News From PA House & Senate

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

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- Two Bipartisan Bills Just Sitting In Senate Waiting To Address Record Number Of Water Quality Impaired Streams Reported In 2022  [PaEN]

-- House Committee To Hold Info. Meeting Jan. 24 On Bill To Use Some American Rescue Plan Funding To Clean Up Water Pollution  [PaEN]

-- Senate Committee Set To Meet Jan. 25 On Bills To Redefine Water Pollution, Prohibit State From Owning Clean Energy Credits; Hold Hearing On Stormwater Fees  [PaEN]

-- PA Conservation Districts Oppose Bill Redefining Water Pollution, Letting Polluters Decide When To Report Spills  [PaEN]

-- DEP 2022 Water Quality Report Shows 27,886 Miles Of Streams With Impaired Water Quality In PA (33%) - An Increase From 25,468 In 2020  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: York County Lawmaker To Lead State Delegation To Chesapeake Bay Commission

-- Spotlight PA: PA Republicans Answered Wolf’s Pandemic Vetoes With Constitutional Changes, That Strategy Is Here To Stay

-- ‘Trust The People’- Amend The State Constitution To Authorize Citizens To Establish New Laws Without The General Assembly  [PaEN]

-- PG: Fox Chapel Councilwoman Mandy Steele Conquers Coal Tar, Now Wants A Shot At State House

-- TribLive: Co-Founder Of Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy To Announce Run For House

Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week--

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

House/Senate Bills Moving Last Week

Senate

Native Plants: House Bill 763 (B.Miller-R- Lancaster) directing PennDOT to use native plants along highways was reported out of the Senate Transportation Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Bill Calendars

Senate (January 24): 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 522 (Baker-R-Luzerne, Yudichak-I-Luzerne) further providing for the testing of blood lead levels in children; 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];  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; House Bill 763 (B.Miller-R- Lancaster) directing PennDOT to use native plants along highways.  <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar. 

NEW: House Republican Week Ahead Expected Floor Action Memo

House (January 24): House Bill 199 (Dunbar-R-Westmoreland) to allow a taxpayer to claim a percentage depletion deduction for depletion of a mine, oil and gas well, or other natural deposit in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code in addition to the cost depletion method set-forth in PA Personal Income Tax policy(in other words, more tax breaks for coal, oil, gas owners);  House Bill 1760 (Heffley-R-Carbon) expanding the C-PACE clean energy, energy conservation program to multifamily buildings, adding indoor air and resiliency improvements;  House Bill 1947 (O’Neal-R- Washington) would prohibit local governments from promoting clean energy and energy efficiency [Read more here.]; House Bill 2069 (Cutler-R- Lancaster) Amend Article III, Section 9, to exempt the disapproval of a regulation by the General Assembly from the presentment requirement for the governor’s approval or disapproval [Read more here]; House Bill 2070 (Cutler- R-Lancaster) Amend Article IV, to add a new section providing that any executive order or proclamation issued by the governor, which purports to have the force of law, may not be in effect for more than 21 days, unless extended by concurrent resolution of the General Assembly [Read more here]; Senate Bill 533 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) would prohibit any public participation in state agency rulemaking and policy making processes during a declared state emergency and prohibits agencies from adopting regulations unrelated to the emergency.  Read more here. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

January 24--  House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee holds informational meeting on House Bill 1901 (Hershey-R-Juniata) allocating $250 million from federal American Rescue Plan to a new state Clean Water Fund, establishing an Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program to support farm conservation projects, a Municipal Stormwater Assistance Program and creating a controversial Clean Water Procurement Program [Read more here.]. Room 515 Irvis Building. 9:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

February 8 - Governor’s Budget Address

February 15-- House Appropriations Committee state budget hearings begin. 10:00-Dept. Of Revenue.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch live.

February 23-- House Game and Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Game Commission Annual Report.  Room 60 East Wing. 10:00 a.m.   Click Here to watch live.

February 24-- House Game and Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Fish and Boat Commission Annual Report.  Room 60 East Wing. 1:00 p.m.   Click Here to watch live.

February 28-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 10:00- Department of Environmental Protection.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch live.

March 2-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 10:00- Department of Agriculture.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch live.

     -- Click Here for full House Budget Hearing Schedule

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

January 24-- Senate Appropriations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 806 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) further providing for a description of deductions from assessments of royalties paid to oil and gas mineral owners.  Senate Chamber.  Off the Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

January 24-- Performance-Based Budget Board meets on Independent Fiscal Office review of Coal Refuse and Reclamation and other tax credits.  Room 140. 10:00.

January 25-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets on bills and to hold a hearing.  Bills include: House Bill 1842 (Zimmerman-R-Lancaster) would redefine water pollution to allow polluters to determine when spills are serious enough to notify DEP [Read more here.]; Senate Bill 945 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) directs state government to sell all its Renewable Energy Credits and deposit the proceeds in the Marcellus Legacy Fund for use to plug oil and gas wells abandoned by the industry and left to taxpayers to pay to clean up [Read more here]; Senate Bill 1030 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) to temporarily suspend Pennsylvania’s regulations which adopted California regulations related to heavy-duty vehicle diesel controls, leaving the federal standards to govern while the suspension is in effect [Read more here]; House Bill 668 (James-R-Venango) adding a coal refuse energy representative on DEP’s Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board.  Hearing on stormwater fees and implementation. Room 8E-B East Wing of the Capitol Building.  9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch onlineRead more here.

January 25-- Senate Local Government Committee meets to consider House Bill 221 (Rader-R-Monroe) authorizing use of open space preservation funding for maintenance.  Room 8E-A East Wing Capitol. 9:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

January 26-- Performance-Based Budget Board meets on Dept. of Agriculture report. Room 140 Main Capitol. 10:00 a.m.

January 28-- Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on Anthracite Ridge Wind Farm Project. Live Stream.  10:00 a.m.   Read more here.

February 22 - Senate Appropriations Committee state budget hearings begin. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

March 2 - Senate Appropriations Committee state budget hearings: 10:00 - Department of Conservation & Natural Resources; 2:30 - Department of Environmental Protection. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

March 3 - Senate Appropriations Committee state budget hearings: 10:00 - Department of Agriculture. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

     -- Click Here for full Senate Budget Hearing Schedule. 

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Office Of Environmental Justice: House Bill 2256 (Kenyatta-D-Philadelphia) establishing the Office of Environmental Justice In DEP.

Smart Meter Opt-Out: House Bill 2260 (E.Nelson-R-Westmoreland) provides for consumer opt-out of electric smart meter installation.

Suspending Heavy Vehicle Air Standards: Senate Bill 1030 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) to temporarily suspend Pennsylvania’s regulations which adopted California regulations related to heavy-duty vehicle diesel controls, leaving the federal standards to govern while the suspension is in effect. [Read more here]

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

January 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

January 24, 25, 26

February 7, 8, 9

March 28, 29, 30

April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13

May 23, 24, 25

June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30


1/24/2022

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