State Sens.

Jane Orie, R-40th, and John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would restructure appointment, reporting and accounting procedures of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency board.The bill would require PHEAAto contract with an accounting firm to do an annual audit of the board, which must be submitted to the House and Senate finances committees by April 1.PHEAAwould also be required to submit to the committees a report of all expenses and revenues of the PHEAAboard.The proposed legislation followed recent media accounts highlighting employee spending and detailing how board members spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on trips to upscale resorts in recent years."Lavish trips, tuxedos and spa visits are not defensible expenses and should be stopped,"Orie said. "This legislation will ensure that money is spent prudently and put PHEAAon notice that it has to be accountable to theLegislature and the citizens of Pennsylvania."———The state Senate this week approved legislation to exempt Pennsylvania from a new building code requirement for coastal areas and earthquake-prone regions, according to Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, a co-sponsor of the measure.Under the mandate, new residential construction is now required to have anchor bolts when the foundation and retaining walls are built, which could increase home building costs by as much as $3,000.According to the Pennsylvania Builders Association, Indiana and Georgia have removed the anchor bolt mandate and North and South Carolina are currently going through the process of removing it as well.Engineers from the Concrete Foundation Association, the National Association of Home Builders and other industry groups claim the provisions are unnecessary and have jointly submitted a code change to remove these provisions from the next published edition of the international residential code, which will not be out until 2009.Robbins, meanwhile, recently introduced legislation that would further amend the uniform construction code to exclude temporary buildings at agricultural fairs.———U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, has helped author a bill he said would fix inequality in the Medicare system.English and Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., last week announced their measure, the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, to repeal the cap on therapy services under Medicare.English, a member of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, said, "If Congress does not act this year, seniors will be left to bear the brunt of an unfair financial burden associated with required therapy services. By repealing the cap on therapy services under Medicare, we will ensure seniors' rehabilitative needs will be met without limiting care to an arbitrary price tag."The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed annual caps per beneficiary of $1,500 on occupational therapy and a separate combined $1,500 cap on physical therapy and speech-language pathology.Since then, Congress has placed a moratorium on the therapy caps. On Jan. 1, 2006, a cap of $1,740, adjusted for inflation, went into effect. In response, Congress provided beneficiaries with an exception process to the financial limitation on rehabilitation services under Medicare.Without congressional action, the current exceptions process will expire December 31, 2007.The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007 would eliminate the caps on rehabilitative therapy under Medicare.———District Judge

Pete Shaffer of Butler has been recertified as a member of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System after completing his 2007 continuing legal education work.The weeklong instruction program in Harrisburg by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is required for district judges.———High school students from the 3rd Congressional District can apply to become congressional pages, U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, said.English's office is now accepting applications for the summer 2007 Republican page program.Pages live in a dormitory with other pages and must attend classes.To qualify as a page, students must be 16 years old when they come to Washington, D.C., and have at least a B grade average. Pages may only serve before or after their junior year.Applicants must be sponsored by a House member. There are two summer sessions.To apply, call English's Erie district office at 814-456-2038. Applications must be completed by April 11.