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--

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

Senate

Eliminate Power Plant Carbon Pollution Reduction Program:  Senate Bill 186 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) abrogates Pennsylvania's carbon pollution reduction program covering power plants consistent with RGGI [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary] was passed by the Senate by a vote of 31 to 18-- Republicans supporting--  and now goes to the House.  Read more here.

Independent Energy Office: Senate Bill 187 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing an Independent Energy Office like the Independent Fiscal Office [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary] was passed by a vote of 27 to 21-- Republicans supporting-- the Senate and now goes to the House.  Read more here.

Vehicle Emissions Inspection: Senate Bill 35 (Langerholc-R- Cambria) require DEP to start the process for removing Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, and Westmoreland counties from the vehicle emission inspection program [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary]; and Senate Bill 149 (Langerholc-R-Cambria) exempting exempting vehicles for up to five years from the date of manufacture from the vehicle emissions inspection program [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary] passed by the Senate and now go to the House.

Utility Cut-off Protection: Senate Bill 154 (Boscola-D-Lehigh) reenacting “Chapter 14” utility protections related to utility termination for unpaid bills [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary] was passed by the Senate and now goes to the House.

Bill Calendars 

House (March 17 ): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (March 24): <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings 

House

February 20-- House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on Get The Lead Out.  Room G50 Irvis Building.  Noon.  Click Here to watch live.

February 26--  House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 1:00- Department of Agriculture.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

February 27-- House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 10:00- Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

March 3-- House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 1:00- Public Utility Commission.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

March 4-- House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on House Bill 109 (Vitali-D-Delaware) establishing a DEP Environmental Just permit Review Program. Lathem Hall, Widener University, 1 University Place, Chester.  10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.   Read more here on legislation.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

February 25--  Senate Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 9:30: Department of Environmental Protection.  Click Here to watch live.

February 27-- Senate Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 9:30 - Department of Agriculture. 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

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

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

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: February 16, 2025]

2/17/2025