(The Center Square) – There’s still no budget in the Pennsylvania statehouse, but legislation continues to move.
Here’s a round-up of bills passed in the House this week.
Despite political divisions running high, a few bills received unanimous support this week.
A bipartisan initiative to update the state’s DUI laws received full support. In this case, it’s simplifying the Ignition Interlock Law which makes breathalyzers mandatory for certain offenders convicted of driving under the influence. Rep. Ed Nielson, D-Philadelphia, and Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, say that as chairs of the Transportation committee, they’ve heard all too often about the unwieldy bureaucracy around the devices. Red tape in the process draws it out, causing offenders to lose valuable time at work without means of transportation.
The updates will streamline the Ignition Interlock process by creating a single Ignition Interlock Driver’s License for most cases. This license would not require a minimum suspension of the offender’s license before going into effect. It allows people to apply for that license as soon as their records are filed with PennDOT, and it gives them options for application beyond certified mail. It adds that any time in which a person has one of these licenses counts toward their mandatory time in the program.
Another bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Braddock, and Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-Frackville, would allow employees working in vehicle sales financing to do their jobs remotely. Thanks to advancements in secure technology, the House agreed sellers licensed under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Sales Finance Act should be able to allow employees to work off-site.
Rep. Ben Sanchez, D-Abington, got 203 votes for his bill ensuring patients receive the medicine they’ve paid for. Specifically, it ensures that when a person receives medication during the course of a procedure, they take home the unused portion for ongoing care. As it stands, the remains are often discarded, creating medical waste, then patients are asked to fill a prescription for the same drug at their pharmacy. Delaware, Illinois and Tennessee have passed similar legislation.
A few other bills found significant bipartisan support.
The age for colorectal cancer diagnoses has troublingly undergone a downward trend. As a result, doctors and the American Cancer Society are advocating for earlier screenings. A popular bill from Rep. Pat Gallagher, D-Philadelphia, would update the state’s insurance laws to lower the covered screening age from 50 to 45. The bill passed 197-6, with all dissenting votes coming from GOP representatives.
A bill banning grinch bots finally passed with a vote of 169-34. The bill from Rep. Steven Maligari, D-Lansdale, aims to reduce the impact of bots on major sales events like new product releases and concert ticketing. The legislation would make it illegal to workaround purchasing limits online, preventing scalpers and resellers from hoarding supply and ratcheting up prices.
An increase on river pilot fees rates was highly favored with a vote of 200-3 for a bill from Rep. Frank Farry, R-Langhorne. River pilots navigate vessels through the Delaware River and its tributaries, preventing major accidents like the 2024 collision that destroyed Baltimore’s Key Bridge. River pilots are paid based on the size of the vessel and length of the trip.
Several other pieces of legislation came closer to party-line votes.
The fight for vaccine access has been ongoing on multiple fronts in the state, with House efforts supported by executive orders from Gov. Josh Shapiro. A bill requiring private insurance to fully cover vaccines that are FDA approved and recommended in schedules from major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill passed 104-99.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Pittsburgh, said, “As a physician, I know how powerful vaccines at all stages of life can be for preventing or mitigating disease. If ACIP stops recommending certain FDA-approved vaccines, insurers will no longer have to cover them, and critical immunizations that protect children and vulnerable Pennsylvanians from deadly diseases could disappear. As ACIP calls into question the scheduling of vaccines for the flu, measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox, we need to act before it is too late.”
Sick of planned obsolescence? Some legislators would like to change the system that has forced several generations of tech users to spend big on replacements when their devices stop working. Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-Peckville, says a shift toward right-to-repair will not only benefit consumers but also reduce the amount of waste in landfills from electronic devices with short shelf-lives.
In a memo, Mullins wrote House Bill 1512 would “require original equipment manufacturers of electronics and appliances that contain embedded software, such as cellphones, washers, dryers, refrigerators, televisions, and laptops, to make available to consumers and independent repair shops the information and parts needed to repair those devices and fully disclose any contract provision standing in the way of full repair and reuse.” It passed 110-93.
Reverse mortgages are often predatorily sold to the state’s seniors. A bill from Rep. Brian Munroe, D-Warminster, would make two changes to the law to stop bad actors from trying to deceive consumers. First, it would require the font in contracts to be 16 points. This would bring them into compliance with ADA recommendations, literally making the language clearer. It would also require branch managers to be licensed mortgage originators. The bill passed 104-99.
