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

House

Stormwater Management: Senate Bill 1255 (Erickson-R-Delaware) providing additional stormwater management options for municipal authorities was removed from the Table, referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House.  A summary and House Fiscal Note are available.  The Senate then concurred in House changes and the bill now goes to the Governor for his action.

Legislative Approval Of Carbon Plan: House Bill 2354 (Snyder-D-Fayette) which requires Senate and House approval of any plan DEP submits to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants was reported from the House Rules Committee, amended on the House Floor, referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House by a vote of 144-59.  A summary and House Fiscal Note are available.  The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

NewsClip: Editorial: PA Carbon Plan Should Be Devised By Experts

Recording Of Oil & Gas Well Leases: House Bill 402 (Pickett-R-Bradford) further providing for the recording of oil and gas well leases was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee and was passed by the House.  A summary and House Fiscal Note are available.  The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Standards: House Resolution 924 (Moul-R-Adams) urging rejection of the recommendations for natural gas vehicle fuel standards was adopted by the House- sponsor summary.

Senate

General Fund Budget: House Bill 2328 (Adolph-R-Delaware), a $29 billion General Fund budget with no tax increases, but which is based on $246.5 million in transfers from special funds, $95 million in additional “non-impact” natural gas leasing in State Parks and Forests, $20 million in DCNR timber sales and $75 million from a Philadelphia casino license that may or may not happen.  The bill was passed by the Senate and House by a party-line vote and was sent to the Governor for his action.  A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available.  A summary and House Fiscal Note are available.  Click Here for a copy of the line item spreadsheet.  Click Here for the budget balance and transfers sheet.

Fiscal Code: House Bill 278 (Baker-R-Tioga), the Fiscal Code bill that follows to implement provisions in the General Fund budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee made 66 pages of additions to the bill with provisions creating new programs, some which have never passed either the Senate or House, provides for transfers from special funds and other changes.  The Senate then passed the bill after a tie vote.  The bill returned to the House where it was amended and returned to the Senate for a concurrence vote.  A detailed summary and House Fiscal Note are available.

Drilling On Other State Lands: Senate Bill 1443 (White-R-Indiana) amending the Indigenous Mineral Resources Development Act to authorized state agencies (other than DCNR) to release mineral rights whether they owned the surface rights or not was passed by the Senate and now goes to the House for consideration.

Leasing State Lands For Alternative Energy Projects: Senate Bill 684 (Wozniak-D-Cambria) further providing for the leasing of DCNR lands for wind, solar and other energy projects was removed from the Table and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Separate Conventional Well Standards: Senate Bill 1378 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) developing separate standards for conventional oil and gas well was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

PA Crude Board: Senate Bill 1310 (Hutchinson-R-Venango) creating the PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council within DEP was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

7/7/2014