State Senator Mastriano COVID-19 Update (April 22, 2020)
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Cases
We can no longer report the stats released by the PA Department of Health (DOH), as they are conflating the numbers of COVID-19 positive cases and the COVID-19 presumed cases. Additionally, at least five county coroners dispute the number of deaths reported by DOH.
Working For You - Legislation I Sponsored
Senate Bill 1103: PA Healthy Citizens and Healthy Businesses --- referred to Senate Health Committee.
Senate Bill 1097: Electronic Notarization legislation --- reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee by a unanimous vote.
https://senatormastriano.com/2020/04/21/mastriano-senate-oks-short-term-measure-for-remote-notarization/
https://senatormastriano.com/2020/04/06/senate-committee-passes-mastrianos-remote-notary-bill/
Senate Resolution 323: Legislative Oversight & Input on Emergency Actions - - - assigned to the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee.
Senate Bill 1117: This temporarily re-allocates Sports Betting Revenue to Property Tax Relief.
Senate Bill 1124: Modernizes the outdated Disease Prevention & Control Act of 1955. Unfortunately, the Health Department has been using this outdated law to withhold life-saving information. The state Senate commissioned a report on the Disease Prevention and Control Law in 2013, and several recommendations were suggested to lawmakers. My measure seeks actions on those recommendations.
https://senatormastriano.com/2020/04/20/mastriano-state-health-law-from-1955-needs-updated/
Senate Bill 927: This legislation would streamline the process for veterans seeking a driver’s license designation. It received a unanimous vote this week from the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Other Bills I Am Supporting During This Crisis:
- COVID-19 Crisis Grant Program for Volunteer Fire and EMS Companies (Senator Pittman)
- Small Business Disaster and Emergency Relief (Senator Killion)
- Property Tax Payment and Penalty Relief for Local Taxpayers (Senator Martin)
- Change for Business Interruption Insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic (Senator Hughes)
- Education Issues to Address Concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic (Senator Langerholc)
- Prorated Refunds for Room and Board (Senator Martin)
- Allowing Construction Activities to Resume Safe Operations (Senator Arnold)
- Removing outdated regulatory barriers to help close the digital divide (Senator Phillips-Hill)
- Requiring DOH to release communicable disease information by municipality (Senator K. Ward)
- Business disruption insurance during COVID-19 (Senator Dinniman)
- Crisis grant to Volunteer Fire & EMS companies due to COVID-19 (Senator Brewster)
- COVID-19 crisis grant program for non-profit organizations (Senator Killion)
PA Department of Labor & Industry
“The PUA System has been corrected. For individuals who believe they inaccurately received the PUA ineligibility message, please try filing for PUA again at www.uc.pa.gov/PUA
Applications will be effective the week you were first unemployed and is not based on the day you submit your PUA application.
Additional guidance regarding how to fill out certain parts of the application will be provided in the near future. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with this new system.
If you still receive the ineligibility message, then you may be eligible for regular unemployment compensation and are appropriately receiving this message that you are not eligible to apply for PUA at this time. Please file a regular Unemployment initial claim online at https://www.uc.pa.gov/unemployment-benefits/file/Pages/File%20an%20Initial%20Claim.aspx.”
Life Sustaining Business List
The Governor’s Life Sustaining Business received further clarification. The new list can be found here: https://www.scribd.com/document/452553026/UPDATED-12-30pm-April-20-2020-Industry-Operation-Guidance. Clarifications are as follows:
Health & Personal Care Stores: Still No, but clarifications now are - Except pharmacies and drug stores and businesses within the “all other health and personal care stores” category, permitted.
Volunteers & Help in District 33
Thanks to each of you that have reached out to help during this time to deliver groceries, prescriptions and supplies. Please continue to let me know, via my email address or phone number listed below if you can help.
Points of Light
As always, I’m thankful to see people reaching out to those around them during this time. Thank you to Pond Bank Community Church of Chambersburg who gave out 150 meals to those in need last Thursday, and Rolly Alegre with Rollz on Wheelz who donated lunch to the WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital on Friday.