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

House

-- Farm Succession Grants: House Bill 881 (Fee-R-Lancaster) authorizes the Department of Agriculture to issue grants for farm succession planning (House Fiscal Note & Summary) was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate for action.

-- Ohiopyle Land Swap: House Bill 2045 (Dowling-R-Fayette) providing for a land swap between Ohiopyle Borough and Ohiopyle State Park (House Fiscal Note & Summary) was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate for action.

-- Reallocating Keystone Fund: House Bill 2004 (Ortitay-R-Allegheny) gives the General Assembly authority to reallocate monies from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund between participating agencies, instead of having an allocation fixed in law (sponsor summary) was amended and reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was Tabled.  This bill is opposed by the PA Parks & Forests Foundation, PA Environmental Council, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership,  and other conservation groups.  Read more here.

-- Online Permit Tracking:House Bill 99 (Zimmerman-R-Lancaster) requiring DEP to establish an online permit tracking system (sponsor summary).  No funding is provided by this legislation.  The bill was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was Tabled.

--  On-lot Septic Systems: Senate Bill 1030 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) which would amend the Sewage Facilities Act to change the process for considering alternative on-lot sewage disposal systems in local sewage facilities plans (Senate Fiscal Note & Summary) reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was Tabled.

5/11/2020