| Weekly Roundup |
| The latest news from the State Capitol |
Cook, PA Lawmakers Urge President Trump to Revisit Real ID
This week, I joined with 115 of my House colleagues in signing on to a letter to President Donald Trump asking for his administration to re-examine the application of the REAL ID Act and encourage Congress to make changes to the law in order to resolve the constitutional and cost issues associated with it.
You can read the letter here.
As you may know, Pennsylvania was recently granted an extension by the federal government to comply with REAL ID. The Commonwealth now has until June 5 to fix state law to meet the requirements of the act.
The delay will allow Pennsylvania residents to continue using their driver’s licenses as identification to enter federal buildings. Without the extension, residents would have needed an additional photo ID, such as a passport, to gain access to military buildings, nuclear power plants and federal facilities starting on Jan. 30.
For the latest district event information and state government updates, visit RepBudCook.com and Facebook.com/RepBudCook.
|
Working For You: 2017-18 Committee Assignments
This week, the House Committee on Committees met to finalize assignments for the 27 standing committees to cover the 2017-18 legislative session.
During my first term, I have been appointed to serve on the following the House committees: Game and Fisheries, Gaming Oversight, Human Services, and Tourism and Recreational Development.
All bills are assigned to a standing committee to undergo review. Committees may hold hearings on legislation, consider amendments to pending bills and report them to the full House for a vote.
I am very excited with my appointment to each of these highly active and extremely important standing committees and how well these fit with our vision and goals for the 49th Legislative District. There is a lot of heavy lifting that needs to be done at the legislative level to ensure that our state and local economies thrive, the Mon Valley’s ever-increasing drug epidemic is addressed, our regional travel and tourism are revitalized, and all levels of government are held accountable.
For additional information on my committee assignments click on my news release below.
|
Emergency Programs Can Save Lives
To help first responders help motorists and passengers who may be injured in car crashes, PennDOT offers two programs aimed at saving the lives of Pennsylvanians in emergency situations – the Yellow Dot and Emergency Contact Information programs.
Participants in Yellow Dot fill out the program form with emergency contact, medical contact and medical information, insert it in the program’s folder and then place it in their vehicle’s glove compartment. A yellow dot sticker affixed to the rear window alerts emergency responders to the availability of information to help them provide better care to crash victims.
The Emergency Contact Information program offers Pennsylvania driver’s license and PennDOT-issued ID holders the opportunity to log into a secure database and list two emergency contacts. Participants can update the information as needed, but only law enforcement officials can view the information in the system. In the event of an emergency, law enforcement can use a participant’s ID to find his or her emergency contact information.
The Yellow Dot program is used only in vehicle crashes, but the Emergency Contact Information program can be used in other emergencies as well as crashes.
To learn more, click here.
|
Wear Red Feb. 3 to Raise Awareness of Women’s Heart Disease
Women across the country are encouraged to wear red on Friday, Feb. 3, as part of the “Go Red for Women” campaign to raise awareness of women’s heart disease. Legislative efforts over the years have made the official designation in Pennsylvania as a way to remind women of the risks of heart disease.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women each year, causing one in three deaths each year, or about one per minute. According to the American Heart Association, 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women vs. men, and are often misunderstood. By increasing awareness, speaking up about heart disease and empowering women to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease, we can save thousands of lives each year.
|