Robbins: Senate Passes Measures Providing Home Heating Assistance; Protecting Cell Phone User Privacy; and Enhancing Pennsylvania's Snowmobile Tourism

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Senate passed several measures last week, including legislation that would provide approximately $25 million in state funds to help low-income families with their heating bills; legislation that would restrict cell phone companies from including customers' names and numbers in their subscriber directories; and a bill that would help snowmobile tourism in Pennsylvania.

The Senate added a provision to House Bill 1539 that would redirect 1.0 mills of the Pennsylvania Gross Receipts Tax (approximately $25 million) to the "Emergency Energy Assistance Fund," which would go toward low-income families' home heating costs this winter. This funding would be in addition to the $189 million that Pennsylvania currently receives under the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

"Heating costs are expected to rise significantly this year," said Robbins. "This legislation would provide additional assistance to help alleviate this situation. In the meantime, families with eligible incomes should apply to LIHEAP and look into to the community assistance programs offered by their local utility company."

The Senate also passed Senate Bill 713, which would require any cell phone company operating in the Commonwealth to obtain the express consent of a subscriber before including their name and number in their directory of cell phone numbers. The legislation, part of a package of privacy bills in the Senate, would also allow subscribers to opt out of the directory at any time. Furthermore, cell phone companies would be prohibited from charging subscribers a fee for opting out.

"This bill gives consumers the power to decide who has access to their cell phone numbers," said Robbins. "As we saw with the popularity of the Do Not Call List, consumers value their privacy. This is particularly true where cell phone users are charged for calls and text messages that they do not necessarily want to receive. It should be up to the subscriber to decide who they give their number to."

Additionally, the Senate approved Senate Bill 995, which would allow out-of-state residents to purchase special event passes for organized off-road vehicle (ATV or snowmobile) events in Pennsylvania, rather than having to purchase a Pennsylvania license. Recently, New York and Ohio have ended their reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania -- thus requiring snowmobile riders to purchase a license in each state that they ride in. The decisions by New York and Ohio have resulted in a significant decline in the number of ATV tourists visiting Pennsylvania.

Sen. Robbins stated, "I am hopeful that this bill will soon reach the desk of the Governor so that we can provide an attractive option for out-of-state residents to experience Pennsylvania this winter."

CONTACT:

Nate Silcox
(717) 787-1322