Weekly Wrap
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees were back in Harrisburg this week, as they held budget hearings to examine the Governor’s 2020-21 budget proposal.
Here are the hearings that took place this week and some of the issues discussed.
Monday, February 24
House
Department of Environmental Protection
- Permitting process
- Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
- Air and water quality
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
- Oil and gas on state land
- State parks and forests
Department of Health and Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs
- Substance abuse treatment
- Medical marijuana
- Rural healthcare
Senate
Department of Labor & Industry
- Workforce development and apprenticeship programs
- Prevailing wage; school construction
- Minimum wage
Auditor General
- Pharmacy benefit manager (PMB) audit
- Auditing of vendors
- School district and charter school audits
Department of Aging
- Funding for protective services
- PACE
Tuesday, February 25
House
Department of Transportation
- REAL ID
- Motor License Fund/State Police funding
- Mass transit
Department of General Services
- Procurement practices
- Small and diverse businesses
- Rural broadband
Liquor Control Board
- Flexible pricing
- Recycling of licensees
- Alcohol education
Senate
Liquor Control Board
- Effects of liquor modernization
- Warehousing and distribution of products
Department of Transportation
- Highway maintenance and funding
- Electric vehicles
Treasury Department
- Debt
- Pension and 529 plans
- Commonwealth’s fiscal stability
Wednesday, February 26
House
Department of Community & Economic Development
- Tax credit programs
- Tourism promotion
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Department of Agriculture
- Race Horse Development Trust Fund
- Farming
- Agricultural education
PA Emergency Management Agency & State Fire Commissioner
- Volunteer firefighters
- Emergency preparedness
Senate
Department of Human Services
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Community HealthChoices
- Medicaid
Department of Health
- Coronavirus
- Response to the opioid epidemic
- Vaping
Thursday, February 27
Senate
Department of Education
- School safety
- Asbestos and lead in schools
- Charter school reform
Department of Community & Economic Development
- Tax credit programs
- Workforce development
- Programs’ return on investment
The Week Ahead
Monday kicks off the final week of budget hearings. Once budget hearings wrap up, the House and Senate aren’t scheduled to be in session until the week of March 16. Here’s what to expect next week:
Monday, March 2
House
- Department of Education
- PA Higher Education Assistance Agency
Senate
- Department of Agriculture
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
- Penn State University Agriculture Research and Extension
Tuesday, March 3
House
- PA State System of Higher Education
- State-related universities
Senate
- State-related universities
- Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
- Penn College of Technology, Thaddeus Stevens College, and Community Colleges
Wednesday, March 4
House
- Department of Human Services
- Department of Revenue
Senate
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Professional Liability Joint Underwriting Association
- Budget Secretary/Governor’s Executive Office
Thursday, March 5
House
- Professional Liability Joint Underwriting Association
- Budget Secretary/Governor’s Executive Office
In addition to budget hearings, on Tuesday, the House Health Committee will hold a public hearing on CBD’s impact on the medical marijuana program. Also, the Joint Legislative Conservation Committee will hold an informational meeting on Thursday to discuss the environmental and economic impact of a proposed carbon cap-and-trade program on Pennsylvania’s cogeneration sector.
In Other News
- The Administration announced that it will be providing free naloxone to Pennsylvania airports.
- The PUC approved a final rulemaking intended to increase consumer protections and ensure greater price transparency in the competitive retail electricity market.
- 20,000 Pennsylvanians signed up for mail-in ballots in the first two weeks of the new program.