State Rep.

Frank LaGrotta, D-10th, has joined with Rep.

Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bucks, to introduce legislation designed to protect Pennsylvania students from being attacked or bullied in school."This is a serious problem not just in Pennsylvania, but also nationwide, LaGrotta said. "Every kid in Pennsylvania has the right to attend school without being harassed or bullied by other students. This legislation would reward school districts that establish anti-bullying policies with grants to continue programs to keep students safe.The proposed legislation would encourage school boards to adopt anti-bullying policies and provide examples of appropriate standards for officials to enact. In addition, the Office for Safe Schools would award targeted grants to schools to fund research-based programs dealing with pupil harassment, bullying and intimidation.A similar bill last year unanimously passed the House of Representatives.LaGrotta, meanwhile, has also joined with House Insurance Committee Chairman Rep.

Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, to introduce legislation that would protect consumers from being taken for a ride when purchasing insurance."Unscrupulous insurance agents have taken advantage of Pennsylvania consumers by encouraging them to change insurance policies when change was neither needed nor advisable," explained LaGrotta. "In reality, the change wasn't for the benefit of the customer; rather, it was simply to fill the agent's pockets with a fat commission."The proposed legislation would implement new disclosure requirements, including how much commission the insurance agent would receive, and how that amount was calculated. The bill would also require an estimate of the amount and method for calculating contingent commission, which is paid in addition to ordinary commissions in insurance sales.State Sen.

Don White, R-41st, was recently appointed to serve as one of the Senate's two representatives on the PENNVEST board of directors."PENNVEST financing has been a key catalyst in promoting several major water and sewer projects in the 41st District which, when completed, are expected to boost our local economy and create job opportunities," White noted.PENNVEST provides grants and low-interest loans to fund sewer, storm water and drinking water projects throughout the commonwealth.State Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, was recently appointed to the Senate's new Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee.The committee is charged with ensuring that the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Agency continues to comply with the 13 specific reforms put in place by Act 91 of 2000.In 1998, after hearing widespread allegations about abuses at the PIAA, the Senate Special Committee on Interscholastic Athletics conducted an in-depth inquiry into the operation of the PIAA.The PIAA was originally formed by high school principals to "eliminate abuses, establish uniform rules, and place interscholastic athletics in the overall context of secondary education."It is organized as a nonprofit membership corporation comprised of more than 1,360 Pennsylvania high schools and junior high/middle schools.The work of the special committee resulted in Act 91 of 2000, which established the Interscholastic Athletics Oversight Council. The council was formed to oversee 13 specific reforms at the PIAA, including opening meetings to the public, prohibiting conflicts of interest, undergoing annual audits, and providing fairness to student athletes. In February of 2004, the oversight council released its final report stating that the PIAA had complied with the 13 reforms.Robbins, who was a member of the original Senate Special Committee and the Oversight Council, called for the establishment of a permanent form of oversight of the PIAA to ensure that it continue the reforms that were put in place.The General Assembly unanimously passed Act 70 of 2004, which created a six-member legislative body to monitor the compliance of the PIAA with the reforms in Act 91 of 2000.U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, voted last week in the House Ways and Means Committee to pass a measure that would provide additional incentives for charitable giving to assist in relief efforts for victims of the recent Indian Ocean tsunami."This legislation provides an important incentive for taxpayers to make cash contributions to help the tsunami victims," said English, a member of the Ways and Means Committee. "The sense of urgency in helping our friends in that region which is felt by Members of Congress is reflected by the speed and bipartisanship of our committee's action today."The measure, approved Jan. 6 by unanimous consent, would provide taxpayers with an additional incentive to contribute much-needed cash to relief efforts now by permitting taxpayers to deduct such cash contributions made during January 2005 from their 2004 income, accelerating the tax benefit for giving.Ordinarily, donations are deductible for the tax year during which they are made."American generosity is the largest single comfort to the victims of this disaster," English said. "We are proud of Americans' response to the needs of their allies on the other side of the world and we have moved to adjust the tax law to make this generosity even easier."State Rep.

Frank LaGrotta, D-10th, will serve as a senior member of the House Democratic Policy Committee during the 2005-06 legislative session."This is the committee that helps set the progressive agenda that Democrats in the House of Representatives, working with Gov.(Ed) Rendell, hope to advance for working families in Pennsylvania," LaGrotta said.The House Democratic Policy Committee helps Democratic lawmakers develop and enact effective legislation by holding public hearings throughout Pennsylvania on important subjects.The committee typically holds hearings to investigate local problems, as well as gauge the impact of proposed legislation on specific areas of the state. State Rep.

Stephen Stetler, D-York, is chairman of the committee.LaGrotta also serves as Democratic Chairman of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee.