People who are faced with the threat of imminent danger would have the ability to use lethal force without the threat of prosecution as a result of a bill that the state House of Representatives approved Tuesday, said Rep.

Dick Stevenson, R-8th.“This change in law is not meant to allow unlawful aggression,” said Stevenson, a co-sponsor of the measure, “but rather to ensure that our laws protect those who find themselves in a situation where self-defense is necessary in a life-threatening situation.“When faced with such danger, a citizen shouldn’t have to fear prosecution in order to save themselves and their families.”Under the Castle Doctrine legislation, state law is clarified to presume an attacker or intruder intends to inflict bodily harm and deadly force may be used to protect oneself, family and others while in their home or an occupied vehicle.The presumption would not apply if the person entering a home or vehicle was another resident of the home, a law officer, a parent, grandparent or other guardian to remove a child.It heads to state Senate for consideration.———The state Senate this week approved three bills sponsored by Sen.

Mary Jo White, R-21st, that she said would shed light on funding for parks and recreation projects and state implementation plans, and dedicate funds to hazardous sites cleanup.The three measures would:n Require state agencies that receive funding under the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund Act to submit annual reports to the governor and General Assembly, including a description of projects, their locations and amounts requested, and post the information online.n Require the state Department of Environmental Protection to deposit any Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act-related fine money into the HSCA Fund, used to clean up hazardous sites. Civil penalties under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act could not be used to supplant other funds within DEP.n Require the DEP to post and maintain all clean air state implementation plans on its website, and to provide the same to the Senate and House oversight committees.The bills will be sent to the state House for consideration.———State Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, said he supported legislation approved Tuesday by the state Senate that would remove the sprinkler mandate for new residential construction from Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code.It replaces the mandate with a requirement that builders make sprinkler systems an option. However, additional fireproof materials would be required under floors in new residences without sprinklers.“The sprinkler mandate, which went into effect on Jan. 1, has added thousands of dollars to the costs of home construction, so it’s not really surprising that we’ve seen the market dry up well beyond what we’d normally see during the winter months,” Robbins said.———U.S. Rep.

Mike Kelly, R-3rd, voted Wednesday to repeal a section in the health care law providing $15 billion over the next decade on such preventive health care issues as fighting obesity, reducing smoking and promoting better nutrition.Kelly described the Prevention and Public Health Fund as a “slush fund” for the secretary of Health and Human Services that is not subject to congressional approval or oversight.“This health care law, with its budget gimmicks and hidden fees, is finally being exposed for what it really is: woefully bad policy that is going to add to our deficit and grow the size of government to an unprecedented level,” Kelly said.The vote, almost entirely along party lines, was approved 236-183.