COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2003 SESSION OF 2003 187TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY No. 27 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Save us all from the freedom of mere independence, and The House convened at 11 a.m., e.d.t. enable us to employ responsibility in our every decision. In a time when some still surrender easily, give us the convictions worthy of the courage we profess. Make us able to bear rule, to THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE wear the name “Representative” not as a cloak of power but as a (PATRICIA H. VANCE) PRESIDING seamless robe of integrity, knowing that while all fail, yet it remains so that our first call is to our own selves that we be true. PRAYER We would ask that we may dare to challenge injustice, to champion unpopular causes, and to buck the status quo. REV. JULIANN V. WHIPPLE, Chaplain of the House of For this day, this place, our life, strength, and health, we Representatives, offered the following prayer: praise You, O God. For good fellowship and honest disagreement in freedom and for those who make it possible, we Let us pray: give You thanks. Praise be to You, O God, now and forever. God of all worlds and lands, Lord of every nation and Amen. people, before we forget You, we pause to remember. Creator God, for this beautiful spring day, we lift our thanks. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE It is a powerful reminder that after every dark and cold winter comes the warmth of Your sun and the renewed beauty of Your (The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by members and creation, coming alive with bursts of colors and scents for visitors.) which we have been waiting with eager anticipation. May our hearts be renewed as well, for on this day we begin again our journey, here, in this Commonwealth. JOURNAL APPROVAL POSTPONED This body will be under new leadership, and we pray that each of us will be patient as John Perzel finds his way. Flowers The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the approval do not just appear but take time to bud and grow and be all that of the Journal of Monday, April 14, 2003, will be postponed You intended them to be, and this is true for each of us. Some of until printed. The Chair hears no objection. us may still be underground, having lost our way; others have taken root and are steadily climbing toward the sun; and others HOUSE BILLS have already burst forth in glorious beauty, only to be returned INTRODUCED AND REFERRED back to the earth to replenish the soil. We pray for our new Speaker that he seek Your counsel in No. 1134 By Representatives SAYLOR, BASTIAN, this honorable undertaking. May he realize that each of us is CREIGHTON, GILLESPIE, METCALFE, STEIL, TURZAI, gifted by our creator and he only needs to continue to be the ADOLPH, BAKER, CLYMER, CRAHALLA, FLEAGLE, person You have called him to be. He need not live up to HARRIS, HERSHEY, LEH, MACKERETH, R. MILLER, anyone’s ideals but Yours, O God, for You long to make each S. MILLER, O’NEILL, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, B. SMITH, of us the best we can be. E. Z. TAYLOR and YOUNGBLOOD Grant us wider horizons than our daily duties, nobler ends than our selfish advantage, stronger foundations than our An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, budgets and balances. Prod us to understand that if we are not further providing for definitions, for determination of contribution rate bigger than our jobs, we are too small for them. Bestow upon us and experience rating, for qualifications required to secure sufficient faith in Your providence to let the universe sometimes compensation, for ineligibility for compensation, for eligibility of proceed without our guidance. officers of a corporation deemed to be self-employed persons, for rate and amount of compensation, for determination of compensatory Powerful God, we give hearty thanks for our nation, our appeals and for rules of procedure. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for all that in State and nation which has been good. We are humbly grateful for those Referred to Committee on LABOR RELATIONS, April 11, who have unselfishly given their lives, their skills, their 2003. devotion, both recently and in the past, to the causes of freedom, justice, liberty, and security for all. For those families who have No. 1135 By Representatives HANNA, PETRARCA, recently lost loved ones in our latest military actions, we offer PRESTON, SCRIMENTI, SHANER and WASHINGTON our prayers. 470 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL—HOUSE APRIL 15 An Act amending the act of December 19, 1988 (P.L.1262, Referred to Committee on PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, No.156), known as the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act, further providing for definitions and eligible organizations. April 11, 2003. Referred to Committee on FINANCE, April 11, 2003. No. 1141 By Representatives HANNA, CREIGHTON, FREEMAN, JAMES, MANDERINO, MUNDY, PRESTON, No. 1136 By Representatives HANNA, CURRY, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, THOMAS FREEMAN, GRUCELA, MUNDY, PRESTON, SCRIMENTI, and WANSACZ SHANER, THOMAS, TIGUE and YOUNGBLOOD An Act amending the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985, further providing An Act amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), for physician assistants. known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, further providing for the bonding time period to secure structural integrity. Referred to Committee on PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, Referred to Committee on LOCAL GOVERNMENT, April 11, 2003. April 11, 2003. No. 1142 By Representatives HANNA, CREIGHTON, No. 1137 By Representatives HANNA, BELARDI, FREEMAN, JAMES, MANDERINO, MUNDY, PRESTON, CREIGHTON, DeWEESE, FREEMAN, GRUCELA, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, THOMAS, McCALL, MUNDY, PISTELLA, PRESTON, SCRIMENTI, WANSACZ and YOUNGBLOOD SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, THOMAS, TIGUE, An Act amending the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), WANSACZ, WASHINGTON and YOUNGBLOOD known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, further providing for physician assistants. An Act providing for reimbursement to certain emergency services providers of the cost of responding to a request for emergency services on certain State-owned lands. Referred to Committee on PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, April 11, 2003. Referred to Committee on VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, April 11, 2003. No. 1143 By Representatives HABAY, ARGALL, BAKER, BEBKO-JONES, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, COSTA, No. 1138 By Representatives HANNA, BELARDI, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, BUXTON, CREIGHTON, CURRY, DeWEESE, FREEMAN, FABRIZIO, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FRANKEL, GRUCELA, JAMES, MANDERINO, S. MILLER, MUNDY, FREEMAN, GEIST, GERGELY, GRUCELA, HARHAI, PISTELLA, PRESTON, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, STABACK, HARPER, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON, JAMES, STERN, THOMAS, WASHINGTON and YOUNGBLOOD JOSEPHS, KELLER, KENNEY, KOTIK, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEH, MANDERINO, MARKOSEK, An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known McILHATTAN, METCALFE, S. MILLER, PAYNE, as the Public Welfare Code, providing for personal needs allowance PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, READSHAW, deduction for medical assistance eligible persons in nursing facilities. REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SHANER, B. SMITH, Referred to Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN R. STEVENSON, SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, TRUE, VEON, SERVICES, April 11, 2003. WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATSON, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, LEWIS and MELIO No. 1139 By Representatives HANNA, BELARDI, BROWNE, CURRY, DeWEESE, GRUCELA, JAMES, An Act redesignating the bridge known as the Highland Park MANDERINO, MUNDY, PRESTON, SCRIMENTI, Bridge, over the Allegheny River, between the City of Pittsburgh and O’Hara Township, Allegheny County, as the Fred Rogers SHANER, STERN, TIGUE, WASHINGTON and Memorial Bridge. YOUNGBLOOD Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION, April 11, An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, further providing for the administration of 2003. assistance; and abrogating a regulation. No. 1144 By Representatives GEORGE, BELFANTI, Referred to Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SURRA, COY, CURRY, DeLUCA, FLEAGLE, GOODMAN, SERVICES, April 11, 2003. HARHAI, HORSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEACH, LEVDANSKY, McILHATTAN, No. 1140 By Representatives HANNA, BEBKO-JONES, MUNDY, ROBERTS, RUBLEY, SHANER, STABACK, BELFANTI, BUNT, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DeLUCA, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO, WANSACZ, WASHINGTON GILLESPIE, GODSHALL, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HERSHEY, and YOUNGBLOOD JAMES, PISTELLA, REICHLEY, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, WASHINGTON, WHEATLEY and YOUNGBLOOD An Act authorizing municipalities and the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct sewage sludge testing on certain lands; and providing for reports to the General Assembly. An Act amending the act of June 19, 1931 (P.L.589, No.202), referred to as the Barbers’ License Law, further providing for licensure. 2003 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL—HOUSE 471 Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENTAL Referred to Committee on STATE GOVERNMENT, RESOURCES AND ENERGY, April 11, 2003. April 11, 2003. No. 1145 By Representatives LEWIS, CREIGHTON, No. 1148 By Representatives NICKOL, BROWNE, SCAVELLO, COLEMAN, ARMSTRONG, BIRMELIN, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, DALLY, FRANKEL, GEIST, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, DALLY, GABIG, HARRIS, GILLESPIE, HARPER, HERMAN, LEH, LEWIS, HERSHEY, JAMES, LaGROTTA, LEH, McCALL, MAITLAND, McILHATTAN, R. MILLER, PRESTON, ROSS, ROBERTS, WATSON and HABAY RUBLEY, SATHER, SCHRODER, SOLOBAY, STEIL, TIGUE, WILT and YOUNGBLOOD An Act providing for reduction of real property taxes; establishing the School Property Tax Reduction Fund; providing for distributions An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the from the fund; imposing an additional sales and use tax; and requiring Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for definitions, the Joint State Government Commission to make certain for exclusion of other self-liquidating debt, for limitations on stated recommendations to the General Assembly. maturity dates and for number of interest rates. Referred to Committee on FINANCE, April 11, 2003. Referred to Committee on LOCAL GOVERNMENT, April 11, 2003. No. 1146 By Representatives NAILOR, RUBLEY, FLEAGLE, COY, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, No.