The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Prohibit Communities From Promoting Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency; House Republicans Move Companion Bill  [PaEN]

-- AP: Senate Aims Bill At Preventing All Electric Building Code

-- Sen. Corman: PA Manufacturing Tax Credit Leads To $6 Billion Investment In PA

-- Senate Passes Resolution To Block Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Regulations; Now Goes To House  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Senate Moves Resolution To Block RGGI, Key Part Of Wolf’s Climate Plan; Resolution Now Goes To The House

-- Office Of Attorney General: Responds To Republicans On Review Of RGGI Regulation

-- WHP-TV: PA Senate Could Move To Stop Energy Transition [RGGI]

-- PA Business Report: Legislation Would Expand Solar Power Access Thru Subscriber Programs

-- House Committee Moves Bill To Control Overuse Of Fertilizer On Turf  [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee Sets Nov. 8 Info Meeting On “Economic Consequences of PA Adopting California’s Regulation On Diesel Emission Controls for Large Trucks.”

PA Capitol News: Top 10 Stories From Harrisburg Last Week--

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- PA Capitol News: Top 10 Stories From Harrisburg Last Week [PaEN]

Bills Moving Last Week

Senate

Prohibit The Ability Of Communities To Promote Clean Energy: Senate Bill 275 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) which would limit the ability of communities to offer new and clean energy sources and energy efficiency programs by locking in the status quo, in particular natural gas was passed by the Senate and now goes to the House for action.  [Read more here]

Limit Ability Of Citizens To Appeal DEP Permits: Senate Bill 717 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) create a new stand for review of DEP permit actions that narrows the grounds for appeals by citizen groups and companies was Tabled.  [Read more here]

Limit Terms On Environmental Hearing Board: Senate Bill 718 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) shorten the terms of a judge on the Environmental Hearing Board from six to five years was Tabled.  [Read more here]

House

Prescriptive Easements: House Bill 598 (Oberlander-R-Clarion) would limit actions to create prescriptive easements to public entities like state agencies and local governments, not private entities was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the House.  The bill is now in the Senate for action.

Adding Coal Refuse Member: House Bill 668 (James-R-Venango) adding a member of the coal refuse industry to DEP’s Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board was removed from the Table and now on the House Calendar for action.

Limits On Local Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency Initiatives:  House Bill 1947 (O’Neal-R- Washington) which would limit the ability of communities to offer new and clean energy sources and energy efficiency programs by locking in the status quo, in particular natural gas [companion to Senate Bill 275 (Yaw-R-Lycoming)] was amended and reported out of the House Local Government Committee and was Tabled.  [Read more here]

Limiting Fertilizer Use: Senate Bill 251 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) which sets standards for the application of fertilizer to turf, provides for the certification of professional fertilizer applicators and for labeling and an education program was amended and reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and was Tabled.  [Read more here]

Recreation Liability:  House Bill 1694 (Struzzi-R-Indiana) further providing the the opening of private land for recreation and limiting liability (sponsor summary) was reported out of the House Tourism and Recreation Development Committee and was Tabled.

Revise Renewable Fuel Standards To Benefit Refiners: House Resolution 148 (White-R- Philadelphia) urging EPA to revise nationwide Renewable Fuel Standard to provide relief to refiners in Pennsylvania was reported from the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Bill Calendars

Senate (November 8): Senate Bill 284 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would load up renewable energy projects, energy efficiency products and high-efficiency locomotives with bonds to prevent their development [Read more here]; Senate Bill 525 (Gordner-R-Columbia, Comitta--D-Chester) is bipartisan legislation allocating $500 million from the federal American Rescue Plan to fund Growing Greener watershed, farm conservation, mine reclamation and recreation projects [Read more here];  Senate Bill 597 (Stefano-R-Fayette) would impose conflicting and expensive requirements on small water and wastewater systems for no benefit to their customers and if they can’t comply they would come under the regulation of the Public Utility Commission Read more here];  Senate Bill 832 (Yaw-R-Lycoming)  to allocate $250 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to establish a Clean Streams Fund for Pennsylvania and establish a fake program to help reduce nutrient pollution [Read more here]. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (November 8): House Bill 668 (James-R-Venango) adding a member of the coal refuse industry to DEP’s Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board; House Resolution 148 (White-R- Philadelphia) urging EPA to revise nationwide Renewable Fuel Standard to provide relief to refiners in Pennsylvania.  <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

November 8-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds informational meeting on “economic consequences of PA adopting California’s regulation on diesel emission controls for large trucks.”  Room G-50 Irvis Building. 9:30.  Click Here to watch online.  Click Here for some background.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

The following bills and resolutions were introduced last week--

Submerged Land Fee Exemption: House Bill 2019 (Wentling-R-Erie) exempt landowners from paying an annual submerged land fee for groins built into Lake Erie (sponsor summary).

Environmental Justice Advisory Board: House Bill 2034 (Kenyatta-D-Philadelphia) establishing DEP’s Environmental Justice Advisory Board in law (sponsor summary).

Biosolids Permitting: House Resolution 149 (Rigby-R-Cambria) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the costs to permit holders to comply with changes to General Permits covering biosolids disposal (sponsor summary).

17 Principles Of Environmental Justice: House Resolution 151 (Bullock-D-Philadelphia) recognizing the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the 17 principles of environmental justices at the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit (sponsor summary).

Solar Energy Subscriber Programs: Senate Bill 919 (Laughlin-R-Erie and Costa-D- Allegheny) authorizes electric utilities to establish solar energy subscriber programs (sponsor summary). [Read more here on other local solar legislation.]

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.

Session Schedule

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

House

November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17

December 13, 14, 15

January 4 (NV), 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26

February 7, 8, 9

March 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30

April 11, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27

May 23, 24, 25

June 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30

September 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21

October 24, 25, 26

November 14, 15, 16

Senate

November 8, 9, 10

December 13, 14, 15

11/1/2021