April 10, 2015   

It was a quiet week in the state capitol, with neither chamber in Harrisburg for session. Next week, however both the House of Representatives and the Senate will return for three days of voting session.

Weekly Wrap:

Most of the activity this week included public hearings. On Tuesday, the House Democratic Policy Committee took the show on the road, holding a public hearing on education funding at Wilkes University. Meanwhile, members of the House Commerce Committee met in Harrisburg to hear remarks on H.B. 726 (Tobash, R-Dauphin), which amends the Contractor and Subcontractor Payment Act. The House Health Committee held a joint hearing with the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday on medical cannabis, while the House Democratic Policy Committee stayed in the northeast, holding a second hearing on education funding at Scranton High School. On Thursday, the House Human Services Committee met in Philadelphia to discuss compliance issues surrounding mental health facilities, while the House Republican Policy Committee held a public hearing on organ donation with CORE.

In a bit of regulatory news, this week the Public Utility Commission held its regular biweekly meeting. In addition to its usual business, the Commission took the opportunity to remind everyone that April is “Safe Digging Month.” Longer days and warmer weather typically mean more construction projects, leading to an increased likelihood of digging. Commission Vice Chairman John Coleman reminded everyone that safe digging practices are essential to protecting workers, as well as underground infrastructure, and thanked the General Assembly for its passage of H.R. 188, sponsored by House Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Godshall (R-Montgomery) designating this month as “Pennsylvania 8-1-1 Safe Digging Month.”

For more, go to:  http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015040951.HTM

To read H.R. 188, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=H&type=R&bn=188

A Look Ahead:

Next week will be a busy one, with one committee meeting after the other Monday through Wednesday. Monday morning, the House Health Committee will meet to consider, among other things, H.B. 389 (Oberlander, R-Armstrong), which would establish the state’s Chief Nursing Officer. Shortly after, the House Insurance Committee will consider H.B. 857 (Pickett, R-Bradford), reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, commonly known as CHIP.

For more on H.B. 389, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=389

For more on H.B. 857, go to:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=857

On Tuesday, the House Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on H.B. 860 (Saylor, R-York), proposing a comprehensive plan for property tax elimination. Also, the House Gaming Oversight Committee will meet to consider H.R. 140 (Payne, R-Dauphin), urging Congress not to ban video gaming in the states.

For more on H.B. 860, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=860

For more on H.R. 140, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=R&bn=140

The House Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on combined reporting on Wednesday. Combined reporting is one of the many corporate tax issues addressed in Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed budget. Also on Wednesday, the House Education Committee will meet to consider H.B. 156 (Truitt-R, Chester), which would establish the Pennsylvania Safe School Act, to address the issue of bullying in our public schools. The Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee will meet to release reports requested by the General Assembly on access to retail pharmacies and the feasibility of adopting alternative methods to establish charter schools. Finally, the House Consumer Affairs will hold an informational meeting to hear about the Bureau of Consumer Protection in the Attorney General’s office.

For more on H.B. 156, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0156

As of this writing, the Senate Committee schedule is not available. For a complete list of committee meetings and to check on the Senate Committees, go to: www.legis.state.pa.us

Floor activity in the House is always hard to predict; however, the House has noted the following bills for second consideration on The Week Ahead: H.B 423 (Simmons, R-Lehigh) providing for epi-pens on school buses; H.B. 447 (Saylor, R-York), providing for landlord responsibilities in the event of the death of a tenant; and H.B. 753 (Schlegel-Culver, R-Northumberland), establishing the PA Long Term Care Council. For an entire list of what the House has planned, read the Week Ahead at: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015040978.PDF

As is typically the case, the Senate will not issue a marked calendar noting what bills they plan to run until Monday. In the meantime, to see the current Senate Calendar, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/SC/0/RC/CAL.PDF?r=1428598449761

News from Buchanan:

It is with mixed feelings that we report that David Sweet, Esq. will leave our government relations practice to become a Senior Advisor to Gov. Tom Wolf, focusing on energy and advanced manufacturing initiatives. We are confident he’ll be an asset to the governor’s team, bringing a career’s worth of experience in economic development issues. David also served in the State House from 1977 through 1988, representing Washington County, and was Gov. Rendell’s campaign chief for his 2002 election. Though he will be missed, we at Buchanan all wish David the best of luck in his new position. To read more about David’s career, go to: http://www.bipc.com/David-W-Sweet/

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