Pennsylvania lawmakers have budgeted $100 million for mental health services. But it was not approved to spend them.

Pennsylvania lawmakers packed their bags, turned off the lights and left Harrisburg on Tuesday, wrapping up their work for the year.

On the way out of our door legislators are overpaid have passed a flurry of bills, some of which are a testament to the good they can achieve when they put people ahead of policy. Imagine what they could do if they worked harder and longer like us regular people.

Because they refuse to put in work for the whole yearthey left big problems unsolved.

Here are just some of the things that have been done and haven’t been done.

Lawmakers have addressed the growing problem debits that don’t pay on Pennsylvania turnpike bills.

House Bill 1486, if signed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, would allow the registration of more vehicles to be suspended for unpaid tolls.

Suspension will be effective after four unpaid fees or unpaid fees totaling $250 or more in the last five years. Current law sets a higher bar for suspension: at least six unpaid fees or unpaid fees totaling at least $500 in the past three years.

The threat of suspension makes many ridiculous people finally pay up.

Over the past six years or so, the Turnpike Commission has collected $11.4 million in fees and charges related to 23,095 suspended registrations. The Commission estimates that 25,000 additional vehicle registrations will qualify for suspension under the new legislation.

The bill was authored by Rep. Tim O’Neill, D-Washington. It was amended to add taunting. It initially focused on creating Blue Star Family license plates available to active-duty military families.

Senate Bill 225 aims to prevent health insurance companies from delaying needed treatment through prior authorization and other requirements.

The bill, if signed by Wolff, would require insurers to respond to preauthorization requests within two business days. Except for administrative reasons, waivers must be made by a medical professional who is qualified in the specialty.

Upon request, insurers must provide a medical professional for a one-on-one review with the patient’s physician whose request was denied.

Doctors can also dispute an insurer’s requirement for “step-up therapy,” or using a lower-cost treatment or drug first.

The legislation would cover private insurance and Medicaid. It was written by Senator Christine Phillips-Hill, R-York.

“I am grateful that my constituent, Dr. Suzette Song, has brought this issue to my attention so that we can address a problem that healthcare professionals face every day and that limits their ability to best treat their patients,” Hill said in a statement in Tuesday. “Today is a big win for health care outcomes in Pennsylvania.”

Senate Bill 225 and House Bill 1486 passed the legislature unanimously. Why can’t legislators do this kind of good thing more often? There are no downsides to such legislation. There are many more opportunities if the legislators will enough quarreling and stupid partisanship.

Wolf will consider both bills, spokeswoman Beth Rementer told me Friday. I hope he will sign them. I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t.

Hill’s statement noted that her bill received final legislative approval “on the last day” of the legislative session.

This is not entirely accurate. But at least she was honest. This year, the Legislature will no longer engage with the public.

The House and Senate plan to return to session next month after by-electionsThe House for three days and the Senate for one.

No chance of anything significant happening. These sessions are for handshakes and pats on the back, and for lawmakers who lost re-election to give farewell speeches.

If lawmakers suddenly find a work ethic during recess, here’s one big piece of unfinished business they can tackle.

The budget they approved in July included an additional $100 million for mental health services. Not a penny has been spent because lawmakers haven’t appropriated it yet.

Credit is coming WESA in Pittsburgh for the first highlight of their failure.

This is offensive. On October 4, the state’s Behavioral and Mental Health Commission issued guidelines on how the money could be used.

It proposed spending $37 million to retain and hire health care professionals and support professional development for a workforce that is overwhelmed by the need for services and prone to burnout.

It proposed spending $23.5 million on the criminal justice and public safety systems. The money could be used to expand programs that direct people to places where they can get help instead of sending them to prison. And by increasing telemedicine services in prisons.

It proposed spending $39 million on new 24-hour crisis centers, telemedicine and other services.

Reviewing those recommendations and deciding how to spend the money were to be priorities in the final weeks of the legislative session. Lawmakers could have waited longer to figure it out. They could also return to the post-election session for more than just handshakes and farewell speeches.

But it won’t happen. Therefore, people who need help will not get it.

Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick can be reached at 610-820-6582 or at paul.muschick@mcall.com