforts on fact-based information.

Chairman Browne urged the PSP to cooperate with Independent Fiscal Office’s performance-based budget plan.

NEW LEGISLATION

HB 566 Topper, Jesse (R) Amends the Pennsylvania Election Code, in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for canvassing of official absentee ballots. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 567 Mackenzie, Ryan (R) Act designating the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Purple Heart State and August 7 as “Purple Heart Day” in Pennsylvania. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 568 DeLuca, Anthony (D) Amends the Insurance Company Law, in casualty insurance, providing for pharmaceutical cost transparency. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 569 DeLuca, Anthony (D) Amends the Pharmacy Audit Integrity and Transparency Act, in PBM cost transparency requirements, providing for spread pricing. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 570 DeLuca, Anthony (D) Act providing for consumer prescription drug pricing disclosure. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 571 DeLuca, Anthony (D) Amends the Administrative Code, establishing the Office of Consumer Advocate for Health Insurance as an office within the Office of Attorney General and prescribing its powers and duties; and making editorial changes. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 572 DeLuca, Anthony (D) Act providing for insurance coverage for patient costs associated with cancer clinical trials. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 573 Miller, Brett (R) Amends the Professional Nursing Law further providing for examinations and certificates. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

21 HB 574 Greiner, Keith (R) Amends the Agricultural Area Security Law further providing for purchase of agricultural conservation easements, for Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Fund & for Land Trust Reimbursement Program. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 575 Flynn, Marty (D) Amends the Covered Device Recycling Act, in duties of manufacturers and retailers, further providing for manufacturer plan and reporting. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 576 Bizzarro, Ryan (D) Amends the Workforce Development Act, in industry partnerships, further providing for defs., for industry clusters, for grant program, for grant program operation, for interdepartmental cooperation & for market research. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 577 Flynn, Marty (D) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary), in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 578 Flynn, Marty (D) Act requiring certain facilities and persons that provide child day care to install safety guards on doors; and conferring powers and duties on the Department of Human Services. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 579 Flynn, Marty (D) Amends Act entitled “An act extending benefits to police chiefs or heads of police departments of political subdivisions who have been removed from bargaining units by the PA Labor Relations Board,” providing for fire officers. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 580 Sankey, Thomas (R) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles), in registration of vehicles, providing for contributions for sexual offense evidence testing and establishing the Sexual Offense Evidence Testing Account. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HB 581 Keller, Fred (R) Amends the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act further providing for definitions. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HR 99 Briggs, Tim (D) Resolution recognizing the month of March 2019 as “National Athletic Training Month” in Pennsylvania. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HR 100 Kenyatta, Malcolm (F) (D) Resolution honoring the life and significant accomplishments of Bayard Rustin, an influential and often overlooked leader in our nation’s history. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

HR 101 DeLuca, Anthony (D) Resolution strongly urging the Congress of the United States to retain certain consumer protections if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is ruled unconstitutional. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

22 HR 102 Roae, Brad (R) Resolution amending the Rules of the House of Representatives, further providing for members and employees’ expenses. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Filed

LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

HB 59 Farry, Frank (R) (PN 63) Amends the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act further providing for definitions, for disqualification and forfeiture of benefits and for restitution for monetary loss; and repealing a retroactivity provision. The bill establishes that the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shall provide the State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System with the information necessary to fulfill the duties under disqualification and forfeiture of benefits. It also establishes that until restitution is determined by a court, the appropriate benefits administrator shall not make payment of any refund of contributions applied for after the date of such finding or entry to the public official or public employee until the court notifies the appropriate benefits administrator that no restitution is due. Disqualification and forfeiture of benefits section effective in 60 days. The remainder of the act effective immediately. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported with request to re-refer to House Judiciary House State Government Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Judiciary

HB 60 Cox, Jim (R) (PN 565) Amends Title 71 (State Government) removing future employees of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Interstate Commission of the Delaware River Basin from the State Employees’ Retirement System. Effective immediately. (Prior Printer Number: 64) Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Appropriations Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Appropriations Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid out for discussion Feb 21, 2019 - H-Third consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Final Passage by a vote of 108 YEAS 81 NAYS

HB 65 Sankey, Thomas (R) (PN 69) Act designating a bridge on that portion of State Route 3047 over the South Branch of Blacklick Creek, Blacklick Township, Cambria County, as the Private First Class Steve L. Klosz Memorial Bridge. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

HB 66 Sankey, Thomas (R) (PN 542) Act designating a bridge on that portion of Peg Run Road, Pennsylvania Route 240, over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Susquehanna Township, Cambria County, as the United States Army Sergeant Scott O. Henry Memorial Bridge. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 70) Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

HB 81 Kauffman, Rob (R) (PN 564) The Surgical Technologist Regulation Act provides for certification of central service technicians; imposes continuing education requirements on central service technicians; provides for duties of hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities and the Department of Health; and regulates the practice of surgical technology and surgical technologists. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 83, 358) Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Appropriations Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Appropriations Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid out for discussion Feb 21, 2019 - H-Third consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Final Passage by a vote of 189 YEAS 0 NAYS

23 HB 128 Brown, Rosemary (R) (PN 563) The Pennsylvania First-Time Home Buyer Savings Account Act provides for the establishment of first-time home buyer savings accounts for first-time home buyers in this commonwealth. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 122, 359) Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Appropriations Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Appropriations Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid out for discussion Feb 21, 2019 - H-Third consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Final Passage by a vote of 188 YEAS 1 NAYS

HB 224 Pickett, Tina (R) (PN 543) Act designating a portion of U.S. Route 220 along the Sullivan County and Bradford County line as the T.W. “Doc” Shoemaker Memorial Highway. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 194) Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid out for discussion Feb 21, 2019 - H-1 Floor amendment(s) adopted Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Over in House Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

HB 276 Delozier, Sheryl (R) (PN 284) Joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing rights of victims of crime, dubbed Marsy’s Law. Constitutional amendments require approval in two consecutive legislative sessions and then approval by the voters through a referendum. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-First consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid on the table Feb 21, 2019 - H-Removed from the table

HB 277 Owlett, Clint (R) (PN 251) Act designating a bridge on that portion of Pennsylvania Route 14 over Fall Brook, Troy Borough, Bradford County, as the Troy Area Veterans Memorial Bridge. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

HB 284 Metcalfe, Daryl (R) (PN 540) Amends Title 37 (Historical and Museums), in general provisions, further providing for definitions; in powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, further providing for specific powers and duties, for personal property and for documents, providing for commonwealth archival records, for local government archival records and for access to older public records; and, in historic properties, further providing for title to historic property and for powers over certain historic property. Effective in 60 days. (Prior Printer Number: 257) Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

24 HB 350 Rigby, Jim (F) (R) (PN 276) Amends the Precious Metal Sale Regulation Law to replace the term “refining,” with “other commercial disposition”; and to expand requirements regarding proof of identity. Further, the legislation prohibits any sales to an individual less than 18 years of age; ensures a dealer.s license is available on location and at request; provides greater photography and description requirements of items purchased; and expands procedures during law enforcement investigations. Lastly, this legislation increases penalties for dealers violating the act from a misdemeanor of the third degree to a misdemeanor of the second degree. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid out for discussion Feb 21, 2019 - H-1 Floor amendment(s) adopted Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Over in House Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

HB 384 Kail, Joshua (F) (R) (PN 354) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles), in licensing of drivers, further providing for penalties relating to classes of licenses. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Second consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Appropriations

HB 387 Otten, Danielle (F) (D) (PN 371) Act authorizing the release of Project 70 restrictions on certain lands owned by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting by and through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, in exchange for the imposition of Project 70 restrictions on other lands to be acquired by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting by and through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Effective immediately. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House State Government Feb 21, 2019 - H-First consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid on the table

HB 502 Hershey, Jonathan (F) (R) (PN 490) Amends the Crime Victims Act adding language providing victims of crime have the right not to be excluded from any criminal proceeding unless the court, based on the record before it, determines that testimony would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at the proceeding. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-First consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid on the table Feb 21, 2019 - H-Removed from the table

HB 503 Everett, Garth (R) (PN 491) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), in depositions and witnesses, adding a subchapter providing for procedures to protect victims and witnesses with intellectual disabilities or autism. The intent of the bill is to provide procedures which will protect material witnesses or victims of crime with intellectual disabilities or autism during their involvement with the criminal justice system. The bill outlines when an out-of-court statement made by an individual with an intellectual disability or autism who is a victim or witness describing enumerated offenses would be admissible in evidence. Enumerated offenses include homicide, assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual offenses, burglary, robbery, incest, and corruption of minors. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-First consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid on the table Feb 21, 2019 - H-Removed from the table

25 HB 504 Mihalek, Natalie (F) (R) (PN 492) Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) adding language amending section 3104 relating to evidence of victim’s sexual conduct. Requires a defendant who proposes to offer evidence of the alleged victim’s past sexual victimization, allegations of past sexual victimization, opinion evidence of the alleged victim’s past sexual conduct and reputation evidence of the alleged victim’s past sexual conduct to file a written motion and offer proof at the time of trial. Also expands the number of crimes subject to the protections under the rape shield law. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-First consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid on the table Feb 21, 2019 - H-Removed from the table

HB 505 Kauffman, Rob (R) (PN 493) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), in depositions and witnesses, expanding the number of serious crimes under the tender years exception. Effective in 60 days. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Voted favorably from committee on House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported as committed from House Judiciary Feb 21, 2019 - H-First consideration Feb 21, 2019 - H-Laid on the table Feb 21, 2019 - H-Removed from the table

HR 90 Hill-Evans, Carol (F) (D) (PN 503) Resolution recognizing March 6, 2019, as “Black Balloon Day” in Pennsylvania. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Adopted by a vote of 189 YEAS 0 NAYS

HR 91 Kinsey, Stephen (D) (PN 504) Resolution recognizing the month of February 2019 as “Black History Month” in Pennsylvania. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Adopted by a vote of 189 YEAS 0 NAYS

HR 93 Matzie, Robert (D) (PN 506) Resolution designating March 10, 2019, as “Charter Day” in Pennsylvania. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Adopted by a vote of 189 YEAS 0 NAYS

SB 113 DiSanto, John (R) (PN 58) Amends the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act further providing for definitions, for disqualification and forfeiture of benefits and for restitution for monetary loss; and repealing a retroactivity provision. The bill establishes that the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shall provide the State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System with the information necessary to fulfill the duties under disqualification and forfeiture of benefits. It also establishes that until restitution is determined by a court, the appropriate benefits administrator shall not make payment of any refund of contributions applied for after the date of such finding or entry to the public official or public employee until the court notifies the appropriate benefits administrator that no restitution is due. Disqualification and forfeiture of benefits section effective in 60 days. The remainder of the act effective immediately. Feb 21, 2019 - H-Reported with request to re-refer to House Judiciary House State Government Feb 21, 2019 - H-Rereferred to House Judiciary

26 UPCOMING MEETINGS

MONDAY - 2/25/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Pennsylvania State Police/Homeland Security 1:00 p.m. - Criminal Justice: Corrections, Board of Probation & Parole, Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission 3:00 p.m. - Department of Health/Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - Dept. of Labor & Industry 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of General Services 3:00 p.m. - Dept. of Transportation

TUESDAY - 2/26/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Office of Administration-Office for Information Technology 1:00 p.m. - Department of Transportation 3:00 p.m. - Department of General Services

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - State Related Universities 1:00 p.m. - Judiciary 3:00 p.m. - PA College of Technology 4:00 p.m. - Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology

House Democratic Policy Committee 2:00 p.m., Dubbs Memorial Community Center, Fellowship Hall, 457 West Allen Street, Allentown Public hearing with Rep. Mike Schlossberg on protecting voting rights

WEDNESDAY - 2/27/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Gaming Control Board 1:00 p.m. - Department of Community & Economic Development 3:00 p.m. - Liquor Control Board

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - Dept. of Health 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of Human Services 3:00 p.m. - Dept. of Human Services continued

House Game and Fisheries 10:00 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building Informational meeting on PA Game Commission and PA Fish and Boat Commission’s Annual Reports

27 House Game and Fisheries 1:30 p.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building Informational meeting on PA Game Commission and PA Fish and Boat Commission’s Annual Reports

House Democratic Policy Committee 2:00 p.m., Dunmore Community Center, 1414 Monroe Avenue, Dunmore Public hearing with Rep. on transportation

THURSDAY - 2/28/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Department of Human Services

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - Dept. of Corrections/Board of Probation and Parole 1:00 p.m. - PA Liquor Control Board 3:00 p.m. - Dept. of Environmental Protection 4:00 p.m. - JCJC/PCCD

House Democratic Policy Committee 10:00 a.m., Wilkes University Henry Student Center, Miller Room, 2nd Floor, 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre Public hearing with Rep. on affordable health care

MONDAY - 3/4/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Department of Education

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - Dept. of Drug & Alcohol Programs 1:00 p.m. - Life Sciences Greenhouse/Life Sciences PA 3:00 p.m. - Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources

TUESDAY - 3/5/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Department of Agriculture 1:00 p.m. – PSERS/SERS

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - Dept. of Education 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of Education continued 3:00 p.m. - Dept. of Aging

WEDNESDAY - 3/6/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. - Budget Secretary-Office of the Governor/Executive Offices 1:00 p.m. - Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

28 Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - Dept. of Military & Veterans Affairs 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of Agriculture 3:00 p.m. - Ben Franklin Technology Partners

House Labor and Industry 10:00 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building Public hearing on prescribing issues and worker’s comp

THURSDAY - 3/7/19 House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing Room 140 Main Capitol Building 10:00 a.m. – OPEN

Senate Appropriations Budget Hearing Hearing Room 1, North Office Building 10:00 a.m. - PA Gaming Control Board 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of Community & Economic Development 3:00 p.m. - Budget Secretary/Governor’s Executive Office (if necessary)

MONDAY - 3/11/19 House Education 11:30 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building To consider: HB 265 Staats, Craig Amends Public School Code re articulation HB 297 Mako, Zachary Amends Public School Code re career info HB 334 Grove, Seth Amends Public School Code re CIPs HB 522 Tobash, Mike Amends Public School Code re CTE investments HB 393 HB 394 HB 395 HB 396

TUESDAY - 3/12/19 ***House Human Services (New) 9:00 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building Public hearing on bills relating to bed registry and warm handoff for addiction treatment

TUESDAY - 3/19/19 Joint Legislative Conservation Committee 10:00 a.m., Room 108, Irvis Office Building Informational meeting on bike tourism initiatives along PA Route 6

WEDNESDAY - 3/20/19 House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs 9:00 a.m., Hearing Room 1, North Office Bldg. Joint public hearing on the PA Farm Bill Proposal

House Urban Affairs 9:30 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building Informational meeting with PIDC on Opportunity Zones and PA Opportunities

THURSDAY - 3/21/19 ***Independent Regulatory Review Commission (New) 10:00 a.m., 14th Floor Conference Room, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg To consider the following regulations: 3164 PA Gaming Control Board #125-204: Four Card Prime & Cajun Stud; Table Game Rules of Play 3190 Environmental Quality Board #7-532: Noncoal Mining Program Fees

29 TUESDAY - 3/26/19 House Human Services 9:00 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building Public hearing on adolescent substance use care, challenges & opportunities

TUESDAY - 4/16/19 ***House Urban Affairs (New) 9:00 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building Public hearing on: HB 71 Rothman, Greg Amends Landlord & Tenant Act re possession

30 Capitol Recap is a comprehensive daily report on legislative and executive actions in the Pennsylvania capitol and is compiled and edited by PLS.

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