The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate--

Senate

Nominations: The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Wednesday favorably reported out the nomination of Steven C. Beckman to the Environmental Hearing Board who was then confirmed by the full Senate.

Municipal Parkland: House Bill 2224 (Cutler-R-Lancaster) further providing for the disposition of municipally-owned property was amended on the Senate Floor and

            NewsClip: Editorial: Protect Public Park Land

Mine Reclamation: House Bill 1813 (Tobash-R-Berks) authorizing a financial guarantee option covering mine reclamation was amended and reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.  A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available.

Mine Drainage Reuse: Senate Bill 1346 (Kasunic-D-Somerset) providing for the reuse of mine drainage for drilling water was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.  A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available.

Vehicle Emission Inspections: Senate Bill 1532 (Vogel-R-Beaver) providing more exemptions from vehicle emission inspection program was amended and reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.  A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available.

"Once government lays down the law it's a long hard process to get it changed, even after it has outlived its purpose," Sen. Wozniak said. "So the movement this week is great news and part of a long process that will end up saving Pennsylvania drivers millions of dollars."

"Pennsylvania is one of only 12 states that still have safety inspections at all," Sen. Wozniak said. "And Pennsylvania drivers pay close to $50 million per year for it, before you count any repairs. For new cars, the safety inspection is pretty much wasted money."

"People who buy new cars are paying dearly for the latest fuel efficiency and pollution cutting technology," Sen. Wozniak said. "They shouldn't be forced to pay again for a test that tells them what they already know. The only reason new cars have to be tested for emissions is bureaucracy."

Energy Conservation: House Bill 1991 (Cutler-R-Lancaster) further requiring accountability measures for Energy Conservation and Assistance Act was amended and reported out of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

House

Capital Budget: Senate Bill 1480 (Corman-R-Centre) providing for the 2012-13 Capital Budget was referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House. A summary and House Fiscal Note are available. The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.

Farm Composting: Senate Bill 1298 (Smucker-R-Lancaster) providing for composting facilities on Act 319 farmlands was passed by the House. A summary and House Fiscal Note are available. The bill was reported out of the Senate Rules Committee and is on the Senate Calendar for a concurrence vote.

Lyme Disease: House Bill 272 (Hess-R-Bedford) establishing a task force on Lyme disease and related maladies was referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House. A summary and House Fiscal Note are available. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Emissions Inspection: Senate Resolution 246 (Wozniak-D-Cambria) Concurrent resolution memorializing Congress to re-evaluate the enhanced vehicle emission inspection program was concurred in by the House.  The resolution was now approved by both the Senate and House.

Stormwater Management: Senate Bill 1261 (Erickson-R-Delaware) specifically authorizing the formation of municipal authorities for stormwater management purposes was reported out of the House Local Government Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Extending Permits: House Bill 2470 (Evankovich-R-Armstrong) amending the Fiscal Code to extend the deadline for extending permits which would otherwise expire until July 2, 2018 was removed from the Table and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Flood Damage Repair: House Bill 1916 (Millard-R-Columbia) itemized flood repair projects was reported out of the House Rules Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.  A summary and House Fiscal Note are available.

10/8/2012