SUCCESSFUL BARD LEGISLATION
In Representative Bard's first term (1995-1996), 4762 bills were introduced into the House and Senate. Of the 284 laws enacted during the Session, three were bills she authored and one contained her amendment creating the DARE license plate. As you can tell, it can be very time consuming and difficult to successfully sponsor bills which actually become law. Listed below are the successful legislative initiatives Representative Bard has sponsored since first taking office. Once a bill is passed into law, it becomes an ACT. If you have any questions about these laws and resolutions, contact Representative Bard's office.
BILLS ENACTED INTO LAW• HB 1488 - Decreasing Intangible Property Tax Rates - authorizing counties to reduce the Intangible Personal Property Tax rate-passed the General Assembly and signed into law 10/31/95 as ACT 54.
• HB 2002 - Authorizing County Assessment Auxiliary Appeal Boards - authorizing counties to establish auxiliary boards of assessment following reassessment -passed the General Assembly, signed by the Governor 7/2/96 as ACT 88.
• HB2118 - Increasing Criminal Mischief Grading for Graffiti - stiffening penalties for graffiti crime - passed the General Assembly, signed by the Governor 12/20/96 as ACT 198.
• HB1125 - Creating Crime Relating to "Date Rape Drugs" - prohibiting unauthorized administration of an intoxicant and providing for additional penalties for certain drug-induced rape-passed by the General Assembly, signed by the Governor 12/19/1997 as ACT 65.
• HB1108 County Contract Procedures, HB1111 Regulating Public Records, HB 1113 Copying Public Records, HB 1114 Creation of County Records Committee, HB 1116 Copying Public Records - these are a package of bills Representative Bard sponsored as the ranking House member of the Local Government Commission. Passed the General Assembly, signed by the Governor 2/18/98 as ACT 72 and ACTS 27-30.
• HB2200 - Local Tax Collection Standards/Reforms - An Act amending the act of May 25, 1945 (P.L.l050, No.394), known as the Local Tax Collection Law, providing for the definition of "duplicate"; and further providing for collection and payment and for settlement and audits. Passed by General Assembly and signed by the Governor Dec. 21, 1998 as ACT 169
• HB 1153 Streamlining Financial Filings in First Class Township Codes filing uniform forms for annual reports passed into law June 22, 2000 as Act 33.
• HB 1158 Streamlining Financial Filings in Third Class City Codes - further providing for budget reforms passed into law June 22, 2000 as Act 38 .
• HB 550 Insurance Death Benefit Bill An Act amending the act of May 17,1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, providing for payment of life insurance benefits, for publication of rate increases on home page and for coverage requirements for insulin and other blood sugar controlling agents; further providing for inclusion of health maintenance organizations in conversion notifications; changing the expiration date of an article; further defining "long-term care insurance"; defining "prepaid home health or personal care service policy"; further defining "insurer" and "person" for purposes of insurance holding companies; and further providing for standards and management of an insurer within a holding company system.
Passed into law 12/20/ 2000 as Act 132
HB 168 The Tax Collector Training and Qualification Act
passed into Law 6/22/01 as Act 25HB529 - The Eberle Bill An Act which authorizes the display of the State, county, city, borough, or other municipal flags on public buildings in the Commonwealth," providing for display of the Pennsylvania flag over memorials, caskets and at funerals of certain persons. Act 55 of 2002
HB59- Civil Immunity An Act providing for Civil Immunity for Antidrug and town-watch volunteers. ACT 66 of 2001
HB1405-The County Code providing for classification of counties, for
filling of vacancies, for reports and for preparation and filing of
proposed budget; and making editorial changes. ACT of 107 of 2001HB172-Energy Report Card Calls for Energy Report Cards on all state buildings. The Report Cards track unit energy usage over time.
IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS
• As an amendment to SB 578 - authorization of a special license plate to fund the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in the schools-signed into law 12120/95 as ACT 75.
* Amendment to the Budget regarding School subsidyRESOLUTIONS
* HR 224 - Energy Policy A resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a working group to develop an energy strategy for Pennsylvania that promotes the efficient use of energy by residential, commercial, industrial, government, transportation and power generation users within this Commonwealth and promotes the development and production of new sources of petroleum and alternatives to petroleum products within this
Commonwealth. Passed 6/5/01
* HR 143 A resolution designating April 22, 2001 as Earth Day Introduced as Non-Controversial Resolution. Adopted April 4, 2001• HR 96 commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Earthday.
• HR 297 urging Holocaust education in secondary schools and teacher training; requires the Department of Education to recommend a curriculum and advise all school districts of the resolution.
• HR 335 Earthday Resolution 1996.
• HR 425 directing the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee to examine what efforts the Commonwealth can take to assure preparedness to deal with terrorist activities.
• HR1O9 Earthday Resolution 1997.
• HR297 designating the month of February 1998 as Landscape Architecture Month.
• HR145 designating December 15, 1997 as Bill of Rights Day.
• HR633 A Resolution congratulating Penn State Abington College on its 50th Anniversary and recognizing December 10, 2000, as "Penn StateAbington Day" in Pennsylvania. Introduced as Non Controversial Resolution under rule 35, Nov. 16, 2000.Adopted, Nov. 21, 2000
• HR 531 Resolution memorializing Congress to recognize that energy security is a national security issue, to recognize that oil is a powerful weapon and to develop an energy strategy that promotes alternatives to imported petroleum to meet the goal of independence from imported petroleum within five years. Passed in 2000. Adopted, Oct. 11, 2000
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