Sponsored Legislation 

Voters' Choice Act

First introduced in 2008, this legislation would eliminate unfair hurdles that obstruct ballot access for minor party and independent candidates. The bill, Senate Bill 252, would enhance Pennsylvania's democratic process by leveling the playing field for minority and independent candidates.  

Current state law uses a complex formula to produce an extraordinarily high number of required signatures non-major party candidates must obtain to appear on the ballot. For example, in 2006, that formula resulted in non-major party and independent candidates having to gather nearly 68,000 petition signatures to run in the general election for governor or U.S. Senator. Major party candidates, meanwhile, were required to gather only 2,000 signatures during the primary election to run for those same offices.    

The legislation would make the signature requirements for non-major party and independent candidates the same as which major party candidates have for primary elections. Because minor parties do not participate in primary elections, the Voter Choice Act would require them to nominate candidates for a general election according to their own rules and at their own expense. 

Finally, the Voters' Choice Act would eliminate another complicated formula which makes it difficult for a political body to qualify as minor party. Under Folmer's bill, any political body that claims at least 0.05 percent of the total number of registered voters in the Commonwealth would qualify as a minor party.      

Bill History: Introduced as Senate Bill 1578, no action was taken in the Senate State Government Committee. 

Elected Assessors in Townships of the 1^st Class

Introduced in 2008 to eliminate the position of elected assessors in townships of the 1^st class, Senate Bill 140 would complement Senator Gordner's initiatives to eliminate elected assessors in boroughs in counties of the 4^th to 8^th Classes. 

Similar bills were enacted into law (Act 166 and Act 167) in the 2005-2006 Session, eliminating the positions of elected assessors in townships of the 2^nd Class. 

Most municipalities no longer have elective assessors within their jurisdictions and these bills are supported by most local government associations. 

Bill History: Passed unanimously by the Senate as Senate Bill 709, but died awaiting action in the House.

Education Accountability

A public education accountability measure, the bill would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to issue an annual report on the operation of the Educational Assistance Program, a measure designed to accelerate learning in struggling school districts by funding evidence-based tutoring.   

Included in the report would be:

• A list of approved education assistance providers;
• A list of eligible schools that have a contract with the provider;
• Number of students (by grade level) who received tutoring services; and
• The assessment of academic progress conducted by the Department

The legislation would require the report be submitted to the Majority and Minority Chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations and Education Committees and posted on the Department's website. 

Bill History: Passed the Senate (43-2) as Senate Bill 805, died awaiting action in the House Education Committee.  

Small Games of Chance Bingo Bill

Senator Folmer's Small Games of Chance legislation, Senate Bill 211, would increase the weekly limits for small games of chance from $5,000 to $20,000. The measure is a companion bill to Senator Jane Orie's proposal (Senate Bill 212) to increase bingo prizes from $4,000 per day to $8,000. Separate legislation is required since there is a Small Games of Chance Law and a Bingo Law. 

Bill History: Last session both bills were reported from the Senate Finance Committee, but were not acted upon by the Senate Appropriations Committee.  

REAL ID

Senator Folmer is concerned with your personal privacy and the federal government's unfunded mandate of a national identification card, REAL ID. That is why he introduced Senate Bill 621, a measure to exempt Pennsylvania from compliance.

REAL ID also requires states to share motor vehicle databases, which will in effect, create a single, national database. Many are concerned that personal information in such a database could not be kept confidential. Digital scans of identification documents, including birth certificates and Social Security cards, would be required to be retained for at least 10 years (or a paper copy for seven years).

REAL ID also threatens privacy rights by opening the door to the empowerment of the Department of Homeland Security to collect biometric data – including fingerprints and eye scans – as well as placing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips in every American’s driver’s license. Senator Shirley Kitchen’s Right to Body Data Privacy Act, Senate Bill 623, would prohibit government bodies from capturing or releasing biometric data without an individual’s approval or knowledge.

Senator John Wozniak has proposed the Identification Card Electronic Swiping Act, Senate Bill 622, which would restrict information that can be made available from driver’s licenses for marketing or other purposes beyond law enforcement.  

Eleven states, including South Carolina, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana, and Virginia, have already enacted statutes precluding their compliance with the federal REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 in response to recommendations from the 9-11 Commission. 

It is anticipated that compliance of the unfunded federal mandate would come at a price tag of $11 billion to already financially-strapped states.

Bill History: Introduced in the 2007-2008 Legislative Session as Senate Bill 1220, a public hearing was held by the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, but no other action was taken.  

Cord Blood Banking

To better serve Pennsylvanians in need of transplants and spur life-saving treatments, Senate Folmer's Senate Bill 382 would create a state cord blood bank. 

The bill is designed to complement the federal Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005.  A Pennsylvania Public Cord Blood Bank would be required to meet the requirements of a qualified cord blood bank under federal law and would have to participate with the national program. As such, the Pennsylvania program would be able to apply for additional federal future funding if any of the federal funding allocated for cord blood band ($15 million a year) would be available. 

Elimination of Jury Commissioners in the Counties of the 5^th Class

This legislation was requested by the Lebanon County Commissioners who believe the cost/benefit of these positions are no longer justified and, as a result, should be eliminated. 

If enacted into law, Senate Bill 392 would give Counties of the Fifth Class, such as Lebanon, the option to abolish the positions by either empowering citizens to initiate a referendum or adopt a resolution to place the question on the ballot for the general public to vote whether to eliminate the positions.  

Upon approval of such a referendum, the office of Jury Commissioner would expire at the end of the current commissioners' term(s) of office. 

Police at Military Institutions

Senate Bill 384 would establish better protection and security for military installations throughout Pennsylvania, including Fort Indiantown Gap, located in Senator Folmer's district.  

The legislation would clarify the powers and duties of police officers employed at state military institutions and officers would be given powers and duties similar to those of local and state law enforcement officers.  The bill would also provide for more training of security officials patrolling military facilities. 

Bill History: Last Session as Senate Bill 1036, the measure was reported from the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Senator Folmer is also a cosponsor of many commonsense legislative initiatives to improve the lives and strengthen the rights of Pennsylvanians.