|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Legislature set to move on biz community priorities
Agenda includes commonsense UC reform, action on fiscally responsible state budget The state General Assembly is set to vote on a number of issues of importance to job creators, starting with consideration of a state spending plan for the 2011-12 fiscal year. H.B. 1485, the General Fund budget bill introduced last week, is on the House voting calendar for the week of May 23. The proposal would hold the line on state spending at $27.3 billion, an amount consistent with Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget proposal. The plan would not impose new taxes on citizens or job creators, and would begin to rein in high levels of government spending. PA Chamber members have been consistent in calling for a responsible budget that takes Pennsylvania’s structural deficit into account and wisely addresses the unexpected revenue surplus from the current fiscal year. Job creators continue to encourage fiscal responsibility as negotiations on the final state budget continue. Long-overdue reforms to unemployment compensation in the Commonwealth are also on the legislative agenda this week. The PA Chamber has issued memos to the House and Senate calling for the passage of two bills that propose commonsense reforms to the current UC Law. The Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund is insolvent, and the Commonwealth has been borrowing money -- $3.8 billion – at an alarming rate from the federal government to continue paying out claims. H.B. 916 and S.B. 1030, which are both due to be considered in their respective chambers this week, tighten the eligibility requirements in the law and update benefit formulas so that the fund can remain a financial safety net for individuals who become unemployed through no fault of their own. In addition to the state budget and UC issues, lawmakers are set to tackle workers’ compensation reform. The health and safety of a workforce are the dual concern of both business owners and their employees. H.B. 808, which is scheduled to be considered by the full House, proposes to extend from 90 days to 180 days the length of time that an individual who has filed a workers’ compensation claim must seek treatment from an employer-designated medical provider panel. The PA Chamber has called for passage of this bill as a result of the positive feedback generated from those who have sought treatment from panels after a work-related injury versus those who have not. In fact, a 2009 WC study found that injured workers who seek medical treatment from a provider not on the employer’s panel list are out of work 42 percent longer than those with proper panel access. These initiatives are components of the PA Chamber’s member-driven policies on unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation.
### |
| Archived articles |
| Copyright © 2006 Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry |