Pennsylvania State Capitol. Photo: Shutterstock

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action from the week of July 15. Both houses of the General Assembly were in summer recess, with the state House of Representatives scheduled to come back Sept. 17 and the Pennsylvania Senate set to return to session Sept. 23.

Hospital Closure

Gov. Tom Wolf and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on July 15 said that their administrations are prepared to spend up to $15 million to address potential gaps in service and continuity of care concerns related to the bankruptcy by the corporate owners of Hahnemann University Hospital and St. Christopher's Hospital.

Wolf and Kenney called on federal officials to match all state and local funding and to cover the debts accumulated by both governments to help ensure Hahnemann patients and workers are protected.

The company's debts to the state and city collectively make up nearly $40 million of its growing $300 million operating deficit, according to a Wolf administration statement. Both governments had been working with American Academic Health System to ease the resolution of these debts before its owners declared bankruptcy.

Wolf and Kenney stressed they would direct their administrations to continue to work diligently with the on-site management team to protect public health by ensuring that the hospital's pending closure is safe and orderly. Any new funding from the state and city would be used to cover any new plan that might emerge at that site to cover gaps in service and continuity in care should the hospital close.

Gun Safety

State Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia, on July 15 called on state Attorney General Josh Shapiro to prosecute gun crimes in Philadelphia.

Act 58, which was signed into law by Wolf, included an amendment offered by White that would give the state attorney general concurrent jurisdiction in firearm prosecutions. Critics have said the measure impedes on the authority of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

Shapiro has said he wouldn't usurp Krasner's prosecution decisions under the new law, and has supported repeal of the amendment.

White, pointing to what she said is a rising trend of shootings in Philadelphia this summer, said Shapiro ought to use the authority he was given by the General Assembly.

“It appalls me that the attorney general has chosen to play politics and yield to the agenda of aggressive activists rather than the people of Philadelphia who are pleading for help in the fight against gun crime,” White said. “Using the power granted in this new law to help address gun violence in no way diminishes other efforts to bring needed reforms to our justice system.”

Broadband Access

On July 18, Wolf appeared at a press conference to boost his Restore PA infrastructure program, saying it would provide a needed expansion of broadband access across Pennsylvania, especially to underserved rural communities.

According to a Wolf administration statement, Federal Communications Commission statistics show a million Pennsylvanians lack access to high-speed internet services.

As part of the $4.5 billion Restore PA plan, the state would deliver broadband to underserved regions and bridge what has been called the “digital divide,” the administration said in a statement.

“One of the biggest challenges holding back Pennsylvania's economy is lack of universal broadband access,” Wolf said. “Everyone here today told us about how the negative effects of not having access are numerous and far-reaching. Thankfully, we have a plan in Restore Pennsylvania that can provide the funds necessary to expand access to high-speed internet to everyone.”

While it has drawn bipartisan support, Restore PA has been opposed by most Republicans in the GOP-controlled General Assembly because it would impose a new severance tax on energy companies.

Spotted Lanternfly

Wolf on July 16 joined Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and representatives from Penn State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture at a site populated with spotted lanternflies to discuss the treatment being conducted across the state.

The spotted lanternfly has been detected in 15 counties, according to media reports. The insect, which is native to Southeast Asia, first came to Pennsylvania in 2014.

The insect has the potential to greatly impact agricultural crops such as grapes, hops and hardwoods, according to a Pennsylvania Agriculture Department bulletin.

“Although Pennsylvania had the unlucky fate of being the first state in the nation to be visited by the spotted lanternfly, we faced that challenge head-on and have made incredible strides in containment and control,” Wolf said. “This is a team effort and all hands are on deck, committed to protecting Pennsylvania's agricultural products, preserving our quality of life, and keeping commerce flowing here in the commonwealth.”

Under the recently enacted PA Farm Bill—a package of legislation designed to expand and protect agriculture infrastructure—the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account will provide $3 million toward the containment of the spotted lanternfly. This is the second year in a row the Wolf administration has allocated funding in the state budget to increase spotted lanternfly detection, control, and eradication efforts.

Unclaimed Property

State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, on July 17 said he has introduced legislation that would make it easier for a deceased person's relatives to claim the deceased's property the state is holding.

House Bill 1724 would change Pennsylvania's law for claiming unclaimed property to match the existing law for succession in cases where there is no will, making it easier for grandchildren and other relatives to claim money held by deceased relatives.

The Pennsylvania Treasury holds more than $3 billion in unclaimed property, such as uncashed checks, lost stocks or bonds, or closed bank accounts. But because of an inconsistency in law, some categories of relatives have a harder time legitimately claiming that property on behalf of their deceased relatives.

Close relatives of a deceased person such as the surviving spouse, child, parent or sibling may file for unclaimed property without reopening the deceased's estate. But other relatives—including grandchildren, nephews, nieces and others—cannot claim by affidavit even if they are the closest surviving relative, according to a statement by Ciresi.

“The dollar value of the unclaimed property might not make it worthwhile for a relative to open or re-open their relative's estate. So that money will remain with the state treasury, unclaimed, and the problem will just get worse with time,” Ciresi said. “My legislation would help get this unclaimed money into the rightful hands.”

HB 1724 would only apply to situations where an affidavit can already be used to claim—for properties under $11,000 and when no estate was ever opened or five years have passed since it was open.

Victim's Rights

Wolf on July 15 participated in a ceremonial signing of six bills aimed at expanding protections and support for crime victims.

“These bills will make it easier for prosecutors to pursue justice by eliminating some of the deterrents that are keeping victims from speaking out,” Wolf said. “Victims have been through enough. They deserve the most support we can possible give them.”

He was joined by Pennsylvania Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm, legislators and crime victims' advocates at the event.

The measures were officially signed into law June 28.