April 23, 2021

Weekly Wrap

As the calendar inches closer to June, and the budget deadline nears, the General Assembly is starting to move in high gear. Bills are crossing chambers and some even reaching the Governor’s desk. This week, the House of Representatives and Senate were in session.

Monday, the House Consumer Affairs Committee reported out two bills of note: H.B. 376 (Davis, D-Allegheny), which would provide for single water meters servicing multiple units such as condominiums, cooperatives and planned communities; and H.B. 1161 (Mizgorski, R-Allegheny), which would establish the PA Local Solar Program. In addition, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held an informational meeting on the conventional oil and gas industry.

In the upper chamber, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported out: S.B. 108 (Bartolotta, R-Washington), which would dedicate additional Medicaid funding to facilities that provide eligible ventilator or tracheostomy services; and S.B. 190 (Mensch, R-Montgomery), which would allow a family member or other designated person to visit and care for an elderly relative in a long-term care facility.

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee reported out S.B. 425 (Gordner, R-Columbia), which would address informed consent under the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act. S.B. 432 (Laughlin, R-Erie), which would turn the Banking Fund into a trust fund, was also reported out. The companion bill, H.B. 859 (Delozier, R-Cumberland), was reported from the House Commerce Committee on Tuesday.

The Senate Finance Committee reported out S.B. 562 (Scavello, R-Monroe), which would establish an Airport Land Development Zone program to incentivize development on vacant land and buildings owned by airports and leased to private businesses. The Committee also reported out S.B. 463 (Hutchinson, R-Venango), which would establish a data center sales and use tax exemption. The companion bill, H.B. 952 (Oberlander, R-Clarion), was reported from the House Finance Committee on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the House State Government Committee reported out: H.B. 939 (Klunk, R-York), which would require an agency to identify at least two existing regulations to repeal at the time a new regulation is promulgated; and H.B. 950 (Metcalfe, R-Butler), which would give the General Assembly the authority to initiate the repeal of a regulation by concurrent resolution.

In addition, the House Labor and Industry Committee reported out two bills of note: H.B. 723 (Mizgorski, R-Allegheny), which would modernize the Workforce Development Act to bring state law in compliance with federal requirements; and H.B. 938 (Klunk, R-York), which would ban the requirement of nondisclosure agreements related to sexual harassment as a condition of getting a job.

Then, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out the following bills:

  • H.B. 72 (Keefer, R-York), which would establish an enhanced review process for regulations having an annual impact of $1 million or more;
  • H.B. 139 (Rothman, R-Cumberland), which would require agencies that issue permits to increase transparency throughout the process; and
  • H.B. 288 (O’Neal, R-Washington), which would require state agencies to designate an employee as regulatory compliance officer.

The Senate Communications and Technology Committee reported out S.B. 341 (Phillips-Hill, R-York), which would modernize and streamline regulations that apply to landline telephone companies, and S.B. 442 (Phillips-Hill, R-York), which would direct the Department of General Services to conduct an inventory of state-owned communication towers, poles, buildings, and facilities.

On the House floor, there are three bills to highlight that passed finally and will go to the Senate for consideration: 

  • H.B. 220 (Rader, R-Monroe), which would prohibit a treatment or rehabilitation facility from denying addiction treatment to an individual solely on the basis of a negative drug test;
  • H.B. 741 (Heffley, R-Carbon), which would require a recovery house to notify a resident’s emergency contact if the resident self-discharges or leaves and fails to return; and
  • H.B. 944 (Nelson, R-Westmoreland), which would require a treatment facility to notify a patient’s emergency contact if the patient leaves against medical advice.

The Senate passed S.B. 317 (Browne, R-Lehigh), which heads to the House for consideration. The bill would provide for the authority to prescribe or personally furnish antibiotics to treat sexually transmitted infections, without having examined the individual for whom the drug is intended.

Wednesday, two bills of note passed finally in the House and will make their way to the Senate. First is H.B. 331 (Brown, R-Monroe), which permits a financial institution to conduct savings promotion programs. Second is H.B. 747 (Roae, R-Crawford), which prohibits the Governor from closing a retail store during a declaration of disaster emergency so long as access is restricted to only one employer and one customer at a time. A business would also be permitted to have contactless and curbside operations.

The House also passed H.R. 88 (Polinchock, R-Bucks), which directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of the regulatory waivers and suspensions issued by the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate sent S.B. 114 (Boscola, D-Northampton) to the House. The bill would require driver of a motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle operating on a highway to make a reasonable effort to remove accumulated ice or snow within 24 hours after the cessation of the falling snow or ice.

Both chambers passed H.B. 203 (Toohil, R-Luzerne), which would prohibit insurance companies from declining or limiting coverage solely on the individual’s status as a living donor. The bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature.

The Governor did sign H.B. 766 (Greiner, R-Lancaster) into law. The bill aligns the annual state corporate tax deadline with the federal tax deadline of May 17, 2021, and gives the Department of Revenue and Department of Community and Economic Development the ability to deal with state taxation while the COVID-19 disaster declaration is in effect.

Lastly, on Thursday, the Senate wrapped up their budget hearings. The first hearing was with the Department of Health and the last hearing was with the Department of General Services and Office of the Budget.

The Week Ahead

Next week the Senate is in session, but just on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Monday, the Performance-Based Budget Board will start the first of three days of public hearings. On Monday, the Board will review the Department of Revenue, Department of Community, Economic, and Recreational Development, and the Department of Agriculture. In addition, they will examine the following tax credit programs: Neighborhood Assistance, Resource Enhancement and Protection, Entertainment Economic Enhancement, Video Game Protection, and Keystone Special Development Zone. Tuesday, the Board will review the Department of Transportation and Department of Human Services. Finally, on Wednesday, the hearing will focus on the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the State Police.

Also, the Legislative Reappointment Commission will meet Monday and Tuesday to receive testimony from individuals applying to be the Commission’s Chair.

Tuesday, the Senate State Government Committee will consider three bills of note:

  • S.B. 166 (Schwank, R-Berks), which would authorize the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to impose fees for substance abuse treatment facilities and activities;
  • H.B. 104 (Gaydos, R-Allegheny), which would require state agencies to assess improper payments on any program which is not required under federal law, no less than once every two years; and
  • H.B. 108 (Owlett, R-Tioga), which would require state agencies that make payments by expending federal funds to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department to participate in the Do-Not-Pay Initiative.

The following public and informational meetings will take place on Tuesday:

  • The House and Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committees will hold a joint public hearing on alternate septic systems;
  • The House Finance Committee will hold an informational meeting on H.B. 23 (Helm, R-Dauphin), which would incentivize the energy efficient installation of mechanical insulation for commercial and industrial projects;
  • The House Education Committee will hold an informational meeting with the Department of Education on academic accountability; and
  • The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public hearing on Lyme disease funding by the Department of Health and Department of Environmental Protection.

Finishing up the week, on Thursday, the Senate Education Committee will hold a joint public hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

A full list of committee meetings can be found here:

House

Senate

In Other News

  • Governor Wolf announced the approval of 116 new projects, totaling more than $48 million in funding, through the Multimodal Transportation Fund.
  • The Governor announced the investment of $117 million for 25 drinking water, wastewater, and non-point source projects across 19 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).
  • The Governor announced that the PENNVEST board of directors approved the state’s first funding program designed specifically to assist communities in the remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
  • The Department of Education launched the next phase of an initiative that helps school leaders and educators address students’ learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.