June 29, 2015

Budget Bullets

It was a busy weekend in the commonwealth’s capital city, and there are about 36 hours left until the end of the 2014-2015 fiscal year.  In case you missed any blink-and-you-miss-it action, we offer the following Budget Bullets:

H.B. 1192 (General Appropriations Bill)

  • This is THE budget bill. It passed the House by a vote of 112-77, with all Democrats as well as Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) and Rep. John McGinnis (R-Blair) voting in the negative. It was referred to and reported from Senate Appropriations Committee and given first consideration, and it will need two more days of consideration in the Senate.

H.B. 1385, H.B. 1386, H.B. 1387, H.B. 1388, H.B. 1389 (Non-Preferred Appropriations)

  • These are appropriations for Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Lincoln and University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School and require a 2/3 majority for final passage. The bills did not receive that required number of votes in the House and can advance no further.

S.B. 813 through S.B. 830 (Preferred Appropriations)

  • These are appropriations for certain Commonwealth boards and commissions. They were given first consideration in the House and laid on the table. They still need two more days of consideration in the House.

S.B. 655 (Fiscal Code)

  • This bill places conditions on particular appropriations and provides for fund transfers. It’s sometimes described as the “Instructions to the Budget.” It was given second consideration in the House and re-referred the House Appropriations Committee, where a comprehensive amendment was adopted. The bill needs one more vote in the House and will then return to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

H.B. 466 (Liquor Reform)

  • This bill provides for modernization of the state liquor stores. The bill was amended in Senate Law and Justice Committee, reported to the floor and re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill will need two more votes in the Senate and a concurrence vote in the House before it hits the Governor’s desk.

S.B. 1 (Pension Reform)

  • This is a comprehensive overhaul to the commonwealth’s pension systems. It was reported from the House State Government Committee with amendments (after a lengthy and heated committee meeting that culminated with all Democratic members walking out). The bill is now on second consideration in the House. It will need two more days of consideration in the House and will return to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

H.B.  934 (Public Welfare Code Omnibus Bill)

  • This bill makes amendments to the Public Welfare Code necessary to enact the 2015-2016 budget. The bill was amended in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and has had second consideration in the Senate. It will need one more day of consideration there and will then return to the House for a concurrence vote.

That’s the lay of the land—as of right now. While not certain, it would appear that most bills are well-positioned to reach the governor by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Stay tuned to this blog or follow us on Twitter for updates.