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 amended and reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Biofuels I: Senate Bill 901 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) exempting certain small refineries for one year from biodiesel mandate was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Biofuels II: Senate Bill 698 (Waugh-R-York) creating the PA Farms to Fuels Incentive Act was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Permit Extension: the Senate Local Government Committee amended and reported out Senate Bill 569 (Pileggi-R-Delaware) extending any agency approval or permit for one year for approvals issued after December 31, 2008 and ending before July 2, 2011. The bill is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Flood Control: Senate Bill 235 (Wozniak-D-Cambria) authorizing the use of non-structural flood control alternatives was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Brownfields: Senate Bill 880 (Wonderling-R-Montgomery) reimbursing developers for certain brownfields redevelopment costs was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

State Parks Funding: Senate Bill 962 (MJ White-R-Venango) would authorize DCNR to use monies from the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund for the operation and maintenance of State Parks; and Senate Bill 963 (MJ White-R-Venango) would authorize DCNR to use monies from the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation (Key '93) Fund for the operation and maintenance of State Parks were both reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and were both referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Prescribed Burn: House Bill 262 (Haluska-D-Cambria) establishing prescribed burning practices was referred to Senate Appropriations Committee.

Appalachian Trail: House Bill 263 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) further authorizing agreements to protect the Appalachian Trail was tabled.

House

Energy Office: House Bill 786 (George-D-Clearfield) creating a State Energy Office within DEP was amended and reported from the House Appropriations Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Farms- Energy: the House Rules Committee reported out  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. Both bills were then referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Alternative Energy/Carbon Sequestration: House Bill 80 (Vitali-D-Delaware) creating a carbon sequestration network and expanding the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards was amended and reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and then referred to the House Rules Committee.

Electronics Recycling: House Bill 708 (Ross-R-Chester) establishing an electronics waste recycling program was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was then referred to the House Rules Committee.

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 reported from the House Rules Committee, amended and is in position for a final House vote.

Traditional Neighborhoods: House Bill 1609 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) amending the Municipalities Planning code to further define traditional neighborhood development was reported from the House Rules Committee, referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Fragmented Local Governments: House Resolution 273 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) creating a commission to study the Commonwealth's fragmented system of local governance was amended and reported from the House Local Government Committee and Tabled.

6/19/2009