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

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- Gov. Wolf Proposes $450 Million Growing Greener III Initiative Funded By Federal American Rescue Plan; Bipartisan Support Building For Conservation Allocation  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $1.7 Billion Spending Plan For Federal American Rescue Plan Money

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Wolf Proposes $1.7 Bill Relief Program For Families, Small Businesses, Health Care, Conservation

-- AP: What To Watch For In Gov. Wolf’s Budget Proposal

-- Guest Essay: Commonwealth Budget Should Fully Fund Environmental Protection - By Rep. Greg Vitali, Minority Chair House Environmental Committee [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee To Hold Feb. 7 Information Meeting On DEP’s Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program For Wells Abandon By Conventional Drillers  [PaEN]

-- AP: DEP Files Lawsuit Against Reference Bureau To Publish Final RGGI Carbon Pollution Reduction Regulations; PA Could Lose Air Pollution Reductions, $283 Million  [PaEN]

-- AP: Wolf Files Lawsuit To Force Publication Of RGGI Carbon Pricing Plan

-- PA State Treasurer Garrity Calls On Biden To Withdraw Fed Nominee Because She Advocates For Sustainable Investments And Is A Threat To Oil, Gas, Coal Companies  [PaEN]

-- PG - Anya Litvak: Alliance Wants To Make Western PA Hub For Hydrogen Production, Carbon Storage  [Sen. Yaw’s Senate Bill 284 would stifle innovation and make this facility more expensive by requiring bonding.  Read more here. ] 

-- PG - Anya Litvak: On Track For A Zero-Carbon Locomotive, Wabtec Is On To Step 2  [Sen. Yaw’s Senate Bill 284 would stifle innovation and make these locomotives more expensive by specifically requiring bonding.  Read more here ] 

-- PA Lawmakers Join Other Elected Officials Calling On EPA To Prevent Chemical Disasters, Protect Workers, Prioritize Environmental Justice [PaEN]

-- WPost: Conor Lamb, Leading Democratic Candidate For U.S. Senate In PA Opposes Fracking Ban

-- Sen. Yaw: Virginia’s Exit From RGGI Should Be A Wake-Up Call For Pennsylvania

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]

Bill Calendars

Senate (February 7): 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]; 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 221 (Rader-R-Monroe) authorizing use of open space preservation funding for maintenance;  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 668 (James-R-Venango) adding a coal refuse energy representative on DEP’s Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board; 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].  <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

NEW. House Republican Expected Floor Action This Week.

House (February 7): 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]. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

February 7-- House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee informational meeting on DEP’s Program To Plug Oil & Gas Wells Abandon By Conventional Drillers and Federal Funds Available For This Purpose.  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

February 8 - Governor’s Budget Address

February 8-- Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Game and Fisheries Committees Joint Hearing on Chronic Wasting Disease.  American Legion, 3721 U.S. 220 BUS, Bedford. 5:00 p.m.

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

Allocating $500 Million In ARP Funds For Conservation: House Bill 2020 (Schlegel Culver-R-Northumberland) bipartisan proposal allocating $500 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding for local conservation, recreation projects (sponsor summary).  A companion to the bipartisan Senate Bill 525 (Gordner-R-Columbia) in the Senate.  [Read more here.]

Back-Up Power Storage: House Bill 2321 (Ciresi-D-Montgomery) providing in-building backup renewable energy storage for community buildings in the event of power interruptions (sponsor summary).

Increasing Oil & Gas Penalties:  House Bill 2323 (Howard-D-Chester) proposing increase of penalties for environmental violations related to oil and gas wells and pipeline operators (sponsor summary). 

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

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

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

2/7/2022