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

House

Guaranteed Energy Savings Contracts: House Bill 2107 (Baker-R-Tioga) among other provisions, it includes additional notice requirements for financial obligations and validation of budgetary sources of all energy-related cost savings.  The House concurred in amendments made by the Senate and the bill now goes to the Governor for his action.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.

Land Conservation Easements: House Bill 2370 (Moul-R-Adams) among other provisions, the bill extends the conservation easement Realty Transfer Tax exemption, was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate for action.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.

The bill was reported from the Senate Finance Committee and was passed by the Senate.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.

Extended Review Of Regulations: Senate Bill 562 (Gordner-R-Columbia) amending the Regulatory Review Act to allow the General Assembly to block a regulation by inaction for no reason and prohibits an agency from publishing a statement of purpose for a regulation taking away the public’s right to know why a regulation is being adopted was referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and was passed by the House 109 to 81. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

The bill was reported from the Senate Rules Committee and concurred in by the Senate 31 to 16.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.

Public Utilities: Senate Bill 881 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) exempting from the definition of public utility a resort offering water or sewer service to private homes within a resort was removed from the Table, was amended on the House Floor to exclude stormwater, was referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and was passed by the House.  The bill returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.

The bill was reported out of the Senate Rules Committee and was concurred in by the Senate.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.

Reauthorizing PA One Call Law: Senate Bill 1235 (Baker-R-Luzerne) extends the PA One Call utility safety program for another year, but without a provision to include natural gas gathering lines added by the Senate and opposed by conventional oil and gas drillers, was referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee after being amended to be just a simple extension of the PA One Call program for another year  and was passed by the House.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

The bill was reported out of the Senate Rules Committee and was reluctantly concurred in by the Senate.  The bill now goes to the Senate for action.

Ban On Plastic Bag Fees: House Bill 1280 (Farry-R-Bucks) prohibit a plastic bag ban, tax or fee was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee and was defeated on final passage 75 to 112.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the Senate for action.

Senate

Destruction Of Prescription Drugs: House Bill 1737 (Maher-R-Allegheny) further providing for the safe destruction of unwanted or unused prescription and other drugs was passed by the Senate unanimously and now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.

The bill was reported out of the House Rules Committee and concurred in unanimously by the House.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.

Transit Improvement Districts: Senate Bill 385 (Pileggi-R-Delaware) further providing for Transit Revitalization investment Districts by, among other changes, establishing a TRID Fund to provide grants on concurrence was amended and reported out of the Senate Rules Committee and was passed by the Senate. The bill now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.

The bill was reported out of the House Rules Committee and the House concurred in Senate amendments.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.

Energy Efficiency Exemption: Senate Bill 805 (Boscola-D-Lehigh) exempting certain large electricity users from Act 129 energy efficiency requirements was amended on the Senate Floor and was passed by the Senate.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

Storage Tank Insurance Board: House Bill 1895 (Metzgar-R-Bedford) changing the membership of the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board from appointments only by the Governor to appointments by both the General Assembly and the Governor was removed from the Table, referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for final action.

Marcellus Shale Drilling Reg Changes: Senate Bill 1229 (Vogel-R-Beaver) amends the Administrative Code with several provisions, including changes to the Horse Breeders Fund and eliminating certain provisions of DEP’s final Marcellus Shale regulations was amended to eliminate all the provisions except for language related to the Horse Breeders Fund contained in House Bill 2303 and reported out of the House Rules Committee and is on the House Calendar for action.

Uniform Construction Code: House Bill 568 (Evankovich-R-Allegheny) which would change the way the state’s Uniform Construction Code is updated, including energy conservation measures was reported out of the Senate Rules Committee, but only after reverting back to Printer’s Number 3705, the version that passed the Senate previously. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available. The Senate passed the bill and it now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.  The bill remains in the House Rules Committee.

Land Conservation Easement Exemption: House Bill 2370 (Moul-R-Adams) extending the conservation easement tax exemption was referred into and out the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Potomac River Basin Commission: House Bill 577 (Moul-R- Adams) providing for the appointment of alternates on the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (House Fiscal Note and summary) was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Private Dam Assistance: House Bill 1712 (R.Brown-R-Monroe) establishing a Private Dam Financial Assurance Program (House Fiscal Note and summary) was removed from the Table, referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Explore PA Outdoors: Senate Resolution 477 (Teplitz-D-Dauphin) designating October 23 to 29 Explore PA Outdoors Week (sponsor summary) was adopted by the Senate.

Federal Floodplain Management Changes: Senate Resolution 421 (Argall-R-Schuylkill) urging the President and Congress to review changes to the federal floodplain management regulations that negatively impact blighted communities (sponsor summary) was adopted by the Senate.

10/31/2016