Weekly Wrap
It was a busy week in Harrisburg with both chambers in session at the same time in over a month.
Monday wasn’t a voting session day, but the House Aging and Older Adult Services, House Health, and House Human Services Committees held a joint public hearing on the proposed consolidation of the Departments of Human Services, Health, Aging and Drug and Alcohol Programs. Chairmen Hennessey, Baker and DiGirolamo stated their opposition to the Governor’s proposal.
Tuesday was much busier. The House Consumer Affairs Committee kicked off the week with an informational meeting on the functions and duties of the Public Utility Commission and the Office of Consumer Advocate, where Attorney General Josh Shapiro and all five PUC Commissioners appeared to discuss the responsibilities of each office. Next up, the House Education Committee met to consider bills, including H.B. 97 (Reese, R-Westmoreland), a comprehensive charter school bill that’s bound to be the subject of much debate over the next few months, and H. B. 1022 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia), allowing colleges to offer credit to incoming freshmen for advanced placement courses taken in high school.
The House Liquor Control Committee also met to consider two bills that inch the Commonwealth further toward privatization of our state liquor system: H.B. 975 (Turzai, R-Allegheny) would “free the wine,” and H.B. 1075 (Turzai, R-Allegheny) provides for the divestiture of the wholesale system for both wine and spirits. The House finally passed H.B. 45 (Godshall, R-Montgomery), which gives terminal patients the right to try experimental drugs and biologics, and H.B. 381 (Snyder, D-Greene), which gives the Department of Human Services the ability to issue guidelines and promulgate rules and regulations under the Allowing Minors to Consent to Medical Care Act. Both bills will now be shipped to the Senate for consideration.
Members of the Senate were also busy on Tuesday. The Senate Aging and Youth Committee held a joint hearing with the Senate Finance Committee on the solvency of the Lottery Fund and the programs –mainly for the benefit of the Commonwealth’s seniors—it supports. The Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee reported out H.B. 271 (Ortitay, R-Allegheny), which would allow gaming in airports, and the Senate Consumer Affairs and Professional Licensure Committee advanced a heavy agenda, including S.B. 242 (Baker, R-Luzerne), which would update and extend the Underground Utility Line Protection Law. The act, known as “PA One Call,” is set to expire at the end of this calendar year.
There was a lot on the docket on Wednesday, too. To start, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee held an informational hearing on the PACE and PACENET programs. House Health Committee reported out four bills: H.B. 118 (Kaufer, R-Luzerne), allows facilities which are already licensed as health care facilities to provide detoxification under the existing license; H.B. 713 (Baker, R-Tioga), establishes that a drug overdose represents a clear and present danger for purposes of involuntary commitment; H.B. 1043 (Baker, R-Tioga), regulates pain management clinics; and H.B. 616 (Cruz, D-Philadelphia), allows for the collection and disposal of drugs by pharmacies. Lastly, the House finally passed H.B. 595 (Brown, R-Monroe), which assigns the investigation and mediation of complaints regarding planned communities, cooperatives and condominiums to the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Of note in the Senate, the Senate Education Committee reported out S.B. 273 (Rafferty, R-Montgomery), which restricts state funding to any public or private institution of higher education that designates itself as a “sanctuary campus.” S.B. 383 (White, R-Indiana) was reported out as well. The bill gives the school board the authority to allow certain school employees to carry firearms on school property. On the floor, the Senate concurred in House amendments and S.B. 250 (Ward, R-Westmoreland) is heading to the Governor’s desk. The bill, a short-term fix to the Unemployment Compensation system, provides $15 million in funding to the Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund (SIIF) for 2017.
A Look Ahead
This was a busy week, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down next week when both the Senate and the House of Representatives are in Harrisburg for three days of voting session.
On Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee will meet to consider H.B. 603 (Metzgar, R-Somerset), which increases weight limits for natural gas vehicles to match federal law. The House Finance Committee will consider a small business tax fairness package of legislation: H.B. 331 (Bloom, R-Cumberland), allows for like-kind exchanges; H.B. 332 (Grove, R-York), allows small businesses to use the Net Operating Loss deduction; and H.B. 333 (Nelson, R-Westmoreland), allows small businesses to take the full 179 deduction.
The House Urban Affairs Committee will consider three bills: H.B. 653 (Masser, R-Northumberland), provides for an accelerated foreclosure process for vacant and abandoned property; H.B. 900 (Dean, D-Montgomery), grants senior citizens and individuals with disabilities early termination rights pertaining to rental agreements under special circumstances; and H.B. 352 (Culver, R-Northumberland), reduces the standard period of time needed to acquire a title through adverse possession. The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a companion bill to H.B. 352, S.B. 434 (Argall, R-Schuylkill) on the same day.
Also on Tuesday, Senate Appropriations and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees will hold a joint public hearing on the Governor’s proposed Farm Show lease/leaseback plan. In addition, the House Professional Licensure Committee will consider H.B. 454 (DeLuca, D-Allegheny), which requires pharmacy technicians to register with the State Board of Pharmacy. Lastly, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee will consider S.B. 200 (Bartolotta, R-Washington), which includes postpartum depression as an at risk category for early intervention tracking under the Early Intervention Services System Act, and H.B. 23 (Mackenzie, R-Lehigh), which updates Pennsylvania’ stroke center designation law.
Wrapping up the week on Wednesday, the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will consider H.B. 187 (Sonney, R-Erie), which grants right-of-ways to install a wind power generation system, and H.B. 790 (Pashinski, D-Luzerne), which repeals the Noxious Weed Control Act (Act 74 of 1982) and replaces it with the Controlled Plants and Noxious Weed Act. The House Consumer Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on H.B. 107 (Godshall, R-Montgomery), which authorizes natural gas distribution companies to, with PUC approval, establish a distribution system extension charge to cover the costs of expanding a system to underserved areas. The House Children and Youth Committee will also hold a public hearing, focusing on opioid dependency in infants and babies.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
For anticipated floor action see below:
In Other News
- The Pennsylvania Department of Health selected a vendor to implement the seed-to-sale electronic tracking system for the state’s Medical Marijuana Program.
- Pennsylvania will receive $26.5 million in federal funds to fight opioid addiction.
- Last week Lt. Gov. Mike Stack apologized for his treatment of state employees. This week, Gov. Tom Wolf said that he previously met with Stack to discuss complaints.
- Flags flew at half-staff this week in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, who passed away last week.
- PUC marked ‘Safe Digging Month,’ while PUC Commissioner John Coleman was named co-chair of a new Natural Gas Access and Expansion Task Force established by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).