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

House

Budget - Administrative Code: House Bill 118 (Kaufer-R-Luzerne) amends the Administrative Code with the Senate-passed budget revenue package-- WITH a series of environmental riders-- was reported from the House Rules Committee and passed by the House without amendment.  One provision removes the sunset date for the $2/ton Recycling Fee.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.  Click Here for more.

Construction Code: House Bill 176 (Pickett-R-Susquehanna) amending the Construction Code  to exempt roadside farm stands was reported from the House Rules Committee and concurred in by the House.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.

Budget - Tax Code: House Bill 542 (Thomas-D-Philadelphia) was amended with another compromise tax and revenue plan was referred into the House Rules Committee, amended and reported out and passed by the House 102 to 88.  The bill does NOT have environmental riders that were a concern and includes permanent extension for the Wild Resource Conservation Tax Checkoff. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill now returns to the Senate for concurrence.   Click Here for more.

Natural Gas Pipeline Protection: Senate Bill 242 (Baker-R-Luzerne) adding unconventional and larger conventional natural gas gathering lines to the PA One Call utility safety program was removed from the Table, amended on the House Floor, referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and was passed by the House.  A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.  The bill returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

Stormwater Exemption: House Bill 1486 (Zimmerman-R-Lancaster) exempting high tunnel greenhouse structures on farms from the Stormwater Management Act 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.

Recycling Fee Extension: Senate Bill 646 (Killion-R-Delaware) extending the $2/ton Recycling Fee for one year until January 1, 2021 was referred to the House Appropriations Committee since language in House Bill 118 eliminated the sunset date. Click Here for more.

Severance Tax: House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R-Bucks) which amends the Tax Code to impose a sliding scale natural gas severance tax, in addition to the Act 13 drilling impact fee, on natural gas production was amended to divert all revenues to the General Fund and NO money for environmental programs and add provisions related to minimum landowner oil and gas royalties and reported out of the House Finance Committee and Tabled (as is the usual practice).

General Assembly Approval Of Regulations: House Bill 1237 (Keefer-R- York) which amends the Regulatory Review Act requiring the General Assembly to specifically approve “economically significant” final regulations approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission.  If the General Assembly fails to adopt a resolution approving a regulation, it dies. The bill was reported out of the House Commerce Committee with a recommendation it be referred to the House State Government Committee.

Vehicle Emissions Inspection: House Bill 86 (Lawrence-R-Chester) eliminate vehicle emissions testing for vehicle model years 1992-1995 was amended and reported from the House Transportation Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Delaware Drilling Moratorium: House Resolution 515 (Fritz-R-Wayne) urging the Delaware River Basin Commission to suspend its consideration of a moratorium on natural gas drilling in the Delaware Watershed (sponsor summary) was removed from the Table and adopted by the House 101 to 82 along party lines (Republicans supporting).  Click Here for more background on the issue.

Senate

Noxious Weeds: House Bill 790 (Pashinski-D-Luzerne) repeal the Noxious Weed Control Law and replace with the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act was reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee, amended on the Senate Floor and passed by the Senate.  The bill now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.

Construction Code: Senate Bill 663 (Langlin-R-Erie) amending the PA Construction Code to provide for third party contracts to enforce the Code was amended on the Senate Floor and passed by the Senate.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

Chesapeake Bay Funding: Senate Bill 799 (Alloway-R-Franklin) was amended to make the program outlined in the bill optional and was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Vehicle Emissions Testing: Senate Resolution 168 (Langerholc-R-Cambria) directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to review the vehicle emissions inspection program was amended and reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on Senate Calendar for action.

10/23/2017