Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

Bill Calendars

NEW: House Republicans: Expected Bill Actions On House Floor

House (January 13):  House Bill 247 (Oberlander-R-Clarion) to allow cross unit unconventional drilling and authorizes voluntary pooling; House Bill 827 (Fritz-R-Wayne) requiring the Delaware River Basin Commission to reimburse property owners for drilling rights if the Commission adopts a ban on fracking was reported from the House Appropriations Committee (House Fiscal Note and summary); House Bill 1106 (Puskaric-R-Allegheny) requires DEP approval of any permit regulating air quality, waste, erosion and sedimentation and dam safety and encroachments within 30 days without regard to public review of permits, creates a new bureaucracy in the form of a “referee” to decide disputes between DEP and applicants over application completeness (Part of House Republican EnergizePA natural gas subsidy package) Click Here for more. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (January 27): Senate Bill 258 (Dinniman-D-Chester, Killion-R-Delaware), a bipartisan initiative to improve emergency response to pipeline incidents; Senate Bill 284 (Killion-R- Delaware, Dinniman-D-Chester) require pipeline companies to provide current emergency response plans to PUC; Senate Bill 726 (Bartolotta-R- Washington) which would create a new standard for the review for appeals of DEP permit actions before the Environmental Hearing Board by limiting parties appealing permit decisions-- a company or a citizens group-- to issues raised in and information contained in a record of decision on each permit DEP staff would have to prepare, Click Here for more.; Senate Bill 727 (Bartolotta-R- Washington), a companion bill to Senate Bill 726, would change the term of an Environmental Hearing Board judge from 6 to 5 years and limited judges to serving 2 terms, Click Here for more.; Senate Bill 766 (Leach-D- Montgomery) increases the matching grants available for household hazardous waste collection events rom $100,000 to $250,000 per county per fiscal year (sponsor summary);  House Bill 476 (Mako-R-Northampton) requires municipalities be notified of state and federal waste law violations (House Fiscal Note & Summary).  <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings  This Week

NEW: House Republicans: Expected Actions By Committees

House:  the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee has two meetings-- first a voting meeting on Senate Bill 790 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) legalizing road dumping of conventional drilling wastewater, House Bill 2045 (Dowling-R-Fayette) authorizing a land swap between Ohiopyle Borough and Ohiopyle State Park and a second information meeting on EQB Final Triennial Review Of Water Quality, Stream Redesignation Regulation; the Tourism and Recreation Development Committee holds an information meeting on DCNR’s Penn’s Parks For All Strategic Plan <>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule. 

Senate:   <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest were introduced last week--

Solar Panel Recycling: House Bill 2197 (Dush-R-Jefferson) adding solar panels as an electronic waste under the state’s Electronic Waste Recycling Program (sponsor summary).

Placing Limits On Interstate Compacts: House Bill 2198 (Dush-R-Jefferson) would amend the state constitution to require future interstate compacts to have a limited 10 year term and be required to be renewed every 10 years by an affirmative vote of the General Assembly (sponsor summary).

House and Senate Co-Sponsorship Memos

House: Click Here for all new co-sponsorship memos

Senate: Click Here for all new co-sponsorship memos

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

Senate

January 27, 28, 29

February 3, 4, 5

Budget Hearings: February 18 - March 5

March 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

April 6,7, 8

May 4, 5, 6, 18,19, 20

June 1,2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

House

January 13, 14, 15, 21, 22

February 3, 4, 5

Budget Hearings: February 18 - March 5

March 16, 17, 18, 23, 24,25

April 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16

May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

1/13/2020