Mailbag: What Bills Would Fireproof Economy?

One of our PolicyBlog readers asks: What bills would help address the Four Alarm Fire you keep speaking about? Here are a few bills we have been tracking:

Taxpayer Protection Act (would limit growth of government spending)

• SB 7 – Statutory limit to state spending. More info on the Taxpayer Protection Act.
• HB 974 – Statutory limit to state spending (identical to SB 7).
• HB 116 – Constitutional limit to state spending.

Pension Reform

• SB 1540 – Shift to defined contribution plan for new state and school employees.
• HB 2453 – Shift to defined contribution plan for new state employees, with incentives for current employees.
• HB 2454 – Shift to defined contribution plan for new school employees, with incentives for current employees.
• There are additional House bills that put some workers (like state lawmakers) into defined contribution plans, some bills offering “hybrid” plans, and some with optional defined-contribution plans.
• None of these bills represent the comprehensive 5 point pension reform plan.

Welfare Reform

• SB 10 – Constitutional amendment to prevent implementation of health insurance mandate.
• HB 42 – Prevents implementation of health insurance mandate.
• Forthcoming legislation from Rep. Stan Saylor (co-sponsor memo) – prevent Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania.
• HB 1261 – Welfare code, imposes work requirements and other changes to save an estimated $173 million. ENACTED
• HB 1948 – Addresses abuse of EBT cards.
• HB 386 – Allows tax credits for charitable services in lieu of government program.
• HB 185 – Tax credits for private long-term care coverage (would move individuals from relying on Medicaid for Long-Term Coverage into private insurance).

Debt Reform

• HB 2175 – Reforms and reduces the RACP program, which borrows money for “redevelopment projects” (includes Arlen Specter Library, sports stadiums, and corporate headquarters). Program should be eliminated, but reforms are a step in the right direction.

Corrections Reform

• SB 100 – Would implement the cost-savings recommendations of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, estimated to save $253 million over five years. ENACTED
• HB 135 – Expected to contain language to implement the reinvestment recommendations of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. More details.

Ending taxpayer collection of dues for government unions’ political efforts

• HB 1418 – Payroll deduction could not be part of government union collective bargaining contract.
• SB 1040 – No government payroll deductions for the benefit of a private organization.

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