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

House

Purchase Of Federal Timber: House Bill 1494 (Rapp-R-Forest) authorizing the state to enter into a cooperative agreement with federal agencies for the purpose of selling timber on federal land was reported 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. 

Roll Back Protection From Deep Mining: Senate Bill 624 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) retroactively rolling back protections for streams from deep coal mining was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, was amended on the House Floor and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.   (Click Here for more.)

Roll Back Protection From Surface Mining: House Bill 1333 (Gabler-R-Clearfield) eliminating the current DEP limit on how long surface mine operators can temporarily cease mining operations from 180 days to the federal standard of what could be years was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, referred into and out of the House Rules Committee and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.   (Click Here for more.)

Certify Mine Medical Emergency Responders: House Bill 1341 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) providing for the certification of bituminous coal mine emergency medical responders (sponsor summary), was amended to include advanced medical responders and reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, referred into and out of the House Rules Committee and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Members Of Ag Lands Condemnation Board: House Bill 1518 (Causer-R-Cameron) further providing for the appointment of members to the Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board was amended and reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and rereferred to the House Rules Committee as all bills are this time of year.

Ag Security Areas: House Bill 1550 (Klunk-R-York) amend the Agricultural Area Security Law allowing for the voluntary relinquish the right to construct a residence was amended and reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and rereferred to the House Rules Committee as all bills are this time of year.

Uniform Construction Code: House Bill 1469 (Heffley-R- Carbon) authorize municipalities to use third-party agencies to enforce the Uniform Construction Code was reported out of the House Rules Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Performance Budgeting: Senate Bill 181 (Mensch-R-Montgomery) establishing a performance-based budgeting process was amended and reported out of the House Appropriations Committee and Tabled.

Pollinator Week: House Resolution 387 (Matzie-D-Allegheny) designating week of June 19 to 25 Pollinator Week in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary) was adopted by the House.

Senate

PA One Call, Natural Gas Line Protection: Senate Bill 242 (Baker-R-Luzerne) adds natural gas gathering lines to the PA One Call utility construction safety program so they can be identified and mapped for emergency services was amended on the Floor to keep the exemption for conventional oil and gas stripper well gathering lines (8 inches or less in diameter), referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and was passed by the Senate.  A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the House for action.  (Click Here for more.) 

Alternate Onlot Systems: Senate Bill 144 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) amending Act 537 ton include alternative on-lot sewage systems in sewage plans was passed by the Senate and now goes to the House for action.  A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available.

Funding Water Laterals: Senate Bill 639 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a municipality or authority to include private lateral rehabilitation or replacement of water lines in PennVEST funding applications - no new funding source identified was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and passed by the Senate.  A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

Water Line Replacement: Senate Bill 656 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorize local governments to make funds available to repair or replace lateral water lines contaminated with lead was amended and reported out of the Senate Local Government committee, referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and was passed by the Senate.  A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

Funding Sewer Laterals: Senate Bill 334 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a municipality or authority to include private lateral rehabilitation or replacement of sewer lines in PennVEST funding applications - no new funding source identified (sponsor summary) was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

USTIF Board Members: House Bill 290 (Metzgar-R-Bedford) providing for legislative appointments to the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board was amended to include language from Senate Bill 649 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) filling a gap in funding for DEP’s Storage Tank Program and extending the sunset date for the environmental cleanup programs for storage tanks and reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, was amended on the Floor and referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.  (Click Here for more.) (The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet on this bill Monday, June 26.)

Local Onlot Septic System Fees: Senate Bill 692 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) amends to Sewage Facilities Act to increase what a local agency may charge from $25 to $100 (sponsor summary) was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Wind Energy Facilities: House Bill 187 (Sonney-R-Erie) further authorize wind energy facilities on preserved farmland (House Fiscal Note and summary) was reported from the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Noxious Weed Law: House Bill 790 (Pashinski-D-Luzerne) establishing the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee (House Fiscal Note and summary) was amended and reported from the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

6/26/2017