Weekly Wrap
All was quiet on the Capitol front this week with neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate in Harrisburg for session. However, things will get busier for the General Assembly as we move into May and toward the June 30th budget deadline. It’s expected that this will be a tough budget year, too: the Independent Fiscal Office reported this week that as of the end of April, the state is facing about a $1 billion deficit as we head into the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
Week Ahead
Next week looks busy already, as members reconvene in Harrisburg for the first of two weeks of voting session scheduled for May. On Monday, the House Education Committee will consider bills including H.B. 679 (Ortitay, R-Allegheny), requiring the Department of Education to establish a central repository of online courses accessible to Pennsylvania students, and S.B. 227 (Eichelberger, R-Blair), which speeds up the deadline for school boards to make renewal decisions regarding superintendent employment contracts. The House State Government Committee will consider S.B. 133 (Ward, R-Westmoreland), which repeals the REAL ID Nonparticipation Act and moves Pennsylvania into compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. The bill passed in the Senate in March with only two “no” votes.
Also on Monday, the House Human Services Committee will consider two bills designed to help mitigate the Commonwealth’s opioid crisis: H.B. 119 (Kaufer, R-Luzerne), which establishes a certification process for drug and alcohol recovery houses that receive taxpayer dollars, and H.B. 122 (Kaufer, R-Luzerne), which establishes the Pennsylvania Project Lazarus Commission to develop a best practice model for a comprehensive, community-based effort to consolidate overdose prevention efforts. The Committee will also vote on H.B. 875 (Kinsey, D-Philadelphia). The bill would create the Office for People with Disabilities within the Office of the Governor.
Finally, the House Transportation Committee will meet to consider several bills, including H.B. 603 (Metzgar, R-Bedford), increasing the maximum weight for heavy-duty vehicles to accommodate those powered by natural gas, and H.B. 928 (Jozwiak, R-Berks), decreasing penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
On Tuesday, the day kicks off with a public hearing of the Senate State Government Committee on S.B. 527 (Aument, R-Lancaster). This bill legislation would create a permanent Office of Inspector General. Currently, the office only exists if the Governor wishes it to continue by Executive Order. Next up, the House Finance Committee will consider H.B. 645 (O’Neill, R-Bucks), which increases the funding for tax credits available under the Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credit Program. Members in the House Health Committee will vote on H.B. 174 (Baker, R-Tioaga), which provides for patient access diagnostics and treatment options for Lyme disease and related tick-borne diseases, as well as H.B. 1176 (Miller, R-Allegheny), establishing a concussion protocol for law enforcement officers who suffer a head injury while on the job.
Also on Tuesday, the House Commerce Committee will consider H.B. 1213 (Kampf, R-Chester), which eliminates certain practices now used to file spot appeals of the property tax assessments of individual properties. The House State Government Committee will consider H.B. 14 (Knowles, R-Schuylkill), which prohibits any institution of higher education that holds itself out as a sanctuary campus from receiving appropriations from the state. Wrapping up the day, the House Liquor Control Committee will vote on H.B. 1033 (Ellis, D-Butler). The bill creates a wine enhanced permit and a spirits enhanced permit. Such permits will allow distributors to sell unlimited quantities of wine and spirits for consumption off premises.
On the Senate side on Tuesday, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Patrick McDonnell to serve as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.
On Wednesday, the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will hold an informational meeting with the Secretary of Agriculture on the department’s budget and priorities. The House Liquor Control Committee and Senate Law & Justice Committee will hold a joint public hearing on pricing of alcohol.
Meanwhile, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee will focus on the State Lottery Law, holding a meeting to consider: H.B. 270 (Farry, R-Bucks), increasing the maximum allowable income limits for participation in PACENET program; H.B. 296 (Sonney, R-Erie), excluding cash earned on the sale of savings bonds by seniors from being included in the calculation of income when applying for lottery funded programs; H.B. 425 (Nelson, R-Westmoreland), extending the current Social Security COLA Moratorium for PACE/PACENET until December 31, 2019; and H.B. 673 (Goodman, D-Schuylkill), exempting veterans’ benefits from being included in the calculation of income when determining eligibility for the PACE and PACENET programs.
The House Local Government Committee will consider a handful of bills introduced by Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming), allowing different types of local governments to assess fees for storm water management without having to establish a municipal authority: H.B. 913 authorizes Bloomsburg to assess fees for storm water management activities and facilities; H.B. 914 authorizes boroughs to assess fees for storm water management activities and facilities; H.B. 915 allows the board of commissioners in first class townships to assess fees for storm water management activities and facilities; and H.B. 916, which allows cities to assess fees for storm water management activities and facilities. Similar bills were passed last year that gave similar authority to Second Class Townships.
Finally on Wednesday, the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee will meet to consider S.B. 586 (Argall, R-Berks) which eliminates certain practices now used to file spot appeals of the property tax assessments of individual properties; H.B. 595 (Brown, R., R-Monroe), which assigns investigation of complaints regarding planned communities and the like to the Office of Attorney General, and H.B. 758 (Ward, R-Blair), which encourages and incentivizes the rehabilitation and use of blighted and abandoned properties.
On Thursday, the House Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing on the Governor’s proposal to charge local municipalities that do not maintain a police force a per capita fee for State Police coverage.
On Friday, the Senate Education Committee will be in Erie for a public hearing on Erie City School District and the implementation of the Financial Watch and Recovery Status System.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
For anticipated floor action see below:
In Other News
- Congressman Tom Marino will remain in office and no longer lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy (drug czar).
- Former state Rep. Steve Santarsiero appointed deputy for environment in state AG’s office.
- Another Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Commissioner is on the way out, leaving the five-member Commission with only one member in June.
- This year’s primary election is right around the corner. Check out our blog from earlier this week to see who’s running.