HARRISBURG – Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) today released the following statement upon the announcement of Gary Tennis as the new secretary for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. DiGirolamo, a long-time advocate for drug and alcohol treatment, sponsored the legislation to create the new department, which becomes official now that a secretary has been named:

WHAT: The House Human Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), will convene a voting meeting to consider House Bill 272, legislation, sponsored by Rep. Dick Hess (R-Bedford/Fulton), to address education, prevention and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

WHAT: The House Human Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), will hold an informational meeting on the funding and payment policies of the Department of Public Welfare’s Office of Developmental Programs. This meeting will provide an update to the committee on the new system of billing and reimbursement that the federal government directed in 2009. Implementation of the changes has had a very serious impact on the fiscal stability of the provider agencies as well as the safety of the individuals served. Those expected to present information will include affected families as well as representatives from the following organizations: Family Links of Allegheny County; Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities (PAR); Access Services; Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (PARF); Horizon House Inc.; Pennsylvania Community Providers Association (PCPA); Step by Step; Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign; The Arc of Pennsylvania; Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania; Mental Health and Mental Retardation Program Administrators Association of Pennsylvania; and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.

HARRISBURG – A proposal aimed at preventing the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs is one step closer to House passage after being reported out of the House Human Services Committee today, said Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), sponsor of the bill and chairman of the committee.

WHAT: The House Human Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), will convene a voting meeting to consider House Bill 1651, legislation DiGirolamo has sponsored to create a database to enable informed and responsible prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances and to reduce diversion and misuse of the drugs of concern. The intent of the bill is to pinpoint the potential for abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, and refer people for help when appropriate.

Several years ago, families began to bring me large, poster-size pictures of loved ones who lost their lives to untreated alcohol and drug addictions. The pictures are bright, cheerful portraits taken before drugs and alcohol exacted their toll. I keep them close, across the desk from me as I work in my office in the state Capitol. These young people and their stories have set my legislative agenda for many years and now compel me to write this op-ed.

WHAT: The House Human Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), will hold a public hearing to look into delay of the implementation of the new Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, as outlined in Act 50 of 2010. The department was to have been implemented on July 1, 2011.

HARRISBURG – Organizations representing environmental issues, labor unions, the drug and alcohol treatment community, domestic violence prevention, Christian advocacy, fair housing efforts, adults with special needs and good government came together today at a Capitol press conference to urge action on legislation to enact a drilling tax in the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation.

WHAT: Reps. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) and Tom Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) will urge movement on legislation they’re sponsoring to enact a fair compromise for drilling tax in the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation.

BENSALEM – Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) invites local senior citizens, their families and caregivers to join him for his annual Senior Expo.

WHAT: The House Human Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), will convene a voting meeting to consider House Bill 1651, legislation DiGirolamo has sponsored to create a database to enable informed and responsible prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances and to reduce diversion and misuse of the drugs of concern. The intent of the bill is to pinpoint the potential for abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, namely those that are highly addictive controlled substances like pain relievers. Also to be considered at the meeting will be Sen. Andrew Dinniman’s Senate Bill 458, which would replace the term “mental retardation” with the term “intellectual disability” in state laws.

HARRISBURG – In an effort to ensure fairness within the state’s deep natural gas industry, Reps. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) and Tom Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) have unveiled a proposal to implement a drilling tax in Pennsylvania.

Legislation that would help prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs will be the subject of two public hearings in Harrisburg in June, said Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), sponsor of the proposal and chairman of the House Human Services Committee, which is holding the hearings.

HARRISBURG – Rep. Gene DiGirolamo’s (R-Bucks) legislation that will seek to find out more about deaths related to methadone passed the House today.

Legislation that will help the Commonwealth collect data and study the incidents and details of methadone deaths unanimously passed the new House Human Services Committee today, said Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), chairman of the committee and author of the proposal.