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

House

Natural Gas Vehicle Weight: House Bill 603 (Metzgar-R-Bedford) exempting heavy duty natural gas-fueled vehicles from weight limits was referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the Senate for action.

Noxious Weeds: House Bill 790 (Pashinski-D- Luzerne) establishing the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee was reported from the House Appropriations Committee and passed by the House.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the Senate for action.

Construction Code: House Bill 176 (Picket-R-Susquehanna) exempting roadside stands from state Uniform Construction Code was amended and reported out of the House Labor and Industry Committee and Tabled.

Wild Resource Checkoff: House Bill 1390 (Kavulich-D- Lackawanna) would eliminate the sunset date of January 1, 2018 on PIT tax checkoff for the Wild Resource Conservation Fund Program was reported from the House Finance Committee and Tabled.

Senate

Construction Code: Senate Bill 269 (Baker-R- Luzerne) changing the process for updating the PA Construction Code was amended on the Senate Floor and was passed by the Senate.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

Exempting Steel Slag From Definition of Waste: Senate Bill 497 (Vogel-R-Butler) eliminating the designation of steel slag as waste was amended on the Senate Floor and remains on the Senate Calendar for action.

Rollback Protection For Streams From Coal Mining: Senate Bill 624 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) to retroactively change the protection streams receive under Act 54 from underground coal mining was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee by party-line vote, Republicans supporting.  (Click Here for more background.) The bill was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

General Assembly Approval Of Regulations: Senate Bill 561 (DiSanto-R-Dauphin) requiring legislative approval of regulations with an economic impact of $1 million or more was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Filling Funding Gap In UST Program: Senate Bill 649 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne). It would fill a significant funding gap in DEP’s Underground Storage Tank Program (sponsor summary) was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.  (Click Here for more background.)

Onlot Alternative Septic Systems: Senate Bill 144 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) amending Act 537 ton include alternative on-lot sewage systems in sewage plans (sponsor summary) was reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

5/29/2017