Weekly Wrap

It was a busy budget week, but we’re not quite at the end yet. Working against a June 30 end-of-fiscal-year deadline, the legislature did plenty of work on bills this week, including some necessary for the enactment of a balanced state spending plan.

On Monday, the House Education Committee reported out S.B. 440 (Phillips-Hill, R-York), which would codify the existing flexible instructional days pilot program to allow students to continue instruction at home when schools must be closed.

Also, the House passed the House Republicans’ budget procedures reform package by a party-line vote. The package includes the following bills:

  • H.B. 855 (Struzzi, R-Indiana), which would require the Secretary of the Budget to estimate any revenue shortfalls and place that amount in budgetary reserve;
  • H.B. 920 (Saylor, R-York), which would waive requirements for the lapsing of unencumbered or unspent funds;
  • H.B. 921 (Nelson, R-Westmoreland), which would require quarterly reports of all grants and subsidies paid from special funds;
  • H.B. 922 (Delozier, R-Cumberland), which would require the Governor to present legislative language in the annual budget proposal process; and
  • H.B. 923 (Brown, R-Monroe), which would require a statement of the reason for a supplemental appropriation.

The Senate sent two bills to the House for its consideration:

  • S.B. 536 (Browne, R-Lehigh), which would establish the Public Higher Education Funding Commission; and
  • S.B. 675 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would provide for the certification of office-based prescribers of buprenorphine.

As is typically the case, Tuesday was the busiest day this week. The House Commerce Committee advanced some of the House Republicans’ “Energize PA” package:

  • H.B. 1104 (Toohil, R-Luzerne, which would require the Department of Community and Economic Development to establish a registry for abandoned manufacturing sites; and
  • H.B. 1105 (Nelson, R-Westmoreland), which would establish a consolidated standards permit under the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act for businesses looking to perform remediation activities.

The House Education Committee reported out S.B. 700 (Browne, R-Lehigh), which would implement the recommendations of the Public School Building Construction and Reconstruction Advisory Committee.

Lastly for the House, the House Health Committee advanced a budget-related bill amending the Human Services Code; S.B. 695 (Brooks, R-Mercer) would reauthorize the following assessments until June 30, 2022:

  • Nursing facility assessment;
  • Nursing facility budget adjustment factor;
  • Intermediate care facilities/intellectual disabilities assessment; and
  • Philadelphia hospital assessment.

In the Senate, the Senate Appropriations Committee sent an assortment of bills to the full floor for consideration:

  • H.B. 195 (Nelson, R-Westmoreland), which would allow for medication synchronization;
  • H.B. 751 (Roae, R-Crawford), which would update and clarify sections of the Public Utility Code relating to water and wastewater public utilities;
  • H.B. 826 (Marshall, R-Beaver), which would allow collegiate teams to conduct 50/50 raffles for charity;
  • S.B. 325 (Gordner, R-Columbia), which would provide for the certification of registered nurse anesthetists; and
  • S.B. 590 (Browne, R-Lehigh), which would establish the Charter School Funding Advisory Commission.

The Senate Education Committee reported out S.B. 751 (Aument, R-Lancaster), which would establish a new educator evaluation system.. The committee also amended H.B. 265 (Staats, R-Bucks), a bill amending the Public School Code, that now would:

  • Require the Department of Education (PDE) to develop materials outlining workforce needs;
  • Require the Commission of Agriculture Education Excellence to issue guidelines for the use of credits;
  • Establish a standard application form for a public school seeking approval to establish or renew a classification of program code; and
  • Require schools to submit copies of all articulation agreements to PDE.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee sent two bills to the full Senate:

  • H.B. 786 (Cutler, R-Lancaster), which would establish accreditation criteria for Level III trauma centers and appropriates supplemental payments; and
  • S.B. 277 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would provide “deemed eligibility” for in-home care.

The Senate Law and Justice Committee gave the nomination of Gov. Wolf’s former Chief of Staff Mary Isenhour to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board a favorable recommendation. She was then unanimously approved by the full Senate.

The Senate Transportation Committee advanced S.B. 778 (Ward, R-Westmoreland), which would reduce the Turnpike’s annual commitment to support public transportation and replace it with equivalent contributions from the General Fund, and S.B. 114 (Boscola, R-Northampton), which would require motorists to clear snow and ice from the top of their vehicles before driving. Also, the Senate State Government Committee reported out S.B. 300 (Scarnati, R-Jefferson), which would provide for open primaries in Pennsylvania. Finally, the Senate Finance Committee reported H.B. 1549 (Mihalek, R-Allegheny) from their committee. The bill would clarify sales tax rules for Pennsylvania craft brewers.

On the floor, the Senate sent three notable bills to the House for its consideration:

  • S.B. 321 (Martin, R-Lancaster), which would provide Lancaster County with the option to prohibit the issuance of a video gaming terminal (VGT) establishment license;
  • S.B. 432 (Phillips-Hill, R-York), which would provide Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) the ability to query the ABC-MAP electronic prescription drug monitoring system; and
  • S.B. 572 (Aument, R-Lancaster), which would provide opioid treatment agreements between patients and prescribers.

Moving to Wednesday, the House Professional Licensure Committee reported out S.B. 698 (Gordner, R-Columbia) and S.B. 699 (Gordner, R-Columbia), which would amend the Medical Practice Act Osteopathic Medical Act respectively, to allow a physician to utilize a designee to prepare written agreements.

The Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee advanced S.B. 258 (Dinniman, D-Chester), which would require a pipeline company to meet with county emergency services once a year to discuss various items, including the pipeline’s location, and S.B. 284 (Killion, R-Delaware), which would require a public utility, other than a natural gas distribution company, to file their pipeline operation and emergency response plans with the Public Utility Commission.

In addition, the House State Government Committee reported out S.B. 48 (Gordner, R-Columbia), which would prohibit the state from decertifying voting systems in 50 percent or more of the counties until the General Assembly is notified of a plan for replacing them.

On the House floor, the chamber passed, H.B. 33 (Dunbar, R-Westmoreland) which would reauthorize the elimination of the state’s General Assistance Program. The bill also continues the nursing facility day one incentive payment, provides for the Philadelphia hospital assessment, and revises the definitions of “net inpatient/outpatient revenue” in the statewide quality care assessment.

On the Senate floor, S.B. 166 (Hughes, D-Philadelphia), which would establish the maximum bond indebtedness the state may incur during the fiscal year for capital budget projects. Two opioid-related bills received unanimous support and will make their way to the House for consideration: S.B. 112 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would extend requirements and limitations regarding opioid prescriptions for minors to all individuals; and S.B. 223 (Phillips-Hill, R-York), which would permit EMS providers to distribute Naloxone to a caregiver of a patient who overdosed were voted and shipped to the House.

Thursday brought a budget-time bonus session day, but only the House conducted business.

The House Rules Committee reported out H.B. 1511 (Quinn, R-Delaware), which would make uncontested telecommunications applications that require a certificate of public convenience deemed approved upon the expiration of the 60-day review period. Also, the House State Government Committee reported out S.B. 724 (Corman, R-Centre), which would make corrections to the 2017 pension bill and establish a Public Markets Emerging Investment Manager program.

And finally, the House sent three bills to the Senate for consideration:

  • H.B. 305 (Snyder, D-Greene), which would direct the Department of General Services to survey and inventory assets for fixed or mobile broadband services;
  • H.B. 956 (Murt, R-Montgomery), which would temporarily lower the mandated margin rate of return for the PA Lottery from 25 to 20 percent until June 30, 2024; and
  • S.B. 144 (Martin, R-Lancaster), which would establish the Keystone Telepresence Education Grant Program for intermediate units to purchase equipment to support homebound students.

The Week Ahead

Although the committee meeting schedule looks light right now, expect one of the busiest weeks of the year next week as both chambers work toward finalizing the 2019-20 fiscal year budget.

On Monday, the House Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing on H.B. 916 (Stephens, R-Montgomery), which would authorize courts to require an alcohol monitoring device as a condition of bail for repeat offenders.

Tuesday, the House Human Services Committee will consider two bills of note:

  • H.B. 386 (DiGirolamo, R-Bucks), which would require the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to develop or adapt specific criteria to guide decisions governing the care of patients receiving drug and alcohol addiction treatment; and
  • S.B. 675 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would provide for certified, office-based prescribers of buprenorphine.

Also, the Senate Education Committee will hold a public hearing to consider the renomination of Pedro Rivera as Secretary of the Department of Education.

The Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) will hold a public hearing on S.R. 20 (Baker, R-Luzerne), which would direct the LBFC to conduct a study of the impact of venue for medical professional liability actions on access to medical care and maintenance of healthcare systems. Another public hearing will be held on Wednesday.

See here for a full list of committee meetings:

Also, see here for what to expect on the House floor next week.

In Other News

  • Governor Wolf vetoed H.B. 800 (Turzai, R-Allegheny), which would have expanded the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program.
  • The Department of Health launched the medical marijuana research program.
  • The Department of State announced that half of the counties have taken action toward purchasing new voting systems.
  • The Wolf administration announced the preservation of 24 historic buildings throughout the Commonwealth.