House Sends Workforce Package to Senate

The bipartisan package of workforce development bills is now on its way to the state Senate. Over the last two weeks the House passed more than a dozen bills with overwhelming bipartisan support designed to increase access to specialized training so more Pennsylvanians can move beyond minimum wage jobs and into family sustaining careers. House members will hold a press conference Monday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m. in the Main Rotunda to highlight these efforts and talk about what is next for the House.

 

Live web streams of House session and the majority of committee meetings are available at PAHouseGOP.com.  Important information and events may also be viewed by visiting Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP.

 

The Weekly Schedule

Identified by bill number, the sponsors and summaries for votes scheduled in committee or on the House floor are posted below. More information regarding these votes can be found at PAHouseGOP.com by clicking on the “House Business” tab.

 

Monday, March 25, 2019

Committee Meetings/Hearings:

 

Labor and Industry, 10:30 a.m., B-31, Main Capitol

• HB 349 (Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon): Requires that municipalities, which opt to enforce the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) by using third-party agencies, have at least two or more contracted for UCC administration.
• HB 422 (Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland): Creates a building code official “trainee” program.
• HB 755 (Rep. Marcy Toepel, R-Montgomery): Expands resources for employers and employees in the prevention of and response to workplace sexual harassment.

Gaming Oversight, Noon, G-50, Irvis Office Building

• Public hearing on charitable 50/50 raffle legislation.

Health, Call of the Chair, G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HB 33 (Rep. George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland): Re-enacts the elimination of the general assistance cash benefit program. The state-only funded program was eliminated a part of a 2012 law, which was recently overturned by the courts on procedural grounds.
• HB 427 (Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre/Mifflin): Provides that health plans covering treatments for Stage IV, metastatic cancers would be prohibited from excluding or limiting drugs for patients if the drugs are FDA approved and consistent with best practices for Stage IV, metastatic cancer treatment.
• HB 629 (Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren/Crawford/Forest): Requires health insurers to cover treatment plans for Lyme disease or related tick-borne illnesses as prescribed by a patient’s health care practitioner, regardless if the treatment plan includes short-term or long-term antibiotic treatment.

SESSION:

On Monday, session will begin at 1 p.m.

Votes on Second Consideration:

• HB 547 (Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton): Allows First Class townships to pass an annual resolution to set their millage rate, as long as the rate is the same or lower than a prior year. When the millage rate is increased, the township must adopt an ordinance.
• HB 548 (Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton):  Amends the Borough Code and Third Class City Code to allow officials to set their annual tax millage rate by resolution, as long as the rate is the same or lower than a prior year. When the millage rate is increased, the township must adopt an ordinance.
• HB 247 (Rep. Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest): Updates unconventional gas well permitting to match developments in the industry to drill longer lateral well bores, thus reducing surface area impact.
• HB 692 (Rep. Keith Gillespie, R-York): Designates a bridge carrying State Route 4009 in York County over the Conewago Creek as the Staff Sergeant Gary Crone Memorial Bridge.
• HB 756 (Rep. Rich Irvin, R-Hutingdon/Centre/Mifflin): Designates a bridge on state Route 453 over the Little Juniata River in Tyrone Township, Blair County, as the Robert E. Gensimore Memorial Bridge.
• HB 785 (Rep. Kate Klunk, R-York): Amends the Public Employee Relations Act by requiring employees who are not union members to be notified annually that they are not required to pay any money to the union unless they agree to do so. The bill also requires notification of applicants for public jobs of their right to choose whether or not to join the union.

Votes on Third Consideration:

• HB 97 (Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren/Crawford/Forest): Amends the Crimes Code by adding “electronic nicotine delivery systems” (ENDS) to the sections that currently make it illegal to sell tobacco products to minors and, for students, to use tobacco products on school grounds.
• HB 510 (Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin): Allows intergovernmental cooperation to be established by resolution unless the authorizing statute requires an ordinance.
• HB 511 (Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin): Amends the Second Class Township Code to allow municipalities to take advantage of the provisions in House Bill 510.
• HB 512 (Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin): Amends the Third Class City Code to allow municipalities to take advantage of the provisions in House Bill 510.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Committee Meetings/Hearings:

 

Human Services, 9 a.m., G-50, Irvis Office Building

• Public hearing on adolescent substance use care in Pennsylvania, and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Commerce, 9:30 a.m., 60, East Wing

• Informational meeting on Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) workforce programs.

Game and Fisheries, 9:30 a.m., 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 446 (Rep. Brett Miller, R-Lancaster): Makes “trespassing while hunting” a primary offense, allowing it to be enforceable by wildlife conservation officers, as well as other law enforcement.
• HB 808 (Rep. Tom Mehaffie, R-Dauphin): Authorizes the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) to establish the fees charged by the agency.

Environmental Resources and Energy, 10 a.m., B-31, Main Capitol

• HB 827 (Rep. Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne/Susquehanna): Calls for landowners impacted by the Delaware River Basin Commission’s moratorium on natural gas drilling within the basin to be entitled to compensation calculated in the same manner as is used to determine value in any other eminent domain action.
• HB 828 (Rep. Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne/Susquehanna): Makes several regulatory reforms for oil and gas operations, including extending the term for well permits from one year to three years, allowing for a single well permit to apply to multiple wells on a single pad, and allowing the final location of a well location to within 50 feet of the specific location identified in a well permit application.
• HB 829 (Rep. Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne/Susquehanna): Clarifies the role of the Delaware River Basin Commission in matters of water pollution and protection enforcement.

Judiciary, 10 a.m., Room 140, Main Capitol

• Informational meeting on sexual extortion.

Gaming Oversight, Call of the Chair, G-50, Irvis Office Building

• HB 826 (Rep. Jim Marshall, R-Beaver/Butler): Creates the Sports Raffles Charity Act and removes existing 50/50 athletic event raffle language from the Local Option Small Games of Chance statute.

SESSION:

On Tuesday, session will begin at 11 a.m.

 

Votes on Second Consideration:

• HB 328 (Rep. Perry Warren, D-Bucks): Establishes the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force. The task force would issue recommendations regarding potential programs that provide premium discounts, programs that incentivize local governments to support flood mitigation efforts, and the implementation of any necessary changes to state statute or policy regarding the administration of flood insurance.
• HB 30 (Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong/Indiana): Increases the optional organ donation check-off contribution for biennial vehicle registration applications and renewals from $3 to $6.
• HB 351 (Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton): Updates the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Compact to provide the governor with veto power over actions of the commission members of Pennsylvania. New Jersey officials already enacted similar legislation in their state.
• HB 447 (Rep. Brett Miller, R-Lancaster): Directs the Department of Transportation to plant vegetation which has been identified by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as being native to Pennsylvania.
• HB 309 (Rep. Tom Mehaffie, R-Dauphin): Requires all day care centers to post their rating as part of the Keystone Stars program.
• HB 374 (Rep. Garth Everett, R-Lycoming/Union): Establishes the “Keystone Tree Fund” as a means to fund a tree vitalize program and a riparian forest buffer grant program and allows a person to make a $3 contribution to the fund when electronically renewing a driver’s license, ID card or vehicle registration through PennDOT’s website.
• HB 538 (Rep. Marty Flynn, D-Lackawanna): Establishes a state income tax exemption for Olympic prize winnings and medals received from the United States Olympic Committee on account of competition in the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games.

Votes on Third Consideration:

• HB 547 (Emrick)
• HB 548 (Emrick)
• HB 247 (Oberlander)
• HB 692 (Gillespie)
• HB 756 (Irvin)
• HB 785 (Klunk)

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Committee Meetings/Hearings:

 

Children and Youth, 9 a.m., 60, East Wing

• Public hearing on substance-exposed infants.

Finance, 9 a.m., B-31, Main Capitol

• HB 24 (Rep. John Lawrence, R-Chester/Lancaster): Requires the principal for new issuances of state debt to be repaid in equal amounts over the (generally) 20-year term of the bond. Currently, the state uses a repayment scheme with lower principal payments in the first few years, with much higher principal payments as the loan matures.
• HB 262 (Rep. Carl Metzgar, R- Somerset/Bedford): Eliminates the inheritance tax rate for transfers of property to or for the use of a child aged 21 years or younger from a natural parent, adoptive parent or step-parent.
• HB 706 (Rep. Keith Greiner, R-Lancaster): Permits the executor or administrator of a decedent’s estate to elect to file a combined annual income tax return for an estate and revocable trust during the period the estate is open.
• HR 104 (Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon): Resolution requesting the governor and the secretary of Revenue of the Commonwealth to enter into negotiations with the State of New York to create a tax reciprocity agreement between the two states.

Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, 9 a.m., 8E-A, East Wing

• Meeting to release the following: Performance Audit-PA Fish and Boat Commission and The Impact of Tavern Gaming on the PA State Lottery.

Aging and Older Adult Services, 9:30 a.m., 205, Ryan Office Building

• HB 375 (Rep. Neal Goodman, D-Schuylkill): Removes the value of federal veterans’ disability payments and the value of all state service-connected payments from income eligibility calculations for the PACE and PACENET programs.
• HB 684 (Rep. Curt Sonney, R-Erie): Excludes the cashing of savings bonds for seniors age 65 and older as being counted towards income when applying for lottery funded programs.
• HB 754 (Rep. Wendi Thomas, R-Bucks): Ensures any individual enrolled in PACE and PACENET as of Dec. 31, 2018, remain eligible if their maximum income limit is exceeded due solely to a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. Eligibility would expire at the end of 2021.
• HB 775 (Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon): Requires the Department of Aging to cross reference its list of beneficiaries with death records maintained by the Department of Health on a monthly basis.

Local Government, 9:30 a.m., G-50, Irvis Office Building

• Introductory meeting of local government entities.

Professional Licensure, 10 a.m., B-31, Main Capitol

• Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs Commissioner Ian Harlow will brief the committee on the Department of State’s licensing system.

SESSION:

On Wednesday, session will begin at 11 a.m.

 

Votes on Second Consideration and Third Consideration are TBA.