Boost in Funding for Direct Support Professionals, Senior Protection Legislation Heads to Pa. Senate
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Legislation boosting funding for direct support professionals, protections for seniors in long-term care moves forward.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by the Speaker of the House, Mike Turzai, that
establishes the Senior Protection Act. The bill,
House Bill 2510, would create a framework to protect seniors and others living in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as provide significant funding to protect front line professionals.
Specifically, the bill would create six regional collaboration groups partnering with health care facilities to promote COVID-19 response readiness, improve the quality of care and expand testing of the facilities. Speaker Turzai said he
worked closely with UPMC health experts to develop the proposal to protect seniors and others living in Pennsylvania's nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living residences. He said the bill includes a process on how to help keep residents, and staff, in these facilities safe.
Earlier this week the bill was amended to include provisions that would
direct federal CARES Act money to the Department of Human Services for Long-Term Care, Long-Term Managed Care, Community HealthChoices, Intellectual Disabilities Community Waiver Program and Autism Intervention Services. The additions to the bill will help ensure front line providers who deliver support and services to seniors and individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or autism are protected.
Advocates within the intellectual disability and autism community welcomed the additions to the bill stating it provided much needed relief for providers who are
struggling with a workforce crisis that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providers across the state were seeing almost a 40 percent turnover of their workforce each year, while also struggling to hire new employees. The money appropriated by this bill would help providers offset the additional costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation is now before the state Senate, and advocates are hopeful the legislature, along with the governor's office, can find away to allocate these funds quickly in the coming weeks.
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Pa. General Assembly: Week in Review
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives returned to session this week. Here is a review of some of the issues they addressed:
A House committee on Thursday morning advanced legislation that would
terminate Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 emergency disaster declaration, effectively ending the governor's authority to institute stay-at-home and business shutdown orders. Along partisan lines, the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee voted to send House Resolution 836 to the full chamber for consideration.
In a moment of bipartisanship, the House passed legislation that would require the state to develop a report
documenting the success and/or failures with Pennsylvania's 2020 primary election. The state has seen a
record number of requests for mail-in ballots for the upcoming June primary, which was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The House also approved legislation to further protect law enforcement officials from harassment and potentially dangerous confrontations with the public. The proposal,
House Bill 2016, would prohibit any person from intentionally or knowingly causing an officer to come into contact with saliva or other bodily fluids by throwing, tossing or spitting the fluid at the officer.
The House is scheduled to return to session next week, after the Memorial Day holiday. It is rumored that the House could begin to pass a short-term, bridge budget when they return. The Senate is scheduled to return June 1.
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Gov. Wolf to announce on Friday more counties moving to 'yellow,' some counties could go 'green.'
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Daily COVID-19 update for Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 980 new positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide, bringing the state total to 65,392. In addition, 4,869 Pennsylvanians have died from complications from the virus. To date, there have been more than 303,000 negative cases across the state.
Gov. Tom Wolf is still asking all Pennsylvanians who must leave their homes for life-essential reasons to
wear a mask to help stop the spread of the virus
. An executive order was issued on April 15 requiring customers entering a place of business to wear a mask.
Daily COVID-19 update for Ohio
The Ohio Department of Health reported 30,167
cumulative cases of COVID-19 and 1,836 deaths, including probable cases, by Thursday afternoon. There have been 5,295 hospitalizations and 1,397 ICU admissions.
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OSHA taking steps to resume pre-COVID-19 procedures. Earlier this week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its guidance for enforcement and reporting requirements issued in April to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys with McNees Wallace and Nurick's Labor and Employment as well as Environmental Law and Toxic Tort practices groups
outline the rescinded and newly revised OSHA guidelines that will go into effect May 26.
NCAA to allow 'voluntary' sports activities by June 1. The NCAA Division I Council earlier this week
approved plans to allow voluntary activities for athletes in certain sports to resume June 1, according to several news reports. Guidelines have not been released at this time, nor has the NCAA officially announced or confirmed the vote which took place on Wednesday afternoon.
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Unprecedented times, but McNees is here to help
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The situation surrounding COVID-19 is changing by the hour.
Capitol Buzz
will do its best to keep our readers as up-to-date as possible as to local, state and federal actions relating to the virus.
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2020 SENATE SESSION SCHEDULE
The Senate stands in recess until the call of the President Pro Tempore.
June
1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30
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2020 HOUSE SESSION SCHEDULE
The House stands in recess until the call of the chair.
May
26, 27
June
8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30
September
15, 16, 17, 29, 30
October
1, 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21
November
10
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