PCPA is pleased to report that House Bill 1813 (inflationary index for mental health/mental retardation [MH/MR]) passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by a vote of 195-0 Tuesday. A special thanks to Chairman George T. Kenney, Jr. (R-Philadelphia) for his leadership with this legislation and to his staff for calling to share the wonderful news with PCPA upon passage.
Governor
Must Act Now
There is one more step for House Bill 1813 to become law: it must be signed
by Governor Edward G. Rendell. Members and supporters should contact the governor’s
office immediately, urging that he sign House Bill 1813 into law. This bill
will give MH/MR programs and services a good, healthy start towards annual
funding stability. For further information regarding the bill, refer to the
association’s Targeted
Bill Action talking points for inflationary index legislation. The
governor’s office can be reached at 717-787-2500 or 800-932-0784.
House
Bill 1649 Awaits Senate Action
House Bill 1649 (dedicated alcohol tax for drug and alcohol [D&A]) currently
awaits Senate action. It was referred back to the Senate Appropriations Committee
Tuesday. Interests such as tourism and the arts are also competing for Johnstown
Flood Tax monies; community providers must make certain those dollars are
earmarked for treatment. Please continue calling your senators and urging
a "yea" vote on House Bill 1649. For a complete listing of Harrisburg
office numbers and email addresses for all 50 senators, reference the October
5 Legislative Alert.
Further
Information
For further information regarding House Bill 1813 and House Bill 1649 visit
the Legislative Affairs section and archives of PCPA’s web
site. Contact Melissa DiSanto Simmons,
director of legislative affairs, at the association with questions or feedback
from legislative and gubernatorial contacts.
