THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY Recent Actions during the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly [34 Pa.B. 6641] The following is a summary of recent actions of the General Assembly during the 2004 Regular Session.
Doc. Date of Bill Printer's Effective Subject Matter No. Action Number Number Date 2004 GENERAL ACTS ENACTED--ACT 182 through 239
182 Nov 30 HB2528 PN3671 immediately Capital Budget Act of 2004-2005--enactment 183 Nov 30 HB0030 PN4778 immediately * Public Utilities Code (66 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 184 Nov 30 HB0798 PN0930 60 days Municipal pension or retirement system in cities of the first class--denying certain benefits to surviving spouses of police officers or certain employees upon subsequent remarriage of surviving spouse 185 Nov 30 HB0835 PN4783 immediately * Judicial Code (42 Pa.C.S.) and Law and Justice (44 Pa.C.S.)--genetic identification evidence, DNA data and testing and required DNA samples and expungement and providing for good faith 186 Nov 30 HB0850 PN4799 60 days Second Class County Code--omnibus amendments 187 Nov 30 HB1113 PN4796 immediately Public School Code of 1949--remittance of taxes as compensation for municipal services provided by a city of the second class, establishment of policies by school districts regarding student possession and self-administration of asthma medications 188 Nov 30 HB1262 PN4078 180 days Domestic Relations Code (23 Pa.C.S.) and Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 189 Nov 30 HB1329 PN4773 60 days Real and Personal Property (68 Pa.C.S.)--planned communities 190 Nov 30 HB1330 PN4774 60 days Real and Personal Property (68 Pa.C.S.)--real estate cooperatives 191 Nov 30 HB1331 PN4775 60 days Real and Personal Property (68 Pa.C.S.)--condominiums 192 Nov 30 HB1535 PN4776 60 days Local Tax Enabling Act--personnel for collection of taxes, earned income taxes and collection of taxes by suit, costs of collection of delinquent per capita, occupation, occupational privilege and earned income taxes and legal representation 193 Nov 30 HB1954 PN4797 immediately First Class City Home Rule Act--general grant of power and authority and specific powers 194 Nov 30 HB2036 PN4779 immediately * Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries (20 Pa.C.S.)--mental health care declarations and powers of attorney and prudent investor rule 195 Nov 30 HB2055 PN3423 immediately Military and Veterans Code (51 Pa.C.S.)--further defining ''soldier.'' 196 Nov 30 HB2090 PN4075 60 days Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law--rescission of contracts 197 Nov 30 HB2262 PN4781 immediately Child Internet Protection Act--enactment 198 Nov 30 HB2270 PN3121 immediately Family Support for families of Persons with Disabilities Act--enactment 199 Nov 30 HB2384 PN4644 60 days Underground Utility Line Protection Law--duties of facility owners, One Call System and contractors and fines and penalties 200 Nov 30 HB2865 PN4716 immediately Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act--authorization for alternate amortization schedules to accommodate extraordinary events 201 Nov 30 SB0677 PN1996 14 days Public Utility Code (66 Pa.C.S.)--consumer protection and information, protection of responsible customer of public utilities, abrogating regulations and preempting local regulation 202 Nov 30 SB0705 PN2001 60 days Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S.)--deceptive or fraudulent business practices 203 Nov 30 SB0798 PN1923 immediately Capitol Centennial Commission Act--enactment 204 Nov 30 SB0856 PN1951 immediately Fireworks Law--regulating sale and use of fireworks 205 Nov 30 SB0871 PN1940 180 days Detectives and Private Police (22 Pa.C.S.)--humane society police officers, powers and duties of Department of Agriculture and establishment of Humane Society Police Officer Advisory Board 206 Nov 30 SB0892 PN1785 60 days Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code--contents of subdivision and land development ordinance and release from improvement bond 207 Nov 30 SB0904 PN1905 60 days Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes--omnibus amendments to miscellaneous consolidated titles 208 Nov 30 SB0912 PN1987 60 days Agriculture (3 Pa.C.S.)--crop insurance premium payments and report by Department of Agriculture 209 Nov 30 SB0927 PN1323 immediately County Code--governing board of third class county convention center authority 210 Nov 30 SB0931 PN1950 immediately Police Officer, Firefighter, Correction Employee and National Guard Member Child Beneficiary Education Act--extending Postsecondary Educational Gratuity Program and National Guard eligibility 211 Nov 30 SB0938 PN1984 immediately * Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 212 Nov 30 SB0981 PN1332 60 days Military and Veterans Code (51 Pa.C.S.)--establishment of Educational Assistance Program Fund 213 Nov 30 SB1030 PN1973 90 days Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act--enactment 214 Nov 30 SB1032 PN1920 60 days Names (54 Pa.C.S.)--judicial procedure for name changes and name change by order of court 215 Nov 30 SB1041 PN1972 60 days Pennsylvania Senior Environment Corps Act--enactment 216 Nov 30 SB1096 PN1970 immediately * Insurance Company Law of 1921--omnibus amendments 217 Nov 30 SB1099 PN1979 immediately Judicial Code (42 Pa.C.S.)--courts of common pleas, summary offenses, informal adjustment, consent decrees, compulsory arbitration, disposition of delinquent children and sentences for offenses against infants 218 Nov 30 SB1102 PN1991 immediately Commerce and Trade (12 Pa.C.S.) and Public Authorities and Quasi-Public Corporations (64 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 219 Nov 30 SB1167 PN1955 immediately State Lottery Law--generic drugs and amount of rebate for certain prescription drugs 220 Nov 30 SB1192 PN1974 immediately Fiscal Code--investment of Commonwealth moneys 221 Nov 30 SB1233 PN1848 immediately Liquor Code--general powers of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, sales by Pennsylvania Liquor Stores and unlawful acts relative to liquor, malt and brewed beverages 222 Dec 1 HB0197 PN4802 immediately Local Tax Enabling Act--omnibus amendments 223 Dec 1 HB0248 PN0277 60 days Borough Code--tax levy 224 Dec 1 HB0250 PN0279 60 days Second Class Township Code--township and special tax levies 225 Dec 1 HB0447 PN4798 60 days Judicial Code (42 Pa.C.S.)--certain immunity for persons who donate vehicles and equipment to volunteer fire companies and sentences for certain drug offenses committed with firearms 226 Dec 1 HB1321 PN4811 immediately First Class Cities Economic Development District Act--enactment 227 Dec 1 HB2029 PN4639 60 days Cities of first class--enforcement of ordinances, rules and regulations prohibiting dumping or disposal of waste, trash or debris 228 Dec 1 HB2066 PN4752 immediately * Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 229 Dec 1 HB2666 PN4808 60 days Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S.)--period of registration, commercial driver records, exemption from other fees and prohibition on expenditures for emission inspection program 230 Dec 1 HB2749 PN4795 immediately Pennsylvania Construction Code Act--referenced standards and abrogating regulations 231 Dec 1 HB2775 PN4809 immediately Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Program Act--enactment 232 Dec 1 SB0441 PN2004 60 days Domestic Relations Code (23 Pa.C.S.)--persons qualified to solemnize marriages 233 Dec 1 SB0959 PN2000 immediately Judicial Code (42 Pa.C.S.)--Constables' Education and Training Account, information required upon commitment and subsequent disposition 234 Dec 8 HB0623 PN4800 60 days Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S.)--deceptive or fraudulent business practices 235 Dec 8 HB0657 PN4772 60 days Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act of 1974--land devoted to agricultural use, agricultural reserve and/or forest reserve, responsibilities of county assessor and roll-back taxes and special circumstances 236 Dec 8 HB0709 PN2707 immediately Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S.)--cruelty to animals 237 Dec 8 HB0873 PN4807 immediately * Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 238 Dec 8 HB0994 PN4760 60 days Transit Revitalization Investment District Act--enactment 239 Dec 8 HB2105 PN4801 immediately * Liquor Code--omnibus amendments
2004 VETOES OF BILLS--VETO 005 through 011
005 Nov 30 HB0176 PN4784 Tax Reform Code of 1971--omnibus amendments 006 Nov 30 SB0304 PN1983 Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries (20 Pa.C.S.)--payments to family and funeral directors, allowable family exemption and classification and order or payment of claims against estate of decedent 007 Nov 30 SB0356 PN1980 Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S.)--criminal history record information 008 Nov 30 SB0492 PN1653 Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S.)--offenses of neglect of care-dependent person and living wills and health care powers of attorney, implementation of out-of-hospital nonre- suscitation and conforming amendments 009 Nov 30 SB1209 PN1997 Amusements (4 Pa.C.S.)--omnibus amendments 010 Nov 30 HB2442 PN4806 Regulatory Review Act--composition and proposed regulations and procedure for review 011 Dec 8 HB2664 PN4810 Transportation (74 Pa.C.S.)--distribution of funding, temporary public transportation assistance funding and flying while impaired * denotes an effective date with exceptions
Effective Dates of Statutes The effective dates specified above for laws and appropriation acts were contained in the applicable law or appropriation act. Where no date is specified or where the effective date specified is prior to the date of enactment, the effective date is 60 days after final enactment except for statutes making appropriations or affecting budgets of political subdivisions. See 1 Pa.C.S. §§ 1701--1704 (relating to effective dates of statutes).
Advance Copies of Statutes Section 1106 of Title 1 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes provides that the prothonotaries of each county shall file advance copies of statutes in their offices for public inspection until the Laws of Pennsylvania are generally available. Section 2406(h) of The Administrative Code of 1929 provides that the Department of General Services shall distribute advance sheets of the Laws of Pennsylvania to each law judge of the courts, to every county and public library of this Commonwealth and to each member of the General Assembly. These copies shall be furnished without charge. The Department shall also mail one copy of each law enacted during any legislative session to any person who pays to it the sum of $20.
Requests for annual subscriptions for advance copies of statutes should be sent to the State Bookstore, State Records Center Building, 1825 Stanley Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103, accompanied by a check or money order in the sum of $20, payable to the ''Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.''
ROBERT W. ZECH, Jr.,
Director
Legislative Reference Bureau[Pa.B. Doc. No. 04-2224. Filed for public inspection December 17, 2004, 9:00 a.m.]
