Weekly Wrap
This was the last week that the House of Representatives and Senate were in session together until the week of December 13. That meant a flurry of activity across the Capitol throughout the three session days.
Monday was highlighted by the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reporting out Concurrent Resolution SCRRR No. 1 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would disapprove EQB Regulation #7-559: CO2 Budget Trading Program (RGGI). The Committee also held an informational meeting on the economic consequences of Pennsylvania adopting California’s regulation on diesel emission controls for large trucks.
Also, the House Commerce Committee held a public hearing on Executive Order 2021-06: Worker Protection and Investment, while the House Education Committee held an informational meeting on learning loss. The House State Government Committee reported out H.B. 1482 (Cutler, R-Lancaster), which would require the state and each county to implement a post-election audit.
On the Senate side, the Education Committee reported out: H.B. 1660 (Sonney, R-Erie), which would limit a school district’s temporary emergency powers from up to four years to 60 days; and S.B. 937 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would prohibit COVID-19 vaccine mandates for children. Similarly, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee reported out S.B. 471 (Mastriano, R-Adams), which would prohibit mandating individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The Committee also reported out H.B. 220 (Rader, R-Monroe), which would prohibit drug and alcohol treatment facilities from denying treatment to an individual solely on the basis of a negative drug test.
The full Senate adopted S.R. 53 (Baker, R-Luzerne), which directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study and issue a report on the Department of Transportation’s highway maintenance funding. The House adopted H.R. 148 (White, R-Philadelphia), which urges the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the nationwide Renewable Fuel Standard.
Additionally, the following two bills were sent to the Senate for consideration: H.B. 1041 (Topper, R-Bedford), which would require school districts and career and technical centers to allow home school students to enroll in cocurricular activities and take up to four academic courses; and H.B. 1443 (Hershey, R-Juniata), which would provide for advertisements for laboratory tests.
Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee reported out S.B. 382 (Langerholc, R-Cambria), which would reform the Public-Private Transportation Partnership (P3) statute and void the Pathways Major Bridge P3 Program. The House Finance Committee reported out H.B. 2058 (Mako, R-Northampton), which would ensure the due date to file local Earned Income and Net Profit Tax returns are consistent with that of the state Personal Income Tax and Federal income tax returns.
The Senate State Government Committee reported out S.B. 812 (Phillips-Hill, R-York), which would require those evaluating bids for transportation contracts to take into consideration instances of “change order scheming”. Also, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee reported out two bills of note: H.B. 291 (Labs, R-Bucks), which would extend the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) moratorium for an additional two years, until December 31, 2023; and H.B. 1260 (Thomas, R-Bucks), which would expand the income eligibility limits for the PACENET program, eliminate the PACENET premium “clawback”, and permit the Department of Aging to require PACE and PACENET enrollees to enroll in Medicare Part D.
S.B. 706 (Robinson, R-Allegheny) was reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill would establish the Max Manufacturing Initiative Fund to support or facilitate the following: (1) industrial processes, mining, manufacturing, production agriculture, information technology and bio-technology; (2) acquisition, installation, upgrading, or retrofitting of existing machinery and facilities; and (3) service as a medical, industrial or technology facility.
In addition, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee reported out S.B. 938 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would give the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs the authority to promulgate certain regulations that affect licensed drug and alcohol treatment providers.
The House finally passed two bills of note that will now be considered by the Senate: H.B. 1561 (Farry, R-Bucks) and H.B. 1563 (Cutler, R-Lancaster), which would provide access to certain information for the purposes of health care operations, treatment, and payment of mental health services. One bill of note passed in the Senate and will head to the House: S.B. 347 (DiSanto, R-Dauphin), which would allow gains resulting from a qualifying like-kind exchange of real property to be tax-deferred for personal income tax as it is for federal tax purposes.
On Wednesday, the final session day of the week, the House Consumer Affairs Committee held a joint public hearing with the Senate Communications and Technology Committee on rural broadband. A voting meeting followed, where the Committee reported out H.B. 2071 (Causer, R-McKean), which would establish the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority to carry out and effectuate the disbursal of grants and develop a statewide broadband plan.
The House Transportation Committee reported out H.R. 152 (Brown, R-Monroe), which urges the federal government and Governor to take action on the nationwide school bus driver shortage. Furthermore, the House Commerce Committee held a public hearing on H.B. 2057 (Roae, R-Crawford), which would make numerous changes to the Business Corporation Law. The Committee will hold a voting meeting on the bill on Wednesday.
Lastly, the following two bills passed finally in the Senate and will now be considered by the House: S.B. 830 (Yudichak, I-Luzerne), which would establish the Veteran-owned Business Loan Guarantee Program; and S.B. 915 (Browne, R-Lehigh), which is the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act of FY 2021-2022.
The Week Ahead
Just the House is in session next week, giving the Senate an early start to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Monday, the House Labor and Industry Committee will hold a public hearing on public sector union reform. Then, the House Professional Licensure Committee will consider S.B. 869 (Tomlinson, R-Bucks), which would allow Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs licensing boards and commissions to permanently continue certain waivers and measures put in place during COVID-19.
Moreover, the House Education Committee will consider: H.B. 465 (Boback, R-Luzerne), which would require schools to test for lead contamination in drinking water; and H.B. 2045 (Ortitay, R-Allegheny), which would create a statewide early literacy program.
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a voting meeting to report out: H.B. 2075 (Knowles, R-Schuylkill), which would abrogate the Pennsylvania Heavy-Duty Diesel Emissions Control Program and apply the federal standards for heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines; and H.R. 149 (Rigby, R-Cambria), which would direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the potential impacts of the Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed biosolids permit revisions.
On Tuesday, the House State Government Committee will consider two bills that would amend the state Constitution. First, H.B. 2069 (Cutler, R-Lancaster), which would provide that any executive order or proclamation issued by the Governor, may not be in effect for more than 21 days, unless extended by concurrent resolution of the General Assembly. Second, H.B. 2070 (Cutler, R-Lancaster), which would exempt the disapproval of a regulation by the General Assembly from the presentment requirement for the Governor’s approval or disapproval.
The House Health Committee has a full agenda and is scheduled to vote on:
- H.B. 1005 (Cox, R-Berks), which would add information to the prescription drug monitoring program (ABC-MAP) when Narcan/Naloxone is used by emergency responders or medical professionals;
- H.B. 1644 (Struzzi, R-Indiana), which would direct the Department of Human Services to develop a statewide process to place Medicaid patients with behavioral health or other long-term care needs in appropriate care settings in a timely matter;
- H.B. 1959 (Pennycuick R-Montgomery), which would authorize the clinical study of the efficacy and cost/benefit optimization of psilocybin-assisted therapy;
- H.B. 2013 (Diamond, R-Lebanon), which would amend the state Constitution to provide for an individual’s right to refuse any medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine or prophylactic; and
- H.B. 2033 (Lawrence, R-Chester), which would extend the reporting requirement on the status of COVID-19 testing at the state laboratory until December 31, 2022.
Wrapping up the week, on Wednesday, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a public hearing on Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery site and clean-up efforts. The House Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing regarding supply chain issues. Finally, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee will consider S.B. 729 (Ward, R-Blair) which would permit the delivery of resident abuse training programs for nurse aides.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
In Other News
- Governor Wolf announced the approval of nearly $36 million to 220 community revitalization projects through the Neighborhood Assistance Program.
- The Acting Secretary of State gave notice of a statewide recount in the Commonwealth Court race. Stacy Wallace (R) earned one of the open seats. Lori Dumas (D) and Drew Crompton (R), the second and third place finishers respectively, have vote totals within the one-half of one percent margin that triggers a mandatory recount under state law.