Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg. Photo: Waldteufel – Fotolia

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action for the week of Oct. 28. Both houses of the General Assembly were in recess at press time. The Pennsylvania Senate and state House of Representatives were each scheduled to return to session Nov. 18.

Election Reform

Gov. Tom Wolf on Oct. 29 signed into law a measure that allows Pennsylvanians to cast ballots by mail with no excuses required.

Senate Bill 421, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, was described by Wolf as a bipartisan compromise that will expand access to the ballot box. Some Democrats opposed the measure because it eliminated voting for a straight party ticket.

"This is a major advancement for elections in Pennsylvania," Wolf said. "While I understand the concerns about eliminating the straight party ticket option, this bipartisan bill creates the most significant improvements to our elections in more than 80 years. Pennsylvania has gone from collectively being the state least friendly to voters to a national leader in voting and election security reforms. It's a giant leap forward that makes voting more convenient for millions of Pennsylvanians and improves our election security."

The bill passed the state House of Representatives on a 138-61 vote Oct. 29, with the Pennsylvania Senate concurring 35-14 on the same day.

The new law, among other reforms, introduced:

• A new "no-excuse" vote-by-mail option for all voters, removing the hurdles currently in place for absentee voting.
• The longest window in the United States for mail-in voting, as voters may request and submit their ballots as soon as 50 days prior to Election Day.
• An extended deadline for voters to submit absentee or mail-in ballots, with votes to be accepted up to 8 p.m. on Election Day, 99 hours after the current 5 p.m. deadline on the Friday prior to Election Day.
• Fifteen additional days to register to vote, cutting the current registration blackout period before the election in half.

Voters may also place their name on a permanent list to be notified to be sent a mail-in ballot. "Modernizing our elections removes barriers to the voting booth and will hopefully encourage more people to participate in our elections," Wolf said in a statement.

The new law builds on a move by Wolf to allow voters this year for the first time to request absentee ballots online. SB 421 codified the executive action into statutory law.

The changes are set to take effect with the April 28, 2020, primary election. The upcoming November election, where among other offices four Superior Court seats are to be decided, will be the last conducted under the old rules.

Workforce Development

The PAsmart website, which aggregates Pennsylvania state government education, training and job search tools in one place, is now mandated by statute, under a bill signed into law Oct. 30 by Wolf.

House Bill 265, sponsored by state Rep. Craig Staats, R-Bucks, reauthorized the workforce development website.

The new law also replaces the term "vocational-technical" with "career and technical" in Pennsylvania education policy, provides for career and technical educational equipment grants and establishes a "Schools-to-Work" program.

"Providing educational opportunities for our students across the commonwealth is a part of preparing them for successful careers," Wolf said in a statement. "This includes career and technical education and workforce development programs. This new law is another step to helping students make informed decisions about their future."

The PAsmart website was previously created by executive action.

The measure is now Act 76 of 2019.

Health Care

The Pennsylvania Senate on Oct. 30 approved three bills addressing public health issues:

• Senate Bill 836, which would provide education to student-athletes and their parents about electrocardiogram testing to detect underlying heart conditions, was approved unanimously. The proposal, called "Peyton's Law," after Peyton Walker, a Camp Hill teenager who died of sudden cardiac arrest, is sponsored by Sen. Mike Regan, R-York. According to a memo by Regan, about one in 300 student-athletes have undetected heart abnormalities. SB 836 would provide information about EKG testing and notify student-athletes and parents that they may request one in addition to a standard physical examination.
• Senate Bill 841, which would reauthorize the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, was approved unanimously. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, would renew the mandate for the council, which was first established in 1986. It collects, analyzes and disseminates data about health care costs and quality, and makes recommendations for cost reductions.
• Senate Bill 857, which is aimed at expanding access to telemedicine as a way to overcome barriers to high-quality affordable medical care in regions where health care providers may not be close to patients, was passed on a 47-1 vote. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Elder Vogel, R-Beaver, would establish guidelines and provide for insurance reimbursement for the remote delivery of health care services and medical information using telecommunications technology. All of the bills now go to the state House of Representatives for consideration.

Injection Sites

A measure that would regulate municipal government's ability to authorize the operation of a supervised injection site has been introduced by Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia.

Senate Bill 933 would allow municipalities to operate a supervised injection site and provide paraphernalia, provided that the municipality have at least three public hearings on the subject, there is observation by a medical professional at the site, and a comprehensive community safety plan that includes local law enforcement or the Pennsylvania State Police.

"As we continue to fight the heroin and drug epidemic facing so many across the state, it is important that those struggling with addiction have access to the resources they need," Williams said Oct. 29. "But we need to give neighborhoods the right to decide if a facility is the right fit for their community."

The legislation also makes it a felony for anyone to operate a safe injection site that has not been approved through Williams' proposed mechanism.

In an Oct. 7 memo to colleagues seeking co-sponsors, Williams and Sen. Christine Tartaglione, D-Philadelphia, said they would introduce a bill "to prohibit supervised injection sites from operating in Pennsylvania" in the wake of U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania's ruling that upheld a nonprofit organization's plan to open a supervised injection site in Philadelphia.

Lead Poisoning

Legislation aimed at reducing levels of lead on playground equipment and soil has been introduced by state Rep. Mary Isaacson, D-Philadelphia, who pointed to published reports spotlighting the high levels of lead in those public amenities.

The legislation would lower the acceptable limit of lead in playground soil in Pennsylvania to 200 parts per million. Currently, the limit is 400 parts per million as set in federal regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Philadelphia has a serious lead issue and as a result, our children are facing serious health risks. Lead has no place where we live, where our kids go to schools and especially where they play," said Isaacson, who has also proposed a measure requiring all children to be tested for lead at ages 1 and 2. "My legislation is just one way to help lower the health hazards of lead while helping families keep their children safe and healthy."