Sep. 28, 2023
WARREN — Rep. Kathy L. Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest), Republican chair of the House Health Committee, voted against a bill that would require further regulations on public swimming pools and splash pads in Pennsylvania.
House Bill 1565 would also replace the current one-time $10 fee for pool permits with a recurring annual fee of at least $100.
“Many of our public pools are already struggling to stay afloat financially,” Rapp said. “This bill not only raises their fees tenfold, but also gives the Department of Health the power to raise these fees even further, and with no cap.”
House Bill 1565 was reported out of the House Health Committee with a 14-11 vote along party lines. It now heads to the full House for consideration.
Rapp voted in favor of a resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the Commonwealth's response to COVID-19.
“While I have some concerns about the size and the scope of this commission, I stand by the unanimous House decision last legislative session to study Pennsylvania’s response to the pandemic,” said Rapp. “While the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) report was never finalized due to lack of cooperation by the previous administration, this resolution can get us the answers we need at no extra cost to the taxpayers.”
House Resolution 143 was reported out of the House Health Committee with a vote of 22-3. It now heads to the full House for consideration.
In addition to this resolution, the Health Committee also reported out 16 other resolutions designating certain days, weeks and months in recognition of an array of causes. Among these resolutions is Rapp’s House Resolution 203, which designates the week of Sept. 17-24 as "Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Research and Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
“Experts estimate 30,000 to 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year,” Rapp said. “There is currently no cure for IPF. I hope this resolution helps bring more awareness to this disease and its treatment.”
Representative Kathy Rapp
65th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jake Gillespie
717.772.9834
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