Weekly Wrap
The Senate was in session for three days this week, although almost all of the legislative activity occurred on the last two days.
On Tuesday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee reported out SB 49 (Laughlin, R-Erie), which would transfer authority of the Medical Marijuana Program to the newly created Cannabis Control Board and establish uniform safety standards of products.
A budget bill passed finally and goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. SB 160 (Martin, R-Lancaster), which is not agreed to by the House or Governor, provides flat funding for most line-items, increases appropriations for debt services and school employees’ pensions, and reduces the legislature’s operating expenses.
The Senate sent SB 507 (Brown, R-Monroe) to the House, and will be considered by the House Professional Licensure Committee on Tuesday. The bill would provide for midwifery and nurse-midwife licensure and for a certified midwife license.
Wednesday, the House Energy Committee held a public hearing on HB 1834 (Matzie, D-Beaver), which would: (1) give the Public Utility Commission (PUC) the authority to implement regulations pertaining to data center development; (2) provide for instances when a public utility may not recover from ratepayer; (3) establish a Data Center Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; (4) provide for renewable energy requirements; and (5) provide for public utility filing requirements.
The Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee held a public hearing to discuss licensure and regulatory updates with the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
The House Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on HB 1957 (Otten, D-Chester), which would amend the state Constitution to provide for reproductive freedom rights.
Two bills of note were reported from Senate Labor and Industry Committee: SB 69 (Langerholc, R-Cambria), which would provide updates to the Recovery to Work Program to assist in combatting the heroin and opioid epidemic; and SB 293 (Hughes, D-Philadelphia), which would provide for a study on artificial intelligence and its impact on the workforce.
The Senate Transportation Committee reported out:
- SB 997 (Flynn, D-Lackawanna), which would add a member of the Pennsylvania Online Messengers Association Board of Directors and an individual from the highly automated vehicle trucking industry to the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Board;
- SB 1058 (Ward, R-Blair), which would modernize the E85 fuel standard; and
- SB 1070 (Rothman, R-Cumberland), which would enable counties to use remaining funds received from gas impact fees to improve municipal bridges.
SB 6 (Phillips-Hill, R-York) passed finally in the Senate and will go to the House for consideration. The bill would codify the Pennsylvania Office of Transformation and Opportunity and establish the Economic Development Strategy Group to advise the Governor on economic development issues. It also would require state agencies to: (1) conduct an initial review of permit decision and permit decision delays; (2) compile a list of each permit issued; (3) establish a tracking system for permit applications; (4) notify applicants if a permit is incomplete or technically deficient; (5) establish a program for third-party review of permit decision delays.
The Senate also sent SB 1068 (Yaw, R-Lycoming) to the House. The bill would abrogate the regulations pertaining to the CO2 Budget Trading Program that enters Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Lastly, SB 246 (Coleman, R-Lehigh), which would require parents and employees to be notified of weapons incidents in schools, passed finally and will go to the Governor’s desk for his signature before becoming law.
The Week Ahead
Both chambers will be in Harrisburg next week for session.
On Monday, the House Communications and Technology Committee will hold an informational meeting on digital content provenance. The House Local Government Committee will hold a public hearing on the Community Services Block Grant Program.
The Senate State Government Committee will hold a public hearing in SB 125 (Dush, R-Cameron), which would amend the state constitution to give the General Assembly the authority to legislative venue in civil cases.
Tuesday is filled with informational and public hearings:
- The House Health Committee will hold an informational meeting on Pennsylvania’s Newborn Screening Program;
- The House Transportation Committee will hold an informational meeting on electronic driver’s licenses and ID cards;
- The House Children and Youth Committee and House Judiciary Committee will hold a joint public hearing on juvenile justice awareness; and
- The House Republican Policy Committee will hold a public hearing on “Powering the Mid-Atlantic: Restoring Energy Affordability and Reliability”.
The House Energy Committee will consider HR 350 (Fiedler, D-Philadelphia), which would urge the President and Congress to maintain funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
The House Professional Licensure Committee will consider:
- HB 1251 (Curry, D-Delaware), which would amend the Physical Therapy Practice Act to allow nurse-midwives to refer patients for services;
- HB 1961 (Merski, D-Erie), which would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Physician Assistant Compact; and
- HB 1980 (Takac, D-Centre), which would require physicians to take one hour of continuing medical education in nutrition each two-year licensing period.
The House Tourism, Economic, and Recreational Development Committee will consider HB 1286 (Young, D-Philadelphia), which would require hotels, motels, and third-party listing platforms to provide training to each employee and rental operator regarding human trafficking.
On Wednesday, the House Energy Committee will hold a public hearing on HB 1539 (Madsen, D-Dauphin), which would establish a grant program to support school districts in transitioning from internal combustion engine school buses to electric school buses.
The House Health Committee will consider HB 305 (McNeill, D-Lehigh), which would establish a $35 cap on insulin.
The House Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee will consider:
- HB 1522 (Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks), which would require businesses, residences, and other buildings with natural gas to install natural gas alarms;
- HB 1525 (Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks), which would require owners and operators of pipelines transporting steam located in public rights-of-way to register their assets with the One Call System
- HB 1526 (Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks), which would require the PUC to work with natural gas pipeline operators to develop guidance and management programs to address potential threats to degrading plastic pipelines
- HB 1530 (Burgos, D-Philadelphia), which would provide for privacy protections for genetic data testing;
- HB 1892 (Markosek, D-Allegheny), which would prohibit multiple, same day increases in the price of gasoline; and
- HB 1924 (Burgos, D-Philadelphia), which would provide the PUC with authority and responsibility to: (1) review and validate load forecasts submitted by Pennsylvania utilities to PJM; (2) coordinate with PJM and other state regulators to ensure accuracy and prevent duplicative counting of projects and contracts; and (3) access all relevant materials, including confidential agreements, necessary to carry out this oversight.
Two bills are on the House Human Services Committee’s agenda: HB 1939 (Benham, D-Allegheny), which would require that the Department of Human Services update rates for Direct Support Professional annually; and HB 1974 (Venkat, D-Allegheny), which would establish the Contingency Management Support Grant Program to address treatment for opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
In Other News
- The Independent Fiscal Office released a report that outlines options for sales-use tax (SUT) base expansion.
- Moody’s issued a report that found that Pennsylvania is among just 16 states nationwide where the economy continues to expand.
- Pennsylvania launched new tourism campaigns to grow the Commonwealth’s tourism economy.
