HARRISBURG – A month before the start of the new session, there were 60 sponsorship memos from 22 Representatives while 29 Senators distributed 107 sponsorship memos for new legislation.  Sometimes, the legislation is a commemoration of an historic event but mostly, these were substantive proposals dealing with criminal, tax, and State Budget issues.  Several dealt with tort reform issues such as:

• Statute of Repose (time when a lawsuit can be filed) by Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin)
• Right to file discrimination claims in court from Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Phila.)
• False Claims Act (penalties for those who make false claims who have government funding sponsored by Rep. Brandon Neuman (D-Washington)

Others are repealing Pennsylvania’s Inheritance Tax from newly-elected Senator Michelle Brooks (R-Mercer) and making use of a hand-held mobile device while driving an offense with fines starting at $50, sponsored by Senators John Wozniak (D-Cambria) and Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin)

Majority and Minority Chairs of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee (Senators Vogel and Schwank) distributed a sponsorship memo re PA’s Farmland Preservation and Forest Land Assessment Act (Clean and Green) program.  It would allow a landowner to lease an area to a third party for a rural enterprise as currently defined for Farmland Preservation purposes.  Senator Vogel also issued a sponsorship memo for his re-introduction of last session’s Senate Bill 944 to authorize a competitive bid verified nutrient procurement program to reduce Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TDML) compliance costs.