Both the House and Senate will return to Harrisburg this week for the first of two weeks of voting session in the month of October. They won’t return until after November’s election, when they’ll be back for one scheduled day that will most likely be ceremonial. Leaders in both chambers have announced that they don’t anticipate a lame duck or “sine die” session this year, which makes October the month to do or die. After November 30 this year, all pending legislation will expire and will need to be reintroduced in 2015.
What to Watch
Most of the House standing committees have sunshined meetings for next week. The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday session days, but the agendas aren’t available beyond Monday. Right now, it looks like the Senate is prepared for some heavy duty votes in committee on Monday.
House Leadership has also noted that H.B. 2478 (Adolph, R-Delaware) could be up for a vote this week. The bill, on third consideration, provides for the itemization of additional capital projects. Though funding might not be released on all projects this year, it’s critical that they at least be authorized. If the bill passes the House, there is just enough time for it to pass in the Senate and be signed by the Governor this session.
After last week’s false alarm that the House Consumer Affairs Committee might consider legislation to legalize the operation of ridesharing companies, the fate of companies like Uber and Lyft now hangs in the balance. However, the committee will hold a public hearing on Thursday, October 9 to start gathering more information on the issue.
Highlights in Committee
Monday, October 6
The Senate Public Health and Welfare committee will meet on Monday to consider four House bills that crossed chambers. As part of the House’s “child protection package,” H.B. 435 (Moul, R-Adams/Franklin) would expand and enhance background clearance requirements for those working closely with children. The scope of those individuals required to receive background checks would be expanded and the frequency with which a person must submit to a background check would be increased. The bill passed unanimously in the House.
Another bill that unanimously passed in the House, H.B. 1567 (Scavello, R-Monroe), will be on Monday’s agenda. This legislation will require hospitals to provide educational information on pertussis and the availability of a vaccine to protect against the disease before discharging a woman who has given birth. Pertussis is a serious illness that can potentially be life threatening in infants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania is ranked 13th in the country in number of reported cases of the disease.
H.B. 1655 (Baker, R-Tioga) establishes the “Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council.” A Patient-Centered Medical Home is a health care model in which an individual is cared for by a network of health care providers, including physicians. The model’s goal is to reduce costs, as well as to lower impatient admission and readmission to hospitals. The bill would allow the Council to make recommendations on this issue to the Department of Welfare.
H.B. 1907 (Saylor, R-York) would require a hospital to provide notice to a patient of his or her outpatient status after he or she has spent a full day in the hospital, outside the emergency department. The notice allows patients to better understand their health insurance options and make the hospital’s relationship with the patient more transparent.
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committee will also meet on Monday to consider several bills. S.B. 1061 (Rafferty, R-Montgomery) would require newly constructed and designed state government buildings to comply with energy and environmental standards. These standards would be regulated by the Department of General Services and DEP.
Along with the lone Senate bill, four House bills are on the schedule. H.B. 402 (Pickett, R-Sullivan), the Recording of Release from Oil and Natural Gas Lease Act provides landowners holding oil and natural gas leases a formal method to obtain a release from their lease upon termination or cancellation. H.B. 2278 (Pickett, R-Sullivan), the Unconventional Well Report Act, enhances the reporting necessary for operators of unconventional wells to the Department of Environmental Protection. The new reporting standards will bring more transparency to the process and give land owners a better understanding of natural gas production.
H.B. 1565 (Hahn, R-Northampton) would no longer require riparian buffer and riparian forest buffers under the Clean Streams Law. This legislation would allow the buffers to be a choice among best management practices. This provides greater flexibility for those seeking erosion and sedimentation approvals.
Finally, the committee will discuss the much debated H.B. 2354 (Snyder, D-Snyder). This year, the EPA announced that each state is required to meet emissions targets by 2030 and that they will be able to implement their own plan on how to meet those reductions. Rep. Snyder’s legislation would require DEP to receive approval from the General Assembly for a state plan regulating carbon dioxide emissions prior to submitting the plan to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval.
On a lighter note
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association will host the 84th annual Gridiron show at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The annual show gives Capitol reporters from around the state the opportunity to poke fun at Harrisburg’s politicians and staff, and vice versa. Tickets for the event are still available online at http://www.palegislativecorrespondents.org/gridiron/. Proceeds from the Gridiron assist in funding the PLCA’s summer internship program.
We still expect to see additions to the schedule – from committee meetings to scheduled votes. When we know the schedule has been updated, you’ll know it’s updated. Check back on this blog or follow us on twitter @BuchananGov.