VeteransAffairs_Committee

Meeting to consider SB 861, SB 927,  HB 491, HB 995, and HB 1421

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.

East Wing, Hearing Room 8E-A

AGENDA

Meeting to consider SB 861, SB 927,  HB 491, HB 995, and HB 1421

Schedule

Call to Order

Consideration of Legislation

SB 861 (Stefano) (Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact) 

SB 927 (Hutchinson) (Title 51/Military Affairs:  Medical Officer or Health Officer Incentive Program Enhancements)

              Amendment 02902 (Stefano) Adds an additional eligibility requirement 

HB 491 (Boback) (Title 51/Military Affairs:  Excludes Veterans compensation benefits from income calculations for applying for Commonwealth programs) 

HB 995 (Kaufer) (Title 51/Military Affairs:  Expands Veterans Outreach)

Amendment 02856 (Brooks) would codify DMVA’s “Vet Connect” program into law 

HB 1421 (Thomas) (Title 51/Military Affairs:  Increases the amounts for Veterans Burial Details)

Adjournment

Roundtable discussion with female veterans

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Monday, November 1, 2021 | 1:00 p.m.

Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, Lebanon County

AGENDA

Roundtable discussion with female veterans

Public hearing on services to Pennsylvania veterans

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Monday, October 25, 2021 | 10:30 a.m.

North Office Building, Hearing Room #1

Agenda

Public hearing on services to Pennsylvania veterans

Schedule

Call to Order

Opening Statements

  • Senator Pat Stefano, Chairman
  • Senator Katie Muth, Democrat Chair

Testimony

10:30 a.m.  Joint State Government Commission

  • Glenn Pasewicz, Executive Director – Testimony
  • Frank Lill, Public Policy Analyst

11:00 a.m.  Department of Military & Veterans Affairs

  • Major General Mark Schindler, The Adjutant General – Testimony
  • Mr. Marc Ferraro, Executive Deputy Secretary
  • Brigadier General Maureen Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs
  • Mr. Joel Mutschler, Director of the Bureau of Veterans Programs, Initiatives, Reintegration, and Outreach

12:00 p.m. State Veterans Commission

  • Keith Beebe, LTC, US Army (Ret.), Member, Real Estate Tax Exemption Program Committee – Testimony

Closing Statements

Adjournment

Written Testimony

SR 170 Report

Public hearing to consider SB 698, Countywide Public Safety Authorities

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Tuesday, October 12, 2021 | 1:00 p.m.

Connellsville Township Volunteer Fire Department | Fayette County
905 Fireman St, Connellsville, PA 15425

AGENDA

Public hearing to consider SB 698, Countywide Public Safety Authorities 

SCHEDULE

Call to Order

Opening Statements

  • Senator Pat Stefano, Chairman
  • Senator Katie Muth, Democrat Chair

Testimony

1:00 p.m. Intro Panel 

  • Jerry Ozog, Innovation Subcommittee Member, SR 6 Commission – Testimony
  • Kevin Boozel, President, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (Butler County) – Testimony
  • Senator Lisa Baker, Co-Prime Sponsor
  • Senator Tim Kearney, Co-Prime Sponsor – Testimony

1:35 p.m. Local Government Panel

  • Scott Dunn, Commissioner, Fayette County – Testimony
  • Joel Landis, Director, Somerset County Emergency Management
  • Andrew Boni, 1st Vice President, PA State Association of Township Supervisors (Perry Township) – Testimony
  • Michael J. Witherel, Solicitor – Testdimony
  • Gary Watters, Executive Director, Altoona-Logan Township Mobile Medical Emergency Department Authority
  • Jennie Shade, Director of Government Relations, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association

2:10 p.m. Fire Panel

  • Steve Bair, President of the Board of Directors – Testimony
    Jerry Brant, Board Member – Testimony
    Pennsylvania Fire & Emergency Services Institute
  • Jim Carstater, Co-Chair, Legislative & Law Committee, Firefighters Association State of Pennsylvania – Testimony
  • Eldon Mickel, Past President, Central District Volunteer Fireman’s Association – Testimony
  • Jay Delaney, President, Pennsylvania Career Chiefs Association – Testimony
  • JT Pennington, President, Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association

2:45 p.m. EMS Panel

  • Dylan Ferguson, Director, PA Department of Health Bureau of EMS
  • Don DeReamus, Legislative Director – Testimony
    Heather Sharrar, Executive Director, Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania
  • JR Henry, Past President
    Janette Swade, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council – Testimony
    J.R. Henry, Executive Director/Chief, Valley Ambulance Authority
  • Jessica Sorge, Executive Director & EMS Chief, Hollidaysburg American Legion Ambulance Service – Testimony

Statements for the Record

  • Pennsylvania Municipal League
  • Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners
  • Chief Bob Haddad, Windber Fire Company No. 1 /Northern EMS/Cambria County S.E.R.

Closing Statements

Adjournment

Meeting to consider HR 139

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 | Off the floor

Senate Chamber

Meeting to consider SB 849, SR 164, HB 941, and HB 1598

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 | 11:30 a.m.

East Wing, Hearing Room 8E-A

Meeting to consider SB 849, SR 164, HB 941, and HB 1598

Call to Order

Consideration of Legislation

*SB 849 (Stefano) (Title 51/ Military Affairs:  Veterans’ Preference Clarification)

*SR 164 (Robinson) (Concurrent Resolution:  Urges the U.S. Navy to designate Philadelphia as the site of the U.S. Navy’s 250th Birthday Celebration)

*HB 941 (Burns) (Military Personnel – Residency Status for Students:  Ensures In-State Tuition for Deployed Military Families)

*HB 1598 (Boback) (Flood Plain Management Act:  Places Administration under PEMA)

            Amendment #02261 (Stefano) (Deletes duplicative language in the Administrative Code)

III.  Adjournment

Public hearing on the “Next Generation of Firefighters”

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Monday, September 13, 2021 | 10:30 a.m.

Somerset Volunteer Fire Department, Somerset County

340 W Union St, Somerset, PA 15501

Public hearing on the “Next Generation of Firefighters”

AGENDA

Call to Order

Opening Statements

Senator Pat Stefano, Chairman
Senator Katie Muth, Democrat Chair

Testimony

10:30 a.m.      Tom Cook, State Fire Academy Administrator
Office of the State Fire Commissioner

11:00 a.m.    PA Fire & Emergency Services Institute

Jared Renshaw, Chief of Western Berks (Berks County) – Testimony
Nick Sohyda, Chief of Mt. Lebanon (Allegheny)
Ellen Yarborough, Deputy Chief, South Media Fire Co. 1 (Delaware) – Testimony

11:30 p.m.    Community College Association of Pennsylvania – Testimony

Dr. Tuesday Stanley, President
Westmoreland County Community College

Lisa Campbell, Dean of Workforce Development
Butler County Community College

Rick Hilinski, Assistant Director, Public Safety Institute
Community College of Allegheny County

12:00 p.m.    Career Fire

Tim Hileman, Secretary – Testimony
PA Career Fire Chiefs Association

JT Pennington, President
PA Professional Fire Fighters Association

Ralph Sicuro, President – Testimony
Pittsburgh Fire Fighters, IAFF Local No. 1

12:30 p.m.    Fire Chiefs Panel

Steve Goho, Deputy Chief – Testimony
Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company (Cumberland)

Greg Porter, Chief
Etna Volunteer Fire Department (Allegheny)

Adjournment

 

To consider nominations of Major General Mark Schindler for Adjutant General and the promotion of Brigadier General Ben Cason (PA National Guard) to Major General.

Posted on

Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Monday, June 21, 2021 | 12:00 noon

North Office Building, Hearing Room #1 and Virtual Participation

To consider nominations of Major General Mark Schindler for Adjutant General and the promotion of Brigadier General Ben Cason (PA National Guard) to Major General.

Agenda

Call to Order

Confirmation Hearing

Major General Mark Schindler (Dept of Military & Veterans Affairs) – Biography – nominated for Adjutant General
Introduced by Senator Chris Gebhard

General Officer Promotion

Brigadier General Benjamin Cason (PA Air National Guard) – Biography – nominated for Major General
Introduced by Senator Pat Stefano 

Consideration of Legislation

HB 196 (Day) (Title 51/Military Affairs:  Employment Protection for PA Residents serving in an Out-of-State National Guard) 

Adjournment

 

 

Public hearing on Pennsylvania’s veterans home care and COVID-19 mitigation protocols

Posted on

JOINT HEARING

Senate AND House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees

Thursday, June 17, 2021
9:30 a.m. in the Irvis Building, Room 515

Public hearing on Pennsylvania’s veterans home care and COVID-19 mitigation protocols

Call to Order

Opening Statements

Representative Karen Boback, House Chair
Senator Pat Stefano, Senate Chairman
Senator Katie Muth, Senate Democrat Chair
Representative Chris Sainato, House Democrat Chair

Testimony

9:30 a.m. – PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs – Testimony – Addendum

  • Major General Mark Schindler- The Acting Adjutant General
  • Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) Maureen Hopkins Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs
  • Patricia Derry – Deputy, Office of Administration
  • Marc Ferraro – Executive Deputy Secretary
  • Travis Davis – Director, Bureau of Veterans Homes

10:00 a.m. – PA Department of Health – Testimony

  • Keara Klinepeter, Executive Deputy Secretary

10:30 a.m.

  • James Ulinski, Vietnam Veteran – Testimony

10:50 a.m. – PA Auditor General’s Office – Testimony – Addendum

  • Gordon Denlinger, Deputy Auditor General for Audits

Adjournment