PRINTER'S NO. 2986
No. 374 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY PERZEL, DeWEESE, S. H. SMITH, VEON, RYAN, ADOLPH,
ALLEN, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, J. BAKER, M. BAKER, BARD, BARLEY,
BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF,
BIRMELIN, BISHOP, BLAUM, BOYES, BROWNE, BUNT, BUTKOVITZ,
BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CASORIO, CAWLEY, CIVERA,
CLARK, CLYMER, L. I. COHEN, M. COHEN, COLAFELLA, COLEMAN,
CORNELL, CORRIGAN, COSTA, COY, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY,
DAILEY, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DERMODY, DiGIROLAMO, DIVEN,
DONATUCCI, EACHUS, EGOLF, D. EVANS, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD,
FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FORCIER, FRANKEL, FREEMAN,
GABIG, GANNON, GEIST, GEORGE, GODSHALL, GORDNER, GRUCELA,
GRUITZA, HABAY, HALUSKA, HANNA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARPER,
HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, HUTCHINSON,
JADLOWIEC, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KAISER, KELLER, KENNEY, KIRKLAND,
KREBS, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LAWLESS, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ,
LEVDANSKY, LEWIS, LUCYK, LYNCH, MACKERETH, MAHER, MAITLAND,
MAJOR, MANDERINO, MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, MAYERNIK, McCALL,
McGEEHAN, McGILL, McILHATTAN, McILHINNEY, McNAUGHTON, MELIO,
METCALFE, MICHLOVIC, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MUNDY,
MYERS, NAILOR, NICKOL, O'BRIEN, OLIVER, PALLONE, PETRARCA,
PETRONE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PIPPY, PISTELLA, PRESTON,
RAYMOND, READSHAW, REINARD, RIEGER, ROBERTS, ROBINSON,
ROEBUCK, ROHRER, ROONEY, ROSS, RUBLEY, RUFFING, SAINATO,
SAMUELSON, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SCHULER,
SCRIMENTI, SEMMEL, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK,
STAIRS, STEELMAN, STEIL, STERN, STETLER, R. STEVENSON,
T. STEVENSON, STRITTMATTER, STURLA, SURRA, TANGRETTI,
E. Z. TAYLOR, J. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, TRELLO,
TRICH, TULLI, TURZAI, VANCE, VITALI, WALKO, WANSACZ,
WASHINGTON, WATERS, WATSON, J. WILLIAMS, WILT, WOGAN,
WOJNAROSKI, G. WRIGHT, M. WRIGHT, YEWCIC, YOUNGBLOOD,
YUDICHAK, ZIMMERMAN AND ZUG, DECEMBER 4, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
DECEMBER 4, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Requiring review of legislation and legislative recommendations
2 on terrorism.
3 WHEREAS, The events of September 11, 2001, demonstrated the
1 ability of desperate individuals to use any means to commit acts
2 of terror on American soil; and
3 WHEREAS, The events of the last two months indicate that the
4 terror attacks can take many forms; and
5 WHEREAS, The General Assembly has made great strides in the
6 last seven years in developing legislation which combats
7 terrorism; and
8 WHEREAS, The Governor established the Governor's Task Force
9 on Security to assess this Commonwealth's current state of
10 emergency preparedness in the event of an act of terrorism; and
11 WHEREAS, The Governor's Task Force on Security has proposed
12 and the Governor is reviewing a comprehensive strategy to
13 prevent and protect against attacks in this Commonwealth and to
14 respond to such attacks in the event that prevention and
15 protection should fail and action is needed; and
16 WHEREAS, The Governor directed and agencies have taken
17 immediate steps to address a host of issues relating to public
18 safety and communication, including:
19 (1) a comprehensive Pennsylvania State Police survey of
20 each of the five nuclear power plants in this Commonwealth
21 which resulted in the deployment of National Guard troops and
22 additional Pennsylvania State Police troopers at this
23 Commonwealth's nuclear power plants;
24 (2) the placement of National Guard troops and
25 Pennsylvania State Police troopers at Pennsylvania airports;
26 (3) the establishment of a homeland security World Wide
27 Web site for Pennsylvania's citizens,
28 www.homelandsecurity.state.pa.us, as well as a special World
29 Wide Web site for Commonwealth employees addressing security,
30 mail handling and other matters affecting the needs of State
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1 employees;
2 (4) the preparation of a comprehensive catalog itemizing
3 available terrorism readiness and response courses for
4 Pennsylvania first responders; and
5 (5) expanded hours for the Department of Health's
6 southeastern Pennsylvania laboratory to accommodate
7 increasing Federal and State requests for assistance in
8 investigating anthrax threats;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives wishes to embark on a
11 bipartisan review and reform of the Commonwealth's laws in order
12 to define and combat terrorist groups and their techniques;
13 therefore be it
14 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
15 standing committees to undertake comprehensive reviews of the
16 legislative recommendations made by the Governor and the
17 Governor's Task Force on Security and other appropriate laws
18 within their jurisdiction in order to develop new and enhanced
19 laws to ensure that Pennsylvania is well prepared to detect,
20 thwart and punish terrorists operating in this Commonwealth; and
21 be it further
22 RESOLVED, That the Commerce and Economic Development
23 Committee provide specific recommendations or legislation on
24 ways to ensure that Commonwealth agencies and State-regulated
25 institutions do not knowingly or unknowingly provide investments
26 in terrorism and to develop ways in which current investment
27 programs can be used to fight terrorism; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That the Consumer Affairs Committee develop
29 recommendations or legislation on the protection of public
30 utility infrastructure, water supplies and transportation; and
20010H0374R2986 - 3 -
1 be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the Finance Committee develop recommendations
3 or legislation for tax changes which contribute toward the
4 fighting of terrorism through armed forces or emergency response
5 services or through the development of drugs used to combat
6 biological attack; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the Judiciary Committee develop
8 recommendations or legislation to ensure that the Commonwealth's
9 criminal statutes and judicial procedures are able to respond
10 and provide appropriate deterrence and penalties for terrorist
11 acts; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That the Local Government Committee provide
13 recommendations or legislation for local government officials'
14 response to emergency situations; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the Transportation Committee investigate and
16 provide recommendations or legislation on changes to the laws
17 enforced by the Department of Transportation to enhance
18 transportation security; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
20 Preparedness Committee develop recommendations to enhance
21 security through enhanced training and the provision of
22 additional equipment for emergency responders; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That all committees make reports to the Speaker of
24 the House of Representatives by January 1, 2002.
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