If you are a PA Camp Director or Owner, Pennsylvania Camp Association is the organization actively working to represent your camp.
PACA, through Triad Strategies, monitors Pennsylvania’s legislative affairs and agendas, and clues our member camps in when there is legislation on the horizon that will impact PA camps. This is critical because it then allows member camps to mobilize a call to action. Triad also guides PACA to employ the appropriate tactics for action. Still, more camp memberships would mean more impact in our action.
PACA gets no funding from ACA (American Camp Association) National, although the NY/NJ ACA and Keystone ACA chapters contribute to our cause. Still, the Wayne Co. Camp Association has financed 98% of this legislative initiative since PACA’s inception, contributing over $50,000 annually to the effort. The WCCA includes members of both Keystone and New York ACA. That said – Every camp in Pennsylvania benefits from the efforts of PACA. We need you to join the cause and participate with membership and stewardship of our industry state wide!
Take a look below:
Recent legislation that has impacted camps has included the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), Riparian Buffer removal, Mandating Reporting, PA Clearances for Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse and FBI Fingerprinting, remaining on the exclusion list from sales tax, just to name a few. PACA, through Triad, has been able to weigh in on the camps’ behalf to ensure we are protected from well-meaning laws and rulings that nevertheless place an unnecessary and undue burden on the camp industry.
Consider the following:
1. Passing of House Bill 858: State Unemployment Tax exemption. This succeeded in getting camps an exemption from paying into the PASUI fund, savings to camps of $1000-10,000 seasonally.
2. Maintenance of the Recreational Camps sales tax exemption. The state of PA has been operating without a budget. The Governor was attempting to remove the State sales tax exemption for 50 or more industries – “recreational camps” included. Our lobbyists and legislators were instrumental in maintaining the recreational camps exemption – saving us from passing on to our customers a 6% tax, which may very well have influenced families to consider camps in other states that do not have a sales tax.
3. Exemption from the Hotel Room Tax. In hopes of increasing funds for statewide tourism, a bill (HB-794) was proposed to increase the hotel room tax by 3%. It also proposed including campgrounds, campsites and “recreational camps”, which have been exempt previously. Our lobbyist, through monitoring legislative affairs on our behalf, ascertained the impact this would have on camps, informed us and allowed us time for a call to action to communicate with our legislators. PACA, together with our lobbyist, reached the appropriate legislators and those legislators were successful in maintaining the camps exemption. We were saved again!
4. Common Sense Adjustment of Background Check Regulations. PA State Clearance language was adjusted that makes more sense for camp staff in 2015. Some of the changes that affect camps are:
• First time camp staff with J-1 visas need not acquire clearances.
• Employees only need the FBI clearances once every 5 years.
• Employees under the age of 18 are now exempt from FBI certifications if they have lived in the Commonwealth for 10 years and their parents sign an affirmation that they have not been convicted of any crimes.
• Exemptions for out-of-country employees who work less than 90 days in a year, have received a J-1 visa, have not worked in the Commonwealth before, and affirms they have not been convicted of a crime to be exempt from acquiring the clearances.
• Extends the recertification date from 36 months to 60 months.
• Reduces the cost of the FBI and State Clearances from $10 to $8.
5. Epinephrine Auto-Injector Entity Act was completed, Act 93 of 2018.
- Permits camps to maintain a supply of Eprinephrine Auto-Injectors (EAIs) and to authorize staff to provide EAI’s to a person for self-administration or to administer the injection to someone experiencing an anaphylactic reaction.
- Also provides for camps to train and certify their employees utilizing DOH resources.
On the horizon:
- National Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC): PACA and Triad moved the needle on Pennsylvania’s opportunity to join the NLC, breaking down barriers to hiring and working to close the nurse shortage gap. We are actively pursuing reintroduction of proposals in the House and Senate.
- Provisional Hire Parity Law: PACA is bringing attention to legislation that reincorporates summer camp workers into the state provisional hire waiver program. The legislation progressed to a final vote in December 2020, but fell short of one vote in the Senate. This is a top priority, recognizing the unique hiring needs of our industry.
ALL OF US, as members of the Pennsylvania camp community, must recognize that we will continue to be impacted by legislation and therefore MUST have a voice with the legislature in Harrisburg.
Our goal is for every camp in Pennsylvania to join the Pennsylvania Camp Association (PACA), which will continue to fund this venture and have an influential voice in Harrisburg concerning all future legislation regarding each of our camps. We need every camp – profit camps and not-for-profit camps alike – to join with us in this effort…. Our businesses, our organizations, and our livelihoods are worth protecting – don’t you think!
Contact information;
PACA C/O Esther Staum Katz,103 Maplewood St, West Hempstead, NY 11552
914 466-9016