Pa. Legislature moves bills to gov's desk as session's end draws near
Nov. 2—HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers moved a bevy of bills through the General Assembly and to the governor's desk last week where they can be signed into law, passed into law without signature or rejected by veto.
The dozens of proposals include measures to establish harm reduction measures to address drug addiction, expand the sale of antlerless deer hunting licenses, direct the use of $4 million for firefighting and emergency services.
The current legislative session nears its close as lawmakers have just four scheduled session days remaining to act on any proposals — Nov. 14-16 for the House, Nov. 15 for the Senate. After that, any bills that don't become law expire and would have to be reintroduced in January when the 2023-24 session begins.
Below is a look at some of the bills on the verge of becoming law.
Legislation on drugs, overdoses
The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1393. The legislation legalizes fentanyl test strips, used to detect the deadly drug in street drugs like heroin and counterfeit pills. State Rep. James Struzzi, R-Indiana, proposed the bill in consecutive sessions. His brother, Michael, died of a fatal drug overdose in 2014.
Federal estimates find that about 5,400 people died of a fatal drug overdose in Pennsylvania in 2021. State officials say fentanyl and related analogues were involved in 3 of 4 of those deaths.
Another measure adopted without opposition is House Bill 2527. The bill extends Good Samaritan protections for the use of life-saving overdose reversal medications beyond the one commonly used for opioid overdoses, naloxone.
Drug treatment facilities would be barred from denying entry solely on the basis of a negative drug test under House Bill 220. The same measure authorizes the county-led creation of suicide or overdose review teams. The purpose is to gather information on death rates for these causes in order to improve resources and treatment.
The Overdose Mapping Act, Senate Bill 1152, requires state police to report drug overdose incidents directly into a new mapping system.
Bills would benefit emergency personnel
House Bill 397 is a loaded bill designed to aid Pennsylvania's first responders. The bill directs the use of $4 million annually, with the funds deriving from the commonwealth's amended fireworks law which states that all revenue from the special 12% tax on sales be used to support fire and EMS.
Of those funds, $1 million is allocated for EMS training scholarships and reimbursement as well as $1 million for a tuition and loan program for active volunteers. Remaining funds are to go toward fire department and EMS department capital grants, bomb squad reimbursement, a fireworks public safety campaign and online training for firefighters.
The measure also raises maximum grant awards for separate programs for fire and EMS companies, and extends the limit from 10 to 20 years that consolidated companies can receive individual grant awards.
Another measure, Senate Bill, allows 17-year-olds to perform firefighting training modules with live burns if they have the proper approval and supervision.
Other measures
A task force on the export of liquified natural gas from Philadelphia is authorized by House Bill 2458.
Automatic knives would be legalized under House Bill 1929.
PennDOT would be required to institute a point reduction program for drivers via testing or a training course under the terms of House Bill 1958.
Senate Bill 431 opens sales of hunting licenses for antlerless deer to agents authorized by the Pennsylvania Game Commission including online. As it stands, county treasurers are the lone option for those seeking a license.
Three existing sex trafficking offenses — trafficking in individuals and patronizing a victim of sexual servitude, Tier I offenses, and sexual servitude (relating to involuntary servitude) — are added to eligible offenses for the Megan's Law Registry under Senate Bill 118.
House Bill 2174 denies acceptance into a court's ARD program, or accelerated rehabilitation disposition, for child abuse offenses.
Partners of persons diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease and who are unable or unlikely to see a doctor would be allowed to receive prescriptions and medication from health care providers and pharmacists without examination under Senate Bill 317.
A regulation on the size of hair salons was relaxed by Senate Bill 1287, which reduces the minimum floor space for single-operator salons to 120 square feet, down from 180 square feet.
The Pennsylvania Military Academy Assistance Program is established under Senate Bill 1194. The program is designed to recruit, train, educate and retain academy cadets into commissioned officers in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
