Weekly Wrap
While it was a “regular” session week in Harrisburg, the headliner, of course, was the Budget Address. Governor Josh Shapiro presented his FY 2025-2026 budget to the General Assembly on Tuesday; it’s a $51,474,431,000 plan, which is a $3,570,060,000 (7.5%) increase from last year’s enacted budget. In his proposal, the increase in funding would be offset by newly established revenue from regulating skill games, legalizing marijuana, expediting Corporate Net Income Tax cuts, eliminating the “Delaware Loophole” for corporations, and increased tax collections via a minimum wage increase.
Some funding increase highlights include:
- $525 million increase for the Ready to Learn Block Grant;
- $75 million increase in basic education funding;
- $40 million increase in special education funding;
- $25 million increase for school repairs;
- $20 million increase for student teacher stipends;
- $15 million increase for Pre-K Counts;
- $65 million increase for life sciences business development and innovation;
- $50 million increase for road and bridge construction and maintenance projects via transfer from the Motor License Fund;
- $292.5 million increase for mass transit;
- $30 million increase in grants for fire companies;
- $20 million increase for Area Agencies on Aging to serve older adults; and
- $20 million increase for counties to provide behavioral health services and address workforce shortages.
A summary of the proposed budget can be found here.
In regularly scheduled session news, both chambers were in session this week.
On Monday, the House Aging and Adult Older Services Committee held an informational meeting on our Area Agencies on Aging. Also, the House Education Committee held an informational meeting on the Future Ready PA Index and student outcomes.
The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee reported out SB 202 (Gebhard, R-Lebanon), which would treat virtual currency transmission similarly to money transmission under the Money Transmitter Act.
On the House floor, the House finally passed HB 201 (Ciresi, D-Montgomery), which would allow intermediate units to own-not just lease-land and buildings, in particular for instructional use. HB 291 (Daley, D-Montgomery) also passed the House and will go to the Senate; the effect of this bill is to create parking-protected bicycle lanes between parked cars and curbs.
Two noteworthy energy bills passed in the Senate and will go to the House for consideration:
- SB 154 (Boscola, D-Northampton), which renews and makes comprehensive updates to various sections of Title 66 (Public Utilities) Chapter 14 (Responsible Utility Customer Protection); and
- SB 187 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would establish the Independent Energy Office to provide impartial, timely and data driven analysis to guide the state in determining and meeting future energy needs.
Two other bills of note were sent to the House: SB 35 (Langerholc, R-Cambria), which would remove Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, and Westmoreland counties from the enhanced vehicle inspection and maintenance program; and SB 149 (Langerholc, R-Cambria), which would exempt the five most recent model year vehicles from the vehicle emissions test.
On Tuesday, the House Energy Committee held a public hearing on HB 362 (Fiedler, D-Philadelphia), which would authorize the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority to use the $156 million it was awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a low-income residential solar installation program under the federal Solar for All grant program.
SB 186 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would abrogate the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) rulemaking, passed finally and will go to the House for consideration. Additionally, the House sent HB 27 (Khan, D-Philadelphia) to the Senate. The bill would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to mitigate exposure to surgical smoke generated during surgical procedures.
On Wednesday, the House Human Services Committee held an informational meeting on treatment and support for traumatic brain injuries. The House Finance Committee held an informational hearing to discuss HB 422 (Haddock, D-Luzerne), which would allow living organ donors to deduct up to $12,000 for unreimbursed expenses associated with the donation.
The House Health Committee voted out three bills of note:
- HB 60 (Borowski, D-Delaware), which would align state rules with federal policy to permit electronic transfer of prescriptions for controlled substances between pharmacies;
- HB 157 (Rapp, R-Warren), which would establish a Rural Healthcare Grant Program to assist with the hiring of healthcare practitioners at facilities in rural counties or designated medically underserved areas; and
- HB 409 (Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna), which would require providers to inform patients that they will be receiving their test results in their electronic health record, unless they opt to receive the results by mail, for which they may be charged a fee.
In addition, the House Labor and Industry Committee reported out:
- HB 118 (Young, D-Philadelphia), which would increase penalties for Child Labor Act violations;
- HB 183 (Dawkins, D-Philadelphia), which would expand Workers’ Compensation for permanent disfigurement; and
- HB 308 (Harkins, D-Erie), which would establish the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act to extend federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protections to public sector workers.
The House Local Government Committee reported two bills of note: HB 162 (Major, R-Armstrong), which would authorize third class cities to levy an emergency services tax; and HB 369 (Freeman, D-Northampton), which would allow municipalities of any size to establish a land bank.
Finally, on the Senate floor, SB 210 (Picozzi, R-Philadelphia), which would establish stronger penalties for individuals who harm public transit operators, passed finally and will go to the House for consideration.
The Week Ahead
The House stands adjourned until March 17 and the Senate doesn’t return to session until March 24.
Starting on February 18, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will hold budget hearings to examine the Governor’s proposed budget.
A full list of committee meetings, including budget hearings, can be found here:
In Other News
- Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that Darryl Lawrence will serve as Pennsylvania’s Interim Consumer Advocate.
- The Senate unanimously confirmed Brigadier General John Pippy to lead the Pennsylvania National Guard as Adjutant General and serve as head of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
- Legislative caucuses respond to Governor’s Budget Address: House Democrats, House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats.
- Pennsylvania’s own Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter.
