Criminal justice and health care reforms among 2020 priorities for local senators
Mark Hofmann | 缅北禁地
State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, said he鈥檚 working on legislation to open up alcohol sales in 2020.
Submitted photo
State Sen. Camera Bartolotta said she hopes to get several bills related to health care passed in 2020.
Two local state senators are looking forward to legislative efforts taking shape this year.
For state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, the focus will be on reshaping alcohol sales and looking for ways to help drivers who owe fines keep their licenses. State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, is hoping to cross 鈥渢he finish line鈥� with several bills related to health care, including granting nurse practitoners full-practice authority as so many other states have done.
Stefano, who represents all of Fayette County and Monessen, Rostraver Township, North Belle Vernon, Scottdale and Mount Pleasant in Westmoreland County, said stripping people who can鈥檛 pay certain court fines of their licenses as punishment puts people out of work.
鈥淚 hear all the time from constituents who cannot afford to pay fines due to traffic violations or license violations,鈥� he said.
Working with the Democratic leader, state Sen. Jay Costa, Stefano said they鈥檙e developing legislation to allow those unable to pay fines to do community service to satisfy court penalties.
鈥淭his will keep people on the road and employed,鈥� he said.
Stefano, chairman of the Law & Justice Committee which oversees the sale of alcohol in the state, said he met with stakeholders throughout 2019 and believes the alcohol industry needs parity.
He鈥檚 hopeful that his proposed legislation, SB 916, will become the foundation of that effort by allowing business with liquor licenses the ability to obtain expansion permits to sell spirits along with malt beverages and wine.
Consumers are already able to buy wine and beer at private retailers, and Stefano said the bill would be an extension of that legislation, giving a boost to the small family businesses that operate most beer distributors.
鈥淚 want to ensure Pennsylvanians have access and convenience to all products while ensuring that alcohol is sold safely and responsibly,鈥� he said. 鈥淪B 916 would allow the sale of liquor in beer distributors who are already responsibly selling malt beverages to consumers.鈥�
Stefano said he has several other bills in the works, and he encouraged constituents to visit his website at www.senatorstefano.com or his Facebook page at 鈥淪enator Pat Stefano鈥� to follow the bills that are currently in process.
鈥淭here鈥檙e things that I鈥檝e been trying to get across the finish line,鈥� said Bartolotta, who said she鈥檇 continue to focus on them this year.
Her 46th District covers all of Greene County and portions of Washington and Beaver counties.
A piece of legislation she has been working on for a while would bring Pennsylvania in line with 22 other states to grant nurse practitioners full-practice authority.
Instead of only primary, acute and specialty care, the bill would give the nurse practitioners the ability to evaluate patients, diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, initiate and manage treatment and prescribe medications.
鈥淲e鈥檙e burdening our physicians so much,鈥� Bartolotta said. 鈥淲e need good health care, and we can get it if we unshackle our nurse practitioners.鈥�
Also on the medical front, Bartolotta said her bill to preserve access to ventilator care will dedicate additional Medicaid funding to nursing facilities already demonstrating a significant commitment to caring for patients requiring ventilator care.
In any given month in Pennsylvania, Bartolotta said, there are 700 patients on ventilator care and tracheostomy services, but only a limited number of nursing facilities offer that service in the state. She said Medicare payments for that care have significantly declined in the past decade, causing more and more providers to limit or discontinue such care.
鈥淣ursing facilities are losing money 鈥� bleeding money,鈥� she said, adding that patients relocating to other facilities causes the families to travel hours away to visit them. A patient who is relocated to a hospital for that care risks exposure to other diseases, she said.
Bartolotta also noted her work on bills including a taxpayer protection act to put a limit on spending and give voters a say on spending growth, as well as her work with the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and the Criminal Reform Caucus.
For more information, visit her website at www.www.senatorbartolotta.com.
鈥淲e have a lot of irons in the fire,鈥� she said. 鈥�2020 is going to be a great year.鈥�