April 1, 2016

Weekly Wrap:

After all the budget buzz last week, it was a very quiet week in the capitol city (and that’s no April Fool’s joke!) So without further ado, let’s turn our attention to what’s on the horizon for next week.

A Look Ahead:

The General Assembly still has some unfinished business that could be addressed this week. In particular, in mid-March the House of Representatives amended and finally passed S.B. 3 (Folmer, R-Lebanon), legalizing the use of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. Since it was amended by the House, the bill was sent back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. News reports have indicated that the Senate plans to amend the bill even further, in which case the House would be required to vote on it, yet again. And while the bill’s prime sponsor does believe additional changes to the proposal are necessary, other members worry that the House is unwilling to consider the bill again, and that it will just languish through the end of the session in that chamber. Either way, we may see further action on S.B. 3 this week.

Read more here: http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/10208128-74/bill-marijuana-senate

The General Assembly also sent the Governor a budget package last month, and while the Governor let the General Appropriations bill that made it to his desk lapse into law, he vetoed the companion Fiscal Code bill, which is necessary to implement the General Appropriations Bill. When the legislature was last in Harrisburg for session, there were rumblings that any veto on the Governor’s part could result in an override by the General Assembly.

Read more here: http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-wolf-vetos-detailed-spending-plan-20160328-story.html

Meanwhile, it looks like the House has scheduled another Fiscal Code bill, H.B. 1589 (Causer, R-McKean) for a vote next week, possibly as a “just in case” measure.

For more expected floor action, check out The Week Ahead: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2016/2016033182.PDF

And the Senate Calendar: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/SessionCalendars/index.cfm?Chamber=S

The committees have posted heavy agendas for next week, too. On Monday, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Education, Workforce, Community and Economic Development will hold a public hearing to discuss changes to funding method for the Commonwealth’s charter schools. On the House side, the House Education Committee will meet to consider H.B. 1906 (Saylor, R-York), which would require training for newly elected school board members, and H.B. 1907 (Benninghoff, R-Centre), which would provide for procedures for schools to deal with students who are habitually truant. Finally on Monday, the House Health Committee will meet to consider H.B. 479 (Fabrizio, D-Erie), which would allow registered nurses to better manage their workload by delegating certain tasks to delegate certain tasks that do not require the use of skilled nursing judgment.

Read H.B. 1906 here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1906

Read H.B. 1907 here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1907

Read H.B. 479 here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0479

On Tuesday, the House Education Committee and the House Finance Committee will hold a joint hearing on the Education Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs, and the House Judiciary Committee will meet to consider H.B. 655 (Bishop, D-Resigned), which would eliminate the statute of limitations to prosecute cases where sexual abuse has been committed against a child. Also on Tuesday, the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee will meet to consider H.B. 1436 (Godshall, R-Montgomery), which would adjust the method of computing tax expenses for utilities’ ratemaking purposes.

Read H.B. 655 here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0655

Read H.B. 1436 here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1436

Finally, on Wednesday, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee will hold an information meeting on the role of therapy in long term care facilities; and on Thursday, the House Commerce Committee and the House Urban Affairs Committee will hold a joint public hearing on City Revitalization Improvement Zone issues and legislation, and the House Game and Fisheries Committee will hold a public hearing on hunting license fees.

For a full list of committee meetings, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/session.cfm

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