The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate--

West Nile/Black Fly Funding: Senate Bill 1303 (MJ White-R-Venango) authorizing the use of the Clean Water Fund to finance Black Fly and West Nile Virus suppression was amended and reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Mapping Coal Seams: Senate Bill 1374 (MJ White-R-Venango) requiring DCNR's Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey to update workable coal seams annually and setting separation distances from gas wells and coal seams was reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Recycling Textbooks: Senate Bill 1379 (Musto-D-Luzerne) requiring the recycling of textbooks was amended and reported from the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is on the Senate Calendar for action.

Blight:  Senate Bill 900 (Argall-R-Schuylkill) providing for neighborhood blight reclamation and revitalization was amended and reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Box Turtle Protection: House Bill 621 (Curry-D-Montgomery) designating the eastern box turtle as PA's official state reptile was reported from the Senate State Government Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

House

Alternative Energy: House Bill 2405 (DePasquale-D-York) which would increase the solar mandate provisions of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards and provide for carbon sequestration facilities was amended and reported from the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was then referred to the House Rules Committee which is normal this time of the year.

Energy/Farmland Preservation: Senate Bill 298 (Yaw-R-Bradford) allowing the split-off of farmland under Act 319 for oil and gas and wind energy production was amended to eliminate the provisions related to wind energy and reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, referred to the House Rules Committee which is normal this time of the year and then re-referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Solar Energy Deed Restrictions:  House Bill 2234 (Houghton-D-Chester) prohibiting deed restrictions related to solar energy systems on residential property was reported from the House Appropriations Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Electronics Recycling:  House Bill 708 (Ross-R-Chester) requiring the recycling of consumer electronics was reported from the House Appropriations Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Wetlands:  House Resolution 823 (McIlvaine Smith-D-Chester) designating May as Wetlands Awareness Month was adopted by the House.

6/14/2010