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

House

Previously Agreed-To Fiscal Code Bill: House Bill 1327 (Peifer-R-Pike) amendments to the Fiscal Code to implement a General Fund budget, previously agreed-to, was amended by House Republicans to include a new basic school funding distribution formula in the House Rules Committee and passed by the House in a party line vote of 111 to 81.  The bill now returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

The bill still includes provisions adding yet more review time for any plan DEP develops to meet EPA’s Clean Power Climate Plan regulations and would kill DEP regulations due to be finalized at a February 3 Environmental Quality Board updating conventional drilling rules and force them to start over.

Private Dam Financial Assurance: House Bill 1712 (R.Brown-R-Monroe) establishing the Private Dame Financial Assurance program to offer financial assurance to private dam owners required to post a bond under the Dam Safety and Encroachment Act, however, no funding was provided for the program (sponsor summary) was removed from the Table and is now on the House Calendar for action.

1/18/2016