After taking the Columbus Day holiday off, members return to Harrisburg tomorrow for their last voting session days before November’s general election, and, quite possibly, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 legislative session. If these days are in fact the final two, we expect most of the action will be in the Rules and Appropriations Committees, as well as on the floor. Any legislation still being considered by the standing committees is not likely to see the light of day, given the few days left and the procedural requirements and number of days required for a bill to progress from substantive committee to the governor’s desk.
What To Watch
The Rules Committees in the House and Senate are likely to meet both Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Any bill still in motion and in need of concurrence by the originating chamber will make a pit stop in Rules. It’s often hard to predict the Rules’ agendas, since they are typically contingent on what happens to bills on the floor. Senate Rules has already posted a meeting for Tuesday to concur on S.B. 27 (Mensch, R-Bucks), the last of the remaining legislative changes suggested by the Task Force on Child Protection. This bill would improve the exchange of communications between county children and youth agencies and medical practitioners. The House, on the other hand, typically announces its Rules Committee meetings from the floor, and no agendas have been announced.
Similarly, both Appropriations Committees will also likely meet on Tuesday and Wednesday. So far, the House has sunshined both days and will be busy cleaning things up in preparation for the end of session. Tuesday’s agenda includes bills providing for fire service company grants, pooled trusts and veterans’ benefits. The Senate has also posted an Appropriations Committee meeting for Tuesday, and its schedule is about as varied as the House schedule. Up for consideration are bills amending the Taxpayer Relief Act, the State Lottery Law and the Public School Code, to name a few.
On the House Floor, it’s possible we’ll see a vote on Tuesday on S.B. 405 (Vance, R-Cumberland), providing for generic substitutions of biosimilars, and S.B. 1267 (Vance, R-Cumberland), reauthorizing Pennsylvania’s Health Care Cost Containment Council. We may also see a concurrence vote on H.B. 939 (Godshall, R-Montgomery), amending the Public Utility Code relating to termination and reconnection of services. Not surprisingly, Wednesday’s agenda is still up in the air.
So there you have it. What there is of it, anyway. We’ll be sure to provide updates as often as we possibly can, so be sure to follow us on twitter @BuchananGov. And if you blink and miss it this week, be sure to check back to this blog for our weekly wrap.