Act 1, House Bill 2, Printer's Number 1618-April 13, 2005

This is the "Growing Greener Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection Enhancement Authorization Act," which provides for submission of a question to the electorate at the municipal primary in 2005 to authorize incurring of indebtedness for the maintenance and protection of the environment, open space and farmland preservation, watershed protection, abandoned mine reclamation, acid mine drainage remediation, and other environmental initiatives.

Authorizes the release of "Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act" restrictions on certain lands owned by the Township of Upper Dublin, Montgomery County, in return for the imposition of restrictions on certain lands being conveyed to the Township.

Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to provide a general rule governing employer immunity from liability for disclosure of information regarding former or current employees to prospective employers.

This Act: (1) makes a subsection in Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes relating to the distribution of the marital portion of defined benefit retirement plans applicable to all equitable distribution proceedings "pending" as of the effective date of this Act; and (2) repeals a provision of Act 175 of 2004 that applied the aforementioned subsection only to equitable distribution proceedings "commenced" after January 28, 2005.

Amends the "Unemployment Compensation Law" (Law) by, among other things: (1) expanding the definition "Employer" to include individuals or entities that transfer some or all of their work force to the payroll of another individual or entity pursuant to a professional employer arrangement or an employe leasing arrangement; (2) establishing that any party in any proceeding under the Law before the Department of Labor and Industry, a referee, or the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review may be represented by any representative chosen by the party, and that such representative may be other than an attorney; (3) establishing a special fund to be known as the Job Training Fund, providing for transfers of money to the Fund from the Special Administration Fund, and identifying entities which shall be eligible to receive funding for the provision of work force education programs and services; (4) enumerating new criminal offenses and civil penalties for violations of the Law; and (5) further providing for contribution rates.

THE GOVERNOR'S DESK IS CURRENTLY CLEAR OF BILLS TO BE SIGNED