Budget hearings are underway in the House, as the House Appropriations Committee was in Harrisburg for a week’s full of hearings. Even though no votes were taken, members kept busy, listening to department and agency heads discuss their proposed appropriations for the fiscal year. Here are the hearings that took place this week and some of the issues touched upon in each.

Monday, February 11

Independent Fiscal Office

  • Proposed changes to the Corporate Net Income (CNI) tax and combined reporting.
  • Impact of a minimum wage increase.
  • Tax collection and revenue estimates.

Department of Revenue and PA Lottery

  • General Fund revenues are $290 million ahead of estimate through January and revenues will be $425 million ahead of estimate by the end of June.
  • IT modernization.
  • Video gaming terminals (VGTs) and iLottery.

Department of Aging

  • Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs).
  • Impact of a minimum wage increase.
  • PACE/PACENET program.

Tuesday, February 12

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)

  • PASSHE redesign phase 2.
  • Student enrollment.
  • Funding and tuition levels.

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)

  • PA State Grant Program.
  • Student debt and loans.

Wednesday, February 13

Treasury Department

  • PA ABLE Program.
  • Farm Show lease.
  • Public Pension Management and Asset Investment Review Commission.

Auditor General

  • Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
  • Pension and retirement systems.
  • Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC).

Attorney General

  • Opioid crisis.
  • Safe2Say Something program, which is a 24-hour hotline and service for school safety issues.
  • Drug enforcement.

Thursday, February 14

Department of Environmental Protection

  • Proposed transfer of funds from the Environmental Stewardship Fund and Recycling Funds to DEP’s appropriations.
  • Severance tax.
  • Environmental permitting.
  • Emissions.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

  • Proposed transfer of funds from the Environmental Stewardship Fund, Keystone Fund, and Oil and Gas Lease Fund to DCNR’s appropriations.
  • Natural gas development on state forest land.
  • Recreation and tourism.

Department of Labor and Industry

  • Workforce development.
  • Minimum wage.

Along with the budget hearings, on Tuesday, the House Republican Policy Committee held a hearing on venue shopping and medical malpractice. A proposed rule change would amend the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure by removing language that requires medical malpractice suits to be brought “only in a county where the cause of action arose”. After the hearing, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to delay action on the proposed amendment until the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee completed their study and reported its findings.

The Week Ahead

The House is taking a week off of budget hearings to hold three voting session days. Since Presidents Day is Monday, things will kick off on Tuesday and wrap up on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the House will be plenty busy with informational meetings and public hearings scheduled throughout the day, including:

  • House Consumer Affairs Committee: informational meeting with the Public Utility Commissioners, Consumer Advocate, and Small Business Advocate.
  • House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee: informational meeting from Patrick McDonnell, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, on budget-related matters.
  • House Health Committee: informational meeting on the opioid crisis.
  • House Insurance Committee: informational meeting regarding network adequacy.
  • House Labor and Industry Committee: public hearing on workforce development.

In addition, the House Urban Affairs Committee will consider H.B. 324 (Gillespie, R-York), which would allow municipalities with a population of more than 10,000 to create community development authorities to develop blighted, low-income neighborhoods and to create jobs. The House Transportation Committee will note on H.B. 374 (Everett, R-Lycoming), which would create the Pennsylvania Keystone Tree Fund. Money in the Fund would be allocated to the tree vitalization program and riparian forest buffer grant program within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

More hearings are on tap for Wednesday in the House, including:

  • House Children and Youth Committee: public hearing to examine the issue of substance-exposed infants.
  • House Commerce Committee: informational meeting on the Department of Community and Economic Development’s workforce programs.
  • House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee: informational meeting on economic growth drivers associated with the natural gas industry.
  • House Finance Committee: informational meeting on job creation tax credits.
  • House Gaming Oversight Committee: informational meeting with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to get an overview of gaming expansion.

Also on Wednesday, the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will vote on H.B. 441 (Sonney, R-Erie), which would permit wind power generation systems on farmland preservations over 50 acres. The House Judiciary Committee will consider H.B. 276 (Delozier, R-Cumberland), also known as Marsy’s Law. The bill would add a victims’ bill of rights to the Pennsylvania Constitution.

The Senate starts their budget hearings, with the following departments and agencies scheduled for the first week of hearings:

Tuesday, February 19

  • Department of Revenue and PA Lottery (10:00 a.m.)
  • Independent Fiscal Office (1:00 p.m.)
  • Public Utility Commission (3:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, February 20

  • Department of State (10:00 a.m.)
  • Historical and Museum Commission (1:00 p.m.)
  • Department of Banking and Securities (3:00 p.m.)

Thursday, February 21

  • State System of Higher Education (10:00 a.m.)
  • State Police and Homeland Security (1:00 p.m.)
  • Emergency Management Agency and Fire Commissioner (3:00 p.m.)

A full list of committee meetings can be found here:

House

Senate

In Other News

  • Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman began his 67-county statewide listening tour to hearing from the public on legalizing recreational marijuana.
  • The Department of Environmental Protection unveiled its plan for electric vehicles.
  • A bill is proposing a tax on violent video games to fund school safety measures.
  • The state Attorney General is suing Verizon for a promotion offering free Amazon products.