2019 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 04 .................................................................OUR MISSION 05 ..................... LETTER FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR 06 ......................................................BILL DESCRIPTORS 10 ............................................................... SENATE VOTES 14 .................................................................HOUSE VOTES 3 OUR MISSION Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites Pennsylvanians behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. SCORING FELLOW PENNSYLVANIANS, METHODOLOGY Thanks for your interest in the 2019 Americans Scores on the AFP-Pennsylvania Scorecard are for Prosperity-Pennsylvania Midsession Legislative calculated using the following formula: Scorecard. Our goal with the scorecard is simple: FOR BILLS AFP SUPPORTED: make government more accountable to the people. AYE Vote = 1 Points Prosperity doesn’t just happen. It’s a product of NAY Vote = 0 Point hardworking citizens and smart policies that lower barriers to opportunity and help improve lives. NV (Not Voting) = 0.1 Points NA (Not a Member of the Legislature when the Vote was Taken, That’s why our organization is fighting every day to Not Assigned to the Relevant Committee, or Absent Due give ordinary people a powerful platform upon which to Military Service) = Not factored to stand together—ensuring their voices are heard. FOR BILLS AFP OPPOSED: Our activists from across the Commonwealth are AYE Vote = 0 Points leading the charge to break down barriers to prosperity NAY Vote = 1 Point that are holding individuals back from reaching their full potential. Through continuous grassroots engagement Prime Sponsor Credits driven by people just like you, along with our shared Legislators who sponsored aligned priority legislation willingness to put divisiveness and partisanship aside to were awarded an additional point. Similarly, points were work with anyone to achieve good, our organization has deducted from the scores of legislators who sponsored emerged as one of the most influential in the state. We’re unaligned legislation. partnering with diverse coalitions and finding common GRADES ARE ASSIGNED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING SCALE: ground with principled lawmakers of both parties to meaningfully advance policies proven to help every A+ = 100% or Greater person rise, making Pennsylvania an even better place in A = 90-99% which to live, work, and raise a family. B = 80-89% C = 70-79% Our 2019 Midsession Legislative Scorecard highlights D = 60-69% how your lawmakers stood F = 59% or Less on critical policies in order to help you hold them accountable for their positions, helping to accomplish lasting policy changes now and in the future. ASHLEY KLINGENSMITH State Director 5 BILL DESCRIPTIONS REGULATORY REFORM PACKAGE: REGULATORY REGULATORY REFORM PACKAGE: REINS ACT | REPEAL THROUGH RESOLUTION | HB 430 HB 806 Kerry Benninghoff Dawn Keefer Grants the General Assembly the ability to repeal REINS Act language: Requires the General Assembly to current regulations in effect with a concurrent approve regulations that have an impact of more than resolution. Currently, the General Assembly only has $1,000,000 annually. the authority to block the implementation of new rules and regulations. This legislation would extend this REGULATORY REFORM PACKAGE: OFFICE OF process to regulations that are already in effect. THE REPEALER | HB 1055 Kate Klunk REGULATORY REFORM PACKAGE: PERMITTING Creates an independent Office of the Repealer to REFORM | HB 509 review existing regulations and implements a 2-out-1-in Greg Rothman standard for the creation of new rules. Reforms the administration of permits in the MERIT SELECTION | HB 111 Commonwealth by requiring the creation of an online Paul Schemel tracking system for permit applications to provide updates in the status of permits and for the requires more House Bill 111 creates an unaccountable commission information to be provided on permits in annual reports. to determine who can be selected for appellate and Supreme Court vacancies in Pennsylvania. The individuals appointed to this commission will limit REGULATORY REFORM PACKAGE: the number of possible candidates to a list of five that REGULATORY COMPLIANCE OFFICER | HB 762 the Governor will be required to choose from. That Timothy “Tim” O’Neal selection will then have to be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Pennsylvania Senate. Requires state agencies to appoint a Regulatory Compliance Advisor. The advisor is charged to work with regulators and businesses to issue advisory opinions on how to comply with regulations helping business avoid costly fees, fines, and penalties. www.AmericansForProsperity.org/Pennsylvania EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT TAX CREDIT JUSTICE REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE 2 | SB 501 EXPANSION | HB 800 Tom Killion Mike Turzai Among other reforms, this bill gives judges more Would increase the Educational Improvement Tax flexibility during sentencing, including improved Credit (EITC) by $100 million and offer an automatic guidelines on probation and parole administration to escalator if voluntary donations and demand for better individually tailor supervision. The bill expands scholarships keep up with that cap. access to drug treatment and other diversionary programs; and streamlines parole and probation to ensure recidivism is reduced.It also directs the Pennsylvania JUSTICE REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE 2 | SB 500 Sentencing Commission to report and evaluate the Lisa Baker progress of parole and probation reform strategies implemented under the Justice Reinvestment package. This bill creates a County Adult Probation and Parole Advisory Committee to study and advise probation andparole departments about evidence-based JUSTICE REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE 2 | SB 502 practices for administering community supervision and Camera Bartolotta assessing the risks and needs of participants. The bill creates a grant program to help county probation and In addition to improving communication between parole departments develop validated risk-assessment law enforcement and victims of crime, this bill would tools. As part of Pennsylvania’s Justice Reinvestment expand eligibility for victim losses compensation, and Initiative package, SB 500 directs resulting savings to merges the Crime Victims Compensation Fund and the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission and county Victim Witness Services Fund to better serve victims. probation and parole boards—this will improve these reforms’ implementation, reducing recidivism and improving public safety. SCOPE OF PRACTICE | SB 25 Camera Bartolotta Would allow licensed nurse practitioners to fully use all of their training and expertise without the requirement that they be overseen by a physician. Expanding the scope of practice for experienced nurse practitioners will increase Pennsylvanians’ access to healthcare, help relieve healthcare provider shortages in our state, and reduce healthcare costs. AFP-PA supports this legislation. 7 BILL DESCRIPTIONS REGULATORY REVIEW ACT | SB 398 would specifically prohibit a local school board from John Gordner imposing additional terms or applications. This bill is an important reform because local school districts can This bill is designed to give the General Assembly more often be barriers to new charter schools (because they oversight over the regulatory process. The bill requires oppose competition). proposed regulatory language to be immediately provided to the Independent Regulatory Review CHARTER SCHOOL REFORM PACKAGE: Commission and the relevant legislative committee the PER PUPIL FUNDING AND CONCURRENT same day and provides a framework for the relevant ENROLLMENT | HB 358 legislative committee to review, dispute, and delay the Jim Marshall implementation of proposed regulation if there are concerns with the impact of proposed regulations. This would allow charter school and vocational- technical students to dual enroll in higher education CHARTER SCHOOL REFORM PACKAGE: institutions. This is an important reform that would CHARTER SCHOOL BUILDINGS | HB 356 provide the ability to further customize an education Matthew Dowling for charter school and vocational students (students in public schools enjoy this ability under current law). This would make it easier for charter schools to acquire new facilities, by providing charter schools the right of first refusal to public school property that is for sale. TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT | HB 1316 It would also make it easier for charter schools to use Ryan Warner religious facilities (but would continue the current law requirements that charter schools be nonsectarian and This bill proposes an amendment to the state not provide religious instruction or display religious constitution which will put in place an important objects) as long as the school provides a separate spending reform that would ensure the state does entrance to the school and removes or covers religious not grow government spending unchecked. This objects in the area used by the school. amendment would limit annual increases in state spending. The cap in spending growth would account for factors like inflation and population growth, CHARTER SCHOOL REFORM PACKAGE: ensuring that