PFMA successfully lobbied for the following legislation/regulations passage in 2015.
Pharmacist and Pharmacy Intern Influenza Immunizations — Helped secure final passage of HB 182, which allows pharmacists and pharmacy interns to administer the influenza immunization to children ages nine and up with parental consent.
Nonresident Pharmacies Registration — Helped secure final passage of HB 75, which amends the Pharmacy Act adding a new section requiring pharmacies located outside of Pennsylvania to register with the State Board of Pharmacy if they fill prescription orders for residents of the Commonwealth. It also requires the pharmacies to have a valid license in their home state and provide a copy of their most recent inspection report.
Menu Labeling Rule Delay — PFMA was successful in helping to delay the FDA/ACA menu labeling rule implementation date from December 1, 2015 to December 1, 2016. This delay will allow PFMA and our national partners to continue to push for a federal legislative solution to this issue.
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 — PFMA worked with our state and national partners to help secure passage of the tax extenders found in this bill. Some of the highlights are below:
• Permanently extends the expensing limitation and phase-out amounts at the 2010-2014 levels ($500,000 and $2 million, respectively). Rules allowing for expensing for computer software and qualified real property are also permanently extended.
• Extends bonus depreciation through 2019. The percentage is 50% for property placed in service in 2015, 2016 and 2017; 40% in 2018, and 30% in 2019.
• Permanently extends the provision for contributions of inventory of wholesome food for non-corporate business taxpayers.
• Permanently extends the 15-year recovery period for qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant property and qualified retail improvement property.
• Extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years through 2019.
• Extends the New Markets Tax Credit for five years through 2019 and allocates $3.5 billion of credits for each of those five years.
Passage of Omnibus Spending Bill on the Federal Level — PFMA again worked with its state and national partners to help pass this legislation. Below are some of the highlights:
• Repeal of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for muscle cuts of beef and pork.
• Delay of the ACA Cadillac tax, an ACA tax on high-cost healthcare plans created to help pay for ACA subsidies.
• A one year delay of the menu labeling rule to either one year after the publication of level one guidance from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or December 2016, whichever is later.
• The Cyber Information Sharing Act (CISA), which would direct the federal government to develop procedures to promote the timely sharing of classified cyber threat indicators and defensive measures with private and federal entities.
Pharmacist and Pharmacy Intern Influenza Immunizations — Helped secure final passage of HB 182, which allows pharmacists and pharmacy interns to administer the influenza immunization to children ages nine and up with parental consent.
Nonresident Pharmacies Registration — Helped secure final passage of HB 75, which amends the Pharmacy Act adding a new section requiring pharmacies located outside of Pennsylvania to register with the State Board of Pharmacy if they fill prescription orders for residents of the Commonwealth. It also requires the pharmacies to have a valid license in their home state and provide a copy of their most recent inspection report.
Menu Labeling Rule Delay — PFMA was successful in helping to delay the FDA/ACA menu labeling rule implementation date from December 1, 2015 to December 1, 2016. This delay will allow PFMA and our national partners to continue to push for a federal legislative solution to this issue.
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 — PFMA worked with our state and national partners to help secure passage of the tax extenders found in this bill. Some of the highlights are below:
• Permanently extends the expensing limitation and phase-out amounts at the 2010-2014 levels ($500,000 and $2 million, respectively). Rules allowing for expensing for computer software and qualified real property are also permanently extended.
• Extends bonus depreciation through 2019. The percentage is 50% for property placed in service in 2015, 2016 and 2017; 40% in 2018, and 30% in 2019.
• Permanently extends the provision for contributions of inventory of wholesome food for non-corporate business taxpayers.
• Permanently extends the 15-year recovery period for qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant property and qualified retail improvement property.
• Extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years through 2019.
• Extends the New Markets Tax Credit for five years through 2019 and allocates $3.5 billion of credits for each of those five years.
Passage of Omnibus Spending Bill on the Federal Level — PFMA again worked with its state and national partners to help pass this legislation. Below are some of the highlights:
• Repeal of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for muscle cuts of beef and pork.
• Delay of the ACA Cadillac tax, an ACA tax on high-cost healthcare plans created to help pay for ACA subsidies.
• A one year delay of the menu labeling rule to either one year after the publication of level one guidance from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or December 2016, whichever is later.
• The Cyber Information Sharing Act (CISA), which would direct the federal government to develop procedures to promote the timely sharing of classified cyber threat indicators and defensive measures with private and federal entities.
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