The following bills of interest saw movement this week--

Senate

Hazardous Sites Fund: Senate Bill 783 (MJ White-R-Venango) requiring additional reporting on the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund was referred to Senate Appropriations Committee.

Farm-Drilling: Senate Bill 298 (Yaw-R-Bradford) allowing the split off of preserved farmland for drilling purposes was amended and reported from the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Biofuels: Senate Bill 698 (Waugh-R-York) creating the PA Farms to Fuels Incentive Act was reported from the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Landfill Penalties: Senate Bill 547 (Rafferty-R-Montgomery) providing penalties for repeat violations of landfill regulations was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Recycling Fee: Senate Bill 886 (Musto-D-Luzerne) was amended to extend the $2/ton Recycling Fee through 2020 and to authorize the use of $1.25 million from the Recycling Fund to cleanup waste tire piles and was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Biodiesel Mandate: Senate Bill 901 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) exempting certain small refineries for one year from biodiesel mandate was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

House

Medical Sharps : House Bill 594 (Siptroth-D-Monroe) creating a Home-Generated Medical Sharps Disposal Program was reported from the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Historic Preservation: House Bill 42 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) providing for Historic Preservation Grants was reported from the House Appropriations Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Farms-Wind Energy: House Bill 984 (Kessler-D-Berks) would limit the roll-back taxes when a landowner leases land enrolled in the program for a wind power generation system was amended to extend the provisions to bluestone quarry operations and other changes and reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and was referred to the House Rules Committee. The bill is scheduled to be considered by Rules on June 15. NewsClip: House Committee Approves Changes To Clean And Green Law

Farms-Coal Bed Methane: House Bill 1394 (Houghton-D-Chester) would clarify the status of land leased for exploration of oil and gas, coal bed methane extraction and commercial wind energy production was amended to include bluestone quarry operations and other changes and reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and was referred to the House Rules Committee. The bill is scheduled to be considered by Rules on June 15.

Traditional Neighborhoods: House Bill 1609 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) amending the Municipalities Planning code to further define traditional neighborhood development was reported from the House Local Government Committee and was referred to the House Rules Committee.

6/12/2009