HARRISBURG — A bill to cut a six-month waiting period and extend the life of a popular program that provides health insurance for children is on its way to the desk of Gov. Tom Corbett. The state House voted unanimously on Tuesday to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program through 2015.

It eliminates the waiting period for the children who qualify for the low-cost and at-cost CHIP programs. The waiting period doesn’t apply to the free CHIP program.

State officials say the waiting period was a way to prevent parents or employers from dropping private insurance to enroll children in CHIP.

Bill pushes back judicial retirementsHARRISBURG — A proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow judges to serve five years longer before they must retire has the approval of state senators, although it still faces a long road.The bill to allow judges to serve until after they turn 75 years old passed the Senate on Tuesday, 44-6. It won House passage in late June. Currently, the state constitution requires judges to retire by the end of the year in which they turn 70.The House and Senate must also approve the bill in the next two-year session of the state Legislature before it can be considered by voters in a statewide referendum.Legal challenges to the state constitutional requirement have failed. Judges are elected to 10-year terms on the state appellate courts and county benches.

911 call legislation wins Tuesday voteHARRISBURG — The public wouldn’t be able to get the names or addresses of people who call 911 under a bill that’s received the approval of the state House.The House voted unanimously Tuesday to send the Senate the proposal to ban 911 centers from disclosing the callers’ names, phone numbers, addresses and locations.Supporters argue the measure would protect witnesses, and ensuring the callers’ privacy would make people more likely to call 911. A similar proposal passed the House in the last legislative session but died in the Senate.The state Commonwealth Court has ruled the York County 911 center had to disclose 911 time-response logs that include the nearest intersection.

Sandusky tab tops $50 millionSTATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s costs related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal have crossed $50 million.A university website shows that Penn State was on the hook for about $50.5 million as of July 31, up $2.8 million from two months earlier. The amount covers legal fees, consulting work and other costs.The university has said it won’t use tuition dollars, state appropriations or donations to pay the tab.The retired assistant football coach was sentenced to 30-to-60 years in prison last year after being convicted on dozens of criminal counts of sexual abuse. Sandusky’s November 2011 arrested triggered a massive scandal that saw the firing of late coach Joe Paterno, criminal charges against three university administrators.

Giant duck proves to be a big drawPITTSBURGH — The enormous rubber duck that has been bobbing by Pittsburgh’s waterfront is No. 1 in terms of drawing visitors, and tourist dollars to the city.The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust says the 40-foot high creation by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman has drawn hundreds of thousands visitors to the city’s monthlong Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts since it floated into view on Sept. 27.That’s helping downtown businesses count more customers, too, says Bill Shirk, a manager at Nola Restaurant in Market Square.He told a TV station that the day the duck arrived, he “had a line out the door for hours” and it’s remained steady since.The duck will remain in Pittsburgh through Oct. 20.