The House of Representatives returns to legislative business this week for the first three of just twelve session days scheduled before the Nov. 8 election. The House is in this week Sept. 12, 13, and 14 and returns again on Sept. 19, 20, and 21 and again on Oct. 24, 25, and 26. The state Senate will return next week, on Sept. 19, 20, and 21, and is scheduled for additional days on Oct. 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26.
Several House committee meetings are scheduled this week on issues of interest to the business community. On Monday at 11 a.m., the House Republican Policy Committee will hold an information hearing on the PA Supreme Court’s recent rule change on venue rules for medical malpractice. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hear testimony from several representatives from business and labor on the potential economic and environmental benefits of developing hydrogen and carbon capture projects in Pennsylvania. A full list of scheduled committee hearings and meetings is available here.
On Thursday, Sept. 15, the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission will meet to consider two major environmental rulemakings – one involving lower limits for manganese that may impact industrial sources with point source or stormwater discharges and another lowering NOx emissions from large sources. If IRRC approves, the regulations will be published in a few weeks in the Pennsylvania Bulletin following formal review by the Office of Attorney General. Following an IRRC approval, the standing committees of the legislature will also have a window to move forward disapproval resolutions to the floor, which will ultimately require approval by the Governor or a two-thirds veto override by the General Assembly. The regulations cannot be published as final until the disapproval process runs its course.
The two rulemakings will also be featured items of discussion at the PA Chamber’s final DEP Quarterly for 2022, to be held virtually on Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration for this members-only event is available here.