THE BARD BULLETIN
WINTER 2000
Click on your choice:
A Greeting And Update From Representative Bard
Bard Introduces The School Report Card Bill
Giving All Children A Chance To Learn
Cracking Down on Illegal Gun Use
Improving the Quality of Day Care in PA
Keeping PA's Young Drivers Alive
Replenishing Volunteer Fire Companies and Emergency Services
Legislative Briefing Tour at the Phila Museum of Art photo
Abington Key Club Honored photo
Boy Scouts Visit Rep. Bard photo
Paul Grossman Honored photo
AKtion Club Thanked for Community based Projects photo
Rep. Bard Receives "Friend of Education" Award from Abington School District click for photo
Edgehill Fire Co Receives Check from PEMA with Bard support photo
McKinley Student Visits Rep. Bard at the Capitol photo
Rep Bard Speaks to the Young in Heart Group photo
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THE BARD BULLETIN
WINTER 2000
A Greeting And Update From Representative Bard:
Dear Friends,
A very special New Year is upon us, and I am pleased to issue another legislative update highlighting the progress of the General Assembly in continuing to improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians. Since the last newsletter was mailed, my legislation offering civil immunity to town watch and drug watch volunteers moved a step closer to becoming law when it was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. All components of the new law designed to make our teen drivers safer behind the wheel are now in effect. We’ve enacted legislation that will protect children at-risk for child abuse by requiring County Children and Youth agencies to have face-to-face contact with children assessed as ‘high risk’ for abuse or neglect, and who are remaining in or return to the home in which the abuse or neglect occurred.
To ensure that our children can learn in an environment free from the distractions of unruly children, we’ve enacted a law creating an alternative education program for disruptive students. We also adopted and sent to Gov. Ridge’s desk a landmark $66 million agriculture drought relief plan to assist farmers suffering financially from substantial crop losses this year, as well as an unprecedented $646 million initiative to protect and preserve Pennsylvania’s environment for future generations.
In our continuing effort to help Pennsylvanians move from welfare to the workforce, the House passed the Employment Incentive Payment Tax Credit Act—legislation that would extend the current tax credit for businesses that hire welfare recipients beyond its Dec. 31, 1999 expiration date. For more details on pertinent events in Harrisburg, I encourage you to visit my web site at www.ellenbard..com . Also, at www.pahousegop.com you can follow the latest events and keep informed about legislation of interest to you! Because your input is crucial to me in effectively representing your interests in Harrisburg, I’ve enclosed a survey for you to voice your opinion on the issues that the General Assembly will be addressing throughout the remainder of the 1999-2000 Legislative Session.
I appreciate the privilege of serving you as State Representative of the 153rd Legislative District. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (21 5) 881 -BARD, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. if I can be of assistance regarding a state government matter.Sincerely,
Ellen M. Bard
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Bard Introduces
The School Report Card Bill
Legislation will encourage excellence in public schools
As the state and national economy remain healthy and unemployment continues to hover near historic lows, the education of our children is the issue foremost on many people’s minds. Representative Bard introduced a bill that will keep parents informed of the key academic indicators of the public schools their children attend. The legislation, House Bill 2107, requires every school district in the Commonwealth to submit annually to the Department of Education a report card containing information on each school in its jurisdiction. The report cards contain such information as student retention rates, aggregate test scores, teacher absenteeism, student-to-teacher ratio, student mobility, average class size and per pupil expenditures. The most important aspect of Rep. Bard’s bill is that it requires every public school in Pennsylvania to post a copy of its most recent report card in a central location accessible to the public. The bill will assist parents and taxpayers in evaluating and comparing the cost and quality of education being provided to primary and secondary school students in their area and throughout the Commonwealth. School report cards will help schools across the Commonwealth adopt the motto of the Abington School District: “Excellence is our standard.”
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Rep. Bard Receives "Friend of Education"Award from Abington School District photoGiving All Children A Chance To Learn
General Assembly Approves Alternative Education Program
Teachers in some schools in Pennsylvania report spending up to 25 percent of their time trying to deal with unruly students, and this causes our education system to break down. Everyone loses — the teachers, the students there to learn, and the disruptive students who need special attention.
Now, through a law enacted last November, schools across Pennsylvania have an option—not a requirement— but an option to turn the situation around by contracting with private companies as well as not-for-profit companies for alternative education services. The law is modeled after a highly successful, privately run alternative education program in Houston, Texas, that turns disruptive children into achievers.
Equally impressive, since the program’s inception, incidents of school violence in Houston have dropped 25 percent. The act also contains a “protessional development” provision, requiring public school educators to complete six credits or 1 80 hours of professional training every five years to maintain state certification. This new law will ensure that all our children are provided with a learning environment suited to their needs, so they are prepared to handle the increasingly hi-tech, globally competitive world of the 21st century.
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Cracking Down on Illegal Gun Use
Bard’s bill toughens penalties for convicted drug traffickers
The right to bear arms is unfortunately abused everyday in our society by some who seek to impose harm on our communities. Rep. Bard has introduced legislation designed to help keep firearms in the possession of only those who are responsible citizens. Under her bill, a person who is convicted of drug trafficking or drug possession while in possession of a firearm would be sentenced to a mandatory minimum prison term of five years. If enacted, the bill would deter illegal substance users and drug traffickers from carrying weapons, and it would reduce the violence associated with illegal drug activity.
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Improving the Quality of Day Care in PA
House Passes “Unannounced Inspection of Child Daycare Facilities Act” In an effort to improve the quality of daycare that our children receive, Rep. Bard and her colleagues unanimously approved legislation empowering the Department of Public Welfare to enter and inspect without prior notice any daycare facility regulated by the Commonwealth. Unannounced inspections would greatly improve the quality of daycare in Pennsylvania because the current system of announced inspections does not accurately reflect the everyday problems that exist within some daycare facilities. Daycare providers would be more compelled to be in permanent compliance with standards of care set by the state if they have the prospect of an unannounced inspection looming over them. The legislation authorizes the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) to inspect any of Pennsylvania’s daycare centers during operational hours without prior notice to determine the standard of care being given to the children. House Bill 1963 also requires: • the department to conduct at least one unannounced inspection of every licensed child day-care center and group day-care home each year; • DPW to annually inspect at least 15 percent of all family child-care homes; • the department to conduct an onsite, unannounced inspection, within 24 hours, upon receipt of a complaint alleging that the health or safety of a child in care at a facility is at serious risk.
The legislation is now before the Senate for consideration.back to top
Keeping PA's Young Drivers Safe & Alive
We all can recall the joy of turning 16 and getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time. Tragically, however, car accidents are the No. 1 killer of 1 5- to 20-year olds. In Pennsylvania, an average of one 16- to 18-year-old driver was killed every week in 1998. That is the equivalent of losing two classrooms full of students. Moreover, while traffic accidents overall show a decline in the Commonwealth, teen-related accidents increased 12.8 percent from 1997 to 1998. Ellen doesn't want your child or anyone's child to become a part of those statistics. That is why she cosponsored legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s graduated licensing system. Lifesaving provisions of the new law include: a permit and junior license driving curfew of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.; certification of 50 hours of behind-the-wheel training; a six-month period before taking the driver’s road exam; and the supervising adult must be 21 or older. States that have enacted similar reforms have seen a reduction in teen accidents. Our new law is expected to cut young driver crashes by 25 percent. For your teen’s safety and the safety of everyone, please review and obey Pennsylvania’s new law. Let’s keep turning 16 a joyous and memorable occasion.back to top
Replenishing Volunteer Fire Companies and Emergency ServicesBard cosponsors bill to establish $100 million grant program
Our volunteer firefighters and EMS workers currently don’t have adequate resources to handle the increasing number of emergency calls. Often volunteer units are understaffed and are using outdated equipment. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Pennsylvania has seen a 54 percent decrease in volunteer firefighters since 1985. Therefore, Rep. Bard—a member of the House Firefighter and Emergency Services Caucus, has cosponsored legislation establishing a grant program for fire and emergency service organizations. The legislation would provide $100 million from the state’s Tobacco Master Settlement to a restricted interest-bearing account within the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The annual interest earned on the account would be available for grants to volunteer fire and emergency services personnel. The fund would be authorized to distribute grants for the establishment of recruitment and retention incentive programs or for the purchase of modern firefighting and fire protection equipment.
The interest-bearing account created in this legislation would ensure almost perpetual funding for our volunteer firefighters and emergency service personnel sufficient for them to have the resources and equipment they need to save lives, and that’s important since 90 percent of our communities rely upon protection from volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel. The legislation is currently before the House Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee for consideration.
Legislative Briefing and Tour at the Phila Museum of Art photo
Rep. Bard recently attended a legislative briefing and tour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.back to top
Abington Key Club Honored photo
Rep. Bard recently presented a citation to the Abington High School Key Club for its fundraising efforts and its participation in charitable work. The club has supported Habitat for Humanity, the AIDS 1 OK Walk and the Halloween Safety Party. It has also provided assistance to students at Willow Hill and Overlook Schools by collecting food for those in need.back to top
Boy Scouts Visit Rep. Bard photo
Boy Scouts from Den 1, Webelos Den, Pack 20, Abington, recently visited Rep. Bard at her district office to learn about state government and were shown a video about how laws are made in Pennsylvania. The scouts were working toward earning their Citizenship Badge.back to top
Paul Grossman Honored
photo
The late Paul Grossman of Abington Township received the Community Service Award from the Abington Township Townwatch.
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AKtion Club Thanked for Community based Projects photo Rep. Bard recently spoke to the AKtion Club and thanked members for their community-based projects. AKtion is sponsored by the Glenside and Jenkintown Kiwanis clubs and is comprised of 35 highly motivated physically and mentally challenged men and women who are eager to contribute to their community.back to top
Edgehill Fire Co Receives Check from PEMA with Bard support photoback to top
McKinley Student Visits Rep. Bard at the Capitol photo
Randy Jackson, a fifth grader at McKinley Elementary School, visited Rep. Bard at the Capitol. He met with Rep. Bard on the floor of the House and later attended a Transportation Committee meeting dealing with young drivers legislation.back to top
Rep Bard Speaks to the Young in Heart Group photo
Rep. Bard spoke to the "Young in Heart" seniors group at St. Timothy's Church in Rockledge about issues relating to them.