NEWS For The 144th From State Representative KATHY WATSON
Fall 2009
Legislation Becomes New Law
New Laws Impacting Your Life
Below are brief summaries of some of
the bills that have been enacted into law in
the current 2009-10 Legislative Session.
Perhaps you, a member of your family or a
friend will find this information helpful.
Act 1 (HB 84) establishes the “Prevent-
able Serious Adverse Events Act”,
which prohibits a health care provider who
is responsible for causing an adverse event
for a patient from seeking payment from a
health payor, patient or other responsible
party. A preventable serious adverse event
is defined as an event that occurs in a health
care facility that is within the provider’s
control to avoid, but occurs due to an error
or system failure and results in a patient’s
death, disfigurement, disability or loss of
body function. Pennsylvania’s Departments
of Public Welfare, Health, and State have
specific duties and responsibilities under
the provisions of Act 1.
Act 18 (HB 270) amends Title 23 (Do-
mestic Relations) and permits a former
mayor, a former or retired Pennsylvania jus-
tice, judge or magisterial district judge who
is not serving as a senior judge or senior
magisterial district judge, and who meets
certain criteria, to solemnize marriages.
Act 30 (HB 1770) allows those who are
collecting unemployment compensation
to receive an additional seven weeks of
federally-funded extended benefits under
the federal American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
This bill is retroactive to July 1, 2009. If
you have filed an application for UC
benefits within the last year and have
a specific question about eligibility,
please call 1-888-313-7284.
Act 31 (HB 1654) amends Title 7 (Banks
and Banking) to provide for the licensure
and better regulation of the mortgage in-
dustry and names Chapter 61 of Title 7, as
the “Mortgage Licensing Act.” The intent
of the legislation is to bring Pennsylvania’s
mortgage licensing law into compliance with
the federal Secure and Fair Enforce-
ment (SAFE) for Mortgage Licensing
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM REP. WATSON
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Act. Some of the important changes in
Chapter 61 include: removes licensure
exemptions for mortgage originators; pro-
vides a bonding requirement for mortgage
originators; increases from 12 to 20 hours
the pre-licensing education requirement for
loan originators; provides for the denial of
a Mortgage Originator license. Changes
have been enacted in an effort to better
police the mortgage industry.
Act 37 , (SB 240), the Emergency
Medical Services System Act, re-writes
Act 45 of 1985, and places the newly
established and consolidated Act 37 into
Title 35 (Health and Safety). Additionally,
Act 37 amends Title 75 (Vehicle Code)
by expanding the definition of “emergency
vehicle.” Included among the major provi-
sions and expanded requirements of the
Emergency Medical Services System
Act is that it defines the scope and prac-
tice of EMS providers in accordance with
national standards, rather than basing it
solely on the EMS curriculum.
Act 38 (HB 39) strengthens Pennsylva-
nia’s animal cruelty laws in reference to sur-
gical procedures performed on dogs. The
following procedures may be performed
by a veterinarian, but are now a summary
offense if performed by an unlicensed indi-
vidual: cropping, trimming, cutting off, caus-
ing or procuring to be cropped, trimming or
cutting off, the whole or part of the ear or
ears of a dog; debarking a dog by cutting,
causing or procuring the cutting of its vocal
cords, or by altering, causing or procuring
the alteration of any part of its resonance
chamber; docking, cutting or procuring the
docking or cutting off the tail of a dog over
five days old; performing surgical births or
causing or procuring a surgical birth; or
cutting off, causing or procuring the cutting
off of the dewclaw of a dog over five days
old.
For more information on these or
any other state laws or legislation in-
troduced, please visit www.legis.state.
pa.us, click on “Session Information”,
under the section labeled “Find”.
Legislation
Extending Health
Insurance Benefits
to Young Adults
Through Age 29
Becomes Law
In a move to extend health care
benefits to individuals who may
otherwise lose coverage due to
age, the House and Senate passed
Senate Bill 189. Signed by the
Governor on June 10 as Act 4, the
new law mandates that at the option
of a policyholder, a health insurer
must provide coverage benefits to
the insured employee’s child up
through and including the age of 29.
The policyholder on a group policy
will be the employer offering health
benefits to his or her employee.
However, the employer would not
be required to contribute to any
premium increase.
According to the provisions of the
bill, a child would have to meet the
following eligibility requirements:
 Is not married;
 Has no dependents;
 Is a Pennsylvania resident,
or is enrolled as a full-time student
at an institution of higher learning;
and,
 Is not covered by another health
insurance policy.
It is important to note, that if
the child is a student attending
college out-of-state, he or she
must maintain Pennsylvania
residency in order to qualify.
Act 4, which became effective
on September 10, applies to the
Health Maintenance Organization
Act (HMOs) and to the “Blues” on
new contracts and contract renewals
occurring 90 days after the effective
date of September 10, 2009.
 TRAVEL NOTE
The Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation (PennDOT) is up
and running with its 511PA informa-
tion system. By dialing 511 from a
landline or cellular phone, travelers
may access a free, 24-hour service
which provides the latest traffic delay
warnings, weather forecasts, regional
tourism information, and links to major
airports and transit agencies. The
service is also available on the Web
at www.511PA.com.
Personalized traveler alerts are
also available by text message and
e-mail for individuals who wish to reg-
ister for these services online. Cell
phone users and text messag-
ers should contact their pro-
viders regarding local airtime,
roaming or texting charges.
Rep. Watson urges all drivers to
refrain from accessing the system
while operating a motor vehicle.
Winter Safety
Reminders for
Motorists
Pennsylvania drivers should be
aware that state law requires the re-
moval of snow and ice from vehicles,
including rooftops, prior to operation.
Failure to comply could result in a fine
ranging from $200 to $1,000. Falling
debris from a moving vehicle presents
a danger to all motorists and pedestri-
ans travelling on the roadways.
In addition, Pennsylvania enacted
a law in January 2007 which requires
that vehicle headlights be turned on
in conjunction with windshield wipers
whenever inclement weather or poor
atmospheric conditions are present.
This includes rain, snow, sleet, fog,
mist, etc. Violators could be assessed
a fine of up to $100 per offense.
Please do your part to help keep
our roads safe by obeying these and
all of Pennsylvania’s motoring and
traffic laws.
Transportation News
House Passes Legislation Dealing with
Teen and Distracted Drivers
On April 27, 2009, Pennsylvania ing in inclement weather; and making it a
moved one step closer to enacting primary offense for anyone in the car under
stricter laws designed to protect teen the age of 18 to be riding without a seatbelt.
drivers. House Bill 67 , a com- Under the current law, a driver may be cited
prehensive transportation safety bill for not wearing a seat belt only if stopped
introduced by Rep. Joseph Markosek for another traffic violation.
(Westmoreland County), passed by HB 67 contains additional safety mea-
a vote of 168-24. House Bill 67 sures for teen drivers. The bill defines
contains the major provisions of Rep. and bans the use of “interactive wireless
Watson’s current House Bill 289. communications devices” by young
Over the last three legislative sessions, drivers and requires reports of accidents
Watson introduced bills to protect teens which occurred while these devices were
holding junior driver’s licenses. in use. HB 67 also clarifies suspensions
“I have sponsored legislation and par- imposed on junior drivers as a result of
ticipated in numerous public hearings speeding.
to further improve the state’s graduated In an effort to make the legislation
licensing law for teen drivers,” said comprehensive, HB 67 addresses driver
Watson, who serves as the Republican distractions for all adult drivers, as well.
chairman of the House Subcommittee Official accident reports would include
on Transportation Safety. “Distracted information about whether an interactive
driving, especially for young drivers, wireless communication device was in
is one of the fastest-growing causes use at the time of the accident; PennDOT
of serious car crashes, and it’s time would be required to compile data and pub-
to reduce those distractions and save lish a report about the use of such devices
more lives.” in vehicles involved in an accident; prohibit
Specifically, HB 67 limits the number the placement of video receiving equip-
of passengers permitted in a vehicle ment (monitor, television, video screen,
driven by a junior driver (ages 16 ½ to etc.) in a vehicle where it would be visible
18) to only one under the age of 18, to the driver. Finally, HB 67 establishes
with the exception of siblings residing an additional penalty for distracted driving
in the same household as the driver. and defines the offense.
This portion of the legislation is known To read the full text of HB 67, which has
as “Lacey’s Law” in honor of Lacey been referred to the Senate Transportation
Gallagher who was killed in a single- Committee for consideration, please visit
vehicle crash in April 2007. the General Assembly’s website at www.
Other provisions of HB 67 borrowed legis.state.pa.us.
from Rep. Watson’s teen driving legis- On a related note, Rep. Watson also
lation include: increasing the required introduced House Resolution 480, rec-
number of hours of behind-the-wheel ognizing the week of October 18 through
training from 50-65, including 10 hours October 24 as “National Teen Driving
of nighttime driving and 5 hours of driv- Safety Week” in Pennsylvania.
Highway Safety Now Enhanced at
www.DriveSafePA.org
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING
2010 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
CALENDARS
Due to this year’s budget constraints, no House calendars will be printed
for 2010. While recognizing that this is unfortunate, we believe it is a valid
and appropriate decision given the expense involved in the printing and the
Commonwealth’s current economic condition. Hopefully, the state’s fiscal
situation will improve in 2011. We apologize for any inconvenience.
www.KathyWatson144.com
for the 144th District
Construction of the 202 Parkway has finally begun! Therefore, below is an overview of the Parkway
construction process with an update on current status.
The 202 Parkway is a nine-mile stretch of
road beginning at Route 63 (Welsh Road)
in Montgomery Township and ending at
the Route 611 Interchange in Doylestown
Township, and aligned between Upper
State and Stump Roads. It will include
a four-lane roadway with five-feet wide
paved shoulders between Route 63 and
Route 463 (Horsham Road); and a two-lane
roadway with five-feet wide paved shoul-
ders between Horsham Road and the 611
Interchange. Completion of the roadway is
scheduled for late 2011.
The Parkway design includes bridges
over Route 309; Almshouse Road; and New
Britain Road, with below-grade crossings
at Pickertown and Wells Roads. The only
at-grade intersections within the Bucks
County portion of the road will be where
the Parkway meets and crosses County
Line Road; Limekiln Pike; Bristol Road; and
Lower State Road.
All necessary permits for the four stages
of Parkway construction have been granted.
Stage one, referred to as Section 701, the
Montgomery County portion of the roadway
between Welsh and Horsham Roads, has
been cleared and graded, with culverts and
Visit the 202 Parkway at www.us202-700.com
stormwater basins now in place. The work
is being completed by J.D. Eckman, Inc.
Stage two, referred to as Section 721,
is a 3.4 mile section of roadway between
Pickertown Road and the Route 611
Interchange. The low-bid contractor for
this section is James D. Morrissey, Inc.
of Philadelphia. Weather permitting, pre-
liminary construction should begin before
winter sets in.
Stage three, referred to as Section 711,
is the middle portion of the roadway, located
between Pickertown Road and Horsham
Road. Bids opened on September 10,
and preliminary construction is set to begin
before winter.
The final stage of the Parkway, Section
7WM, is known as the Wetlands Mitigation
site. Mandated by federal law, a site was
selected along the Little Neshaminy Creek,
north of County Line Road. This section
was developed to mitigate the impact of
the construction of the Route 202 Parkway
on wetlands and wildlife. Work has been
performed on Section 7WM for more than
six months. This includes spring plantings
which follow the directives of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and provide suitable
housing for ducks, geese, frogs, toads,
and other aquatic invertebrates. Work on
this section will continue through the fall
of 2009.
Proposed Detours: During the two-
year long construction, there will be some
detours as the construction progresses and
approaches certain intersections. Plans
call for Bristol Road to be a one-way detour
(heading northwest) through the summer of
2010 to avoid interfering with Central Bucks
School District’s fall bus schedule. A detour
around Pickertown Road is slated for late
2010 once Bristol Road is re-opened. Every
effort is being made not to gridlock the area
during construction.
Adjacent Projects: In an effort to
reduce traffic congestion in the areas sur-
rounding the Parkway, County Line Road
(Section WD1) will be widened between
Stump Road and Route 202; construction
is to begin in July of 2010. The widening of
Horsham Road (between Upper State and
North Wales Roads) is continuing.
For more information and latest updates,
visit the official US202, Section 700 website
at http://www.us202-700.com.
 NEW LAW IMPROVES
HOME IMPROVEMENT
According to the provisions of the Home Improvement Consumer
Protection Act (Act 132 of 2008), which went into effect on July 1, 2009,
all home improvement contactors in Pennsylvania who do $5,000 or more
annually in home improvements, must register with the PA Attorney Gen-
eral’s Office. This registration is mandatory and is valid for two years.
The law defines a home improvement contractor as: Any person
who owns and operates a home improvement business or who
undertakes, offers to undertake or agrees to perform any home
improvement. The term includes a subcontractor or independent
contractor who has contracted with a home improvement retailer,
regardless of the retailer’s net worth, to provide home improvement
services to the retailer’s customers. The term does not include
any of the following:
(1) A person for whom the total cash value of all of that person’s
home improvement contracts is less than $5,000 during the previ-
ous taxable year.
(2) A home improvement retailer having a net worth of more
than $50,000,000 or an employee of that retailer who does not
perform home improvements.
A pamphlet entitled “Contractor Registration Information” is available at
Rep. Watson’s Warminster and Hilltown district offices.
Additional information regarding the Home Improvement Consumer
Protection Act, as well as an online registration form and a downloadable
form are available on the Attorney General’s website, www.attorney-
general.gov. Forms may also be requested by calling 1-800-441-2555.
Completed paper applications may be submitted by mail to: Pennsylvania
Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, ATTN: Home
Improvement Contractor Registration, 15th floor, Strawberry Square,
Harrisburg, PA 17120. All applications must be accompanied by a non-
refundable fee of $50.
As of July 1, 2009, consumers have the ability to check to see if a home
improvement contractor has registered by visiting the Attorney General’s
website or by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-888-520-6680.
New legislation, Senate Bill 973, adds the definition of “home improve-
ment retailer” to the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act. A
“home improvement retailer” is defined as a person who sells materials for
use in home improvement contracts. Included in SB 973 is an increased
dollar value that a home improvement contract must reach before the
contractor can collect one-third of the contract’s cost (currently $1,000,
it would change to $5,000 under this bill). SB 973 has passed both the
House and Senate and awaits the Governor’s signature.
Attention Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans
Pennsylvania’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs continues
to accept applications for the Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Benefit
Program. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2015.
Both current and former members of the Armed Forces are eligible for
the program if they meet specific criteria regarding active military service
during the Persian Gulf Conflict.
Complete details and applications for the Persian Gulf Conflict Vet-
erans’ Benefit Program are available on the Pennsylvania Department
of Military and Veterans Affairs website at www.persiangulfbonus.
state.pa.us or by calling the Persian Gulf Veterans Benefit Program
at 1-866-458-9182. Also, an informational brochure is available at Rep.
Watson’s district offices.
How to Contact Warminster District Office:
1410 West Street Road
Representative Watson Warminster, PA 18974
(215) 674-0500
Internet Website: www.KathyWatson144.com
2008 Property Tax/Rent Rebate
Application Deadline Extended
Eligible applicants have until December
31, 2009 to file for a rebate on property
taxes or rent paid in calendar year 2008
through the Pennsylvania Property Tax or
Rent Rebate Program.
To qualify, individuals must meet one of the fol-
lowing criteria:
• A person who is 65 years of age or older as of
December 31, 2008;
• A widow or widower 50 years of age or older
as of December 31, 2008;
• Individual under 65 years of age who resided
in the same household with a spouse age 65 or
older;
• Disabled Pennsylvanians, age 18-64.
Total household income from all sources
may not exceed $35,000 for homeowners or
$15,000 for renters. Only 50% of Social Security,
Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Re-
tirement Tier 1 benefits must be included.
For an application or additional information re-
garding eligibility and income sources which must
be reported, please call Rep. Watson’s Warminster
or Hilltown district office.
HELP WITH HEATING
BILLS AVAILABLE
Low income individuals and families may be eligible to
participate in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program, LIHEAP, which runs until March 15, 2010.
Income guidelines apply (cannot exceed 150 percent of
the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines) and are based
on the size of the household. For example, a family of
four with a household income of $33,075 would qualify
for assistance. If approved, a cash payment ranging from
$100 to $1000 is sent directly to an eligible person’s utility
company or fuel provider and credited to their bill.
The fastest way to apply is online at www.compass.
state.pa.us. Applications are also available at the local
County Assistance offices or by calling 1-866-857-7095.
For further information on this and other LIHEAP pro-
grams including opening dates and deadlines (Crisis,
Weatherization, etc.), please call Rep. Watson’s Warm-
inster or Hilltown district office.
NOTE: PECO customers may call 1-800-34-HELP-4
to apply for LIHEAP. To request information on other
PECO programs designed to assist low-income custom-
ers including the Customer Assistance Program (CAP),
the Matching Energy Assistance Fund (MEAF), and the
Customer Assistance and Referral Evaluation Services
(CARES), please call 1-800-774-7040. For information on
PECO’s Low Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP),
call 1-800-675-0222.
Hilltown District Office:
Hilltown Township Building
PO Box 166, 13 W. Creamery Rd.
Hilltown, PA 18927
(215) 453-7888