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

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

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

Bill Calendars

Senate (January 27): <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (January 27): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House

January 27-- House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee organizational meeting.  Room 515 Irvis Building. 11:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

January 27-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee [not yet on Committee webpage] meets to consider Senate Bill 187 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing an Independent Energy Office like the Independent Fiscal Office [text not yet available]; Senate Bill 186 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) abrogates Pennsylvania's carbon pollution reduction program covering power plants consistent with RGGI [text not yet available]. Rules Committee Room [no video]. Off the Floor [no set time].  Read more here on agenda.

January 28-- Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee hearing on understanding your electric bill, what are you paying for power?  Hearing Room 1, North Office Building.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

<>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Punishing Local Officials Who Want To Protect Their Residents From Shale Gas Development:   Senate Bill 102 (Bartolotta-R-Washington)  punishes local elected officials who want to better protect their constituents from the documented adverse health and environmental impacts of shale gas development by prohibiting municipalities from receiving Act 13 drilling impact fees if they set protective standards on the development of natural gas that “imposes a standard or condition on well development that conflicts with or exceeds those contained” in state law.

Distribution of these fees would also be prohibited when any party initiates a legal challenge against a municipality with a local ordinance that “unreasonably limits or prohibits future development of unconventional natural gas wells.”

No revenue would be distributed to the municipality until the “conclusion of the litigation,” according to the bill.  Read more here.

It was Senate Bill 1346 last session and never moved out of Committee.  Read more here.

Prohibiting State Appeals Of Natural Gas Pipeline Permits:  Senate Bill 158  (Bartolotta-R- Washington) eliminates the ability of citizens, local governments and anyone else to appeal permits issued by DEP for natural gas pipelines and related facilities to the Environmental Hearing Board.  Read more here.

Sen. Bartolotta contends the federal Natural Gas Act mandates the federal Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has “exclusive jurisdiction over an appeal which challenges any state agency’s action in either approving or denying a permit when the state agency acts on the basis of federal law.”

That includes any permit DEP issue under the federal Clean Air Act (Air Quality), Clean Water Act (Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation, Chapter 105 Encroachments) or other state permits issued in part under federal statutes.

The real story is federal courts have repeatedly upheld the right of citizens and other groups to appeal state permits for natural gas pipelines, including most recently in July.  Read more here.

This legislation would simply take that right away.

It was Senate Bill 1216 last session and never moved out of Committee.   Read more here.

Significantly Narrow Grounds Of Appeal Of Any DEP Permit, Prohibit New Evidence:  Senate Bill 159 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) would significantly narrow the grounds on which a citizen group or company could appeal DEP environmental permit decisions to the Environmental Hearing Board.  Read more here.

The bill would prevent a citizens group or anyone else from raising issues DEP missed or new information made available after a public comment period held on a permit application.

The bill prohibits any party from presenting “new evidence before the Environmental Hearing Board that was not part of the record of decision considered by the Department.

Any party challenging the decision by the Department before the Board must demonstrate, by a preponderance of the [prior] evidence, that the Department committed an abuse of its discretion in denying or granting the permit application being appealed.”

It was Senate Bill 198 last session was passed by the Senate, and died in the House.

Abrogates Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants:  Senate Bill 186 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) abrogates Pennsylvania's carbon pollution reduction program covering power plants consistent with RGGI [text not yet available - Senate Bill 1058 last session which was passed by the Senate, died in House  [Read more here.]  Read more here.

Independent Energy Office: Senate Bill 187 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing an Independent Energy Office like the Independent Fiscal Office [text not yet available - Senate Bill 832 last session which was amended to take permitting authority for power plants away from DEP and other agencies and give it to new politically-appointed authority, eliminating public review, waiving regulations.  It  was passed by the Senate, died in House [Read more here]  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 27, 28, 29

February 3, 4, 5

Budget Hearings February 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, March 3, 4, 5, 6

March 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26

April 7, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 24

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30

September 22(NV*), 23(NV), 24(NV), 29, 30

October 1, 6, 7, 8, 27, 28, 29

November 17, 18, 19

December 8(NV), 9(NV), 10(NV, 15, 16, 17

*non-voting

Senate

January 27, 28, 29

Budget Hearings February 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, March 4, 5,  6.

February 3, 4, 5

March 24, 25, 26, 31

April 1, 2

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

[Posted: January 26, 2025]

1/27/2025