Representative Mundy – Legislation Passed into Law

Getting Children Off to the Best Start in Life

Act 23 of 2006, OUNCE OF PREVENTION ACT  -- HB 200

This legislation creates a program to award grants to qualified organizations that provide purely voluntary home visiting services for at-risk families.

Research shows that comprehensive early home visitation programs prevent child abuse, help develop positive parent-child interactions, help the brain development of the child, have long-term savings in both public and private health care costs and help to avoid future social problems.  In addition to addressing child abuse, such programs help to ensure families’ social and medical needs are met and that children are ready for success in school.

Studies show that for every dollar we invest in these proven programs we save seven dollars later on in such areas as foster care and prisons.

Act 111 of 2002 - Rep. Phyllis Mundy co-authored this important legislation to help address the environmental and health and safety concerns caused by waste tire piles. The law has several components. First, it establishes an authorization program for waste tire haulers in the Commonwealth. Unauthorized haulers may be subject to civil penalties or assessed violations by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). 

The law also establishes a registry for waste tire haulers by DEP and a toll-free number people can use to request information or report illegal activity. Moreover, a Waste Tire Collection Grant Program to reimburse individuals, local governments, businesses, corporations and other organizations for the costs of establishing and operating a waste tire collection program is created under the law.

Other provisions of the law give the DEP authority to impose liens on properties that use waste tire remediation grants and promote the use of waste tires in construction projects by state agencies.

Act 172 of 1996 - This amendment to the Second Class Township Code was introduced by Rep. Mundy to correct previous changes to the law making municipal ordinance violations a civil, rather than criminal penalty.  This change cost second class townships money, by requiring them to pay a filing and service fee when filing an action against an individual for violating a municipal ordinance. 

Rep. Mundy corrected this problem by passing legislation into law that exempted these municipalities from paying the filing and service fees, as had been the case with the process.  This saves both second class townships and local taxpayers residing therein money.

Rep. Mundy’s legislation had originally been introduced as HB 2593.  It passed the House unanimously (201-0) as an amendment to HB 2961, which became Act 172.

Protecting Law Enforcement Officers in the Course of Duty and Giving them the Tools they Need to Fight Violent Criminals and Drug Dealers. 

Act 186 of 1996 -  This amendment to the Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act made it lawful, for limited purposes, for investigative or law enforcement officers to meet in person with a suspected felon and wear a concealed electronic or mechanical device. 

Rep. Mundy introduced the bill because of a situation where a Kingston police officer’s life was threatened while he was trying to investigate and prosecute a drug dealer.  Because he was unable to wear any kind of listening device, he was unable to communicate with the police van outside and was placed in harm’s way.  The legislation Rep. Mundy had passed into law now helps protect undercover police officers, and provides law enforcement with an important crime fighting communication tool. 

Originally introduced as House Bill 2459 by Rep. Mundy, the legislation passed overwhelmingly in the House (191-9) as an amendment to House Bill 2592, which was signed into law as Act 186.

Protecting Health Care Consumers by ensuring that Professional Counselors and Therapists are Licensed.

Act 136 of 1998 - This legislation, which Rep. Mundy authored along with Rep. Sheila Miller, provides for licensing of mental health professionals--specifically counselors and therapists. Pennsylvania had been one of three states that did not license counselors and therapists.

Prior to passage of Act 136, the lack of a state license under managed care in Pennsylvania caused thousands of counselors and therapists major disruption in their ability to practice their profession, and made it increasingly difficult for mental health consumers to receive treatment from those with whom they had already established beneficial therapeutic relationships.

This law protects health care consumers requiring treatment from mental health professionals by ensuring that counselors and therapists treating them have met the appropriate educational and clinical training requirements.