PA Environment Digest

House (June 5): House Bill 797 (B.Miller-R-Lancaster) providing for the use of native plants along highways by PennDOT; House Resolution 79 (Pisciottano-D- Allegheny) urging the Biden Administration and Congress to designate Pennsylvania as a hydrogen hub; House Resolution 104 (Sturla-D- Lancaster, Benninghoff-R-Mifflin) designating June 4 to 10 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (June 5): Senate Bill 100 (Brooks-R-Crawford) further providing for Lyme disease and tick-borne illness medical coverage; Senate Bill 198 (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 of a permit prepared by DEP. This would prevent a citizens group or anyone else from raising issues DEP missed or misinterpreted [Read more here]; Senate Bill 199 (Bartolotta-R- Washington) requires members of the Board whose terms have expired to be reappointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate [Read more here]; Senate Bill 689 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize DEP to issue a 10-year “stream cleaning” permits to local governments or PennDOT without need for further preapprovals for actions in the stream regardless if stream conditions changes within their jurisdictions [Read more here]; Senate Bill 690 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize county conservation districts to develop a complex and expensive program related to “reconstruction emergency permit authorizations” to conduct “stream cleaning” operations [Read more here]; Senate Bill 691 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would rename the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Environmental Services. The bill also opens up Act 18 of 1995 creating DEP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to any and all amendments [Read more here]. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House

June 5-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 652 (Bullock-D-Philadelphia) on environmental justice and permitting. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here.

June 5-- House Transportation Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 115 (Stefano-R-Fayette) adopting a 100-hour diesel oil change requirement for underground coal mining equipment (Senate Fiscal Note & Summary). Room 523 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

June 6-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 652 (Bullock-D-Philadelphia) requiring environmental impact reports on certain electric generation, waste management, sewage treatment and other facilities that are a major source of air pollution proposed in already burdened communities. A hearing on the bill is set for June 5 by the Committee. Read more here; House Bill 1215 (Vitali-D- Delaware) requires hydrogen producing companies to sequester a larger proportion of carbon emissions to receive a tax credit under state Act 108 (sponsor summary); House Bill 1282 (Vitali-D-Delaware) excluding cryptocurrency mining operations from state Computer Data Center Equipment Tax Credit (sponsor summary); House Bill 1172 (Daley-D-Montgomery) expanding the use of alkaline hydrolysis cremation (sponsor summary); House Resolution 119 (Krueger-D-Delaware) designating June 1, 2023 as “Skip The Straw Day” in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary); House Resolution 131 (Steele-D-Allegheny) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to estimate how much revenue Pennsylvania could have collected by adopting a natural gas severance tax since February 2012 (sponsor summary). Room 140 Main Capitol. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here.

June 6-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee holds a hearing on House Bill 791 (Isaacson-D-Philadelphia) establishing measures to prevent the theft of vehicle catalytic converters (sponsor summary). Room G-50 Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

<> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

June 5-- Senate Appropriations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 691 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) dropping ‘Protection’ from the name of the Department of Environmental Protection. Rules Room. Off the Floor. No video coverage.

June 6-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds a hearing on the nomination of Cindy Adams Dunn to be Secretary of DCNR. Room 8E-B East Wing. 12:30. Click Here to watch online.

June 6-- Senate Health and Human Services Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 514 (Baker-R-Luzerne) requiring child testing for lead blood levels (sponsor summary). Room 8E-A East Wing. 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

June 7-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee informational briefing on carbon capture. Room 8E-B East Wing. 9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

June 20-- Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee hearing on solar energy’s impact on Pennsylvania ratepayers. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

<> 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.

Session Schedule

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

House

June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

Senate

June 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

[Posted: June 4, 2023]

6/5/2023

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