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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Harrisburg HappeningsA report on the Legislative Session week of October 24, 2011 40th Senatorial District Senate Bill 1 Would Provide New Education Options for Families The Senate approved legislation on Wednesday to provide families with new and expanded options to ensure their children, particularly those in underachieving schools, receive a quality education. Senate Bill 1 would create an opportunity scholarship program for low-income families trapped in failing schools, expand the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, and reform Pennsylvania's current charter school law. Under the bill, Opportunity Scholarships would be available beginning next school year for students in low achieving schools ranked in the bottom five percent of schools in Pennsylvania. In the 2013-14 school year, Opportunity Scholarships would be available for all students residing in schools in the bottom five percent. The bill would also expand the highly successful EITC program which provides tax credits to companies that contribute to scholarship organizations and innovative public school programs. Finally, the bill would reform Pennsylvania's Charter and Cyber Charter School Law by: establishing a standard application for all applicants; lengthening the initial term and renewal term for charter schools; clarifying the illegality of enrollment caps for charters; and requiring the appointment of a parent of charter school student to the statewide Charter School Appeal Board. More information about specific provisions of SB 1 can be found at www.pasenategop.com. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate approves resource extraction options on state land The Senate today approved legislation on Wednesday that would provide new options for the leasing of state-owned real property for mining or removal of valuable coal, oil, natural gas, coal bed methane, limestone and mineral resources. Senate Bill 367 would give the Department of General Services (DGS) the option to make and execute contracts or leases. Currently, only a few state agencies such as the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission and the Fish & Boat Commission are authorized by law to enter into leases for resource development. Under SB 367, also known as the "Indigenous Mineral Resources Incentives Development Act," payments or royalties received pursuant to contracts or leases on State-owned land will be equally apportioned into four areas: the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund; the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST); the Commonwealth Financing Authority's H2O PA program; and, the Oil and Gas Lease Fund. That formula would only apply to revenues from leases on state-own lands. A separate formula would be used for revenues from leases of land owned by Pennsylvania's state-owned universities. Forty percent of the payments or royalties received pursuant to contracts or leases on State System of Higher Education land would be retained by the university where the resources are located and 60 percent would be allocated for distribution among the member universities where no leases exist under a formula determined by the Board of Governors. SB 367 requires the universities use the funds for deferred maintenance, energy efficiency, or energy cost savings projects. SB 367 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. CONTACT: Nate Silcox |
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