Climate Bills in the House

• All bills on the list are currently in ERE Committee except where otherwise noted.
• Bills based on the Attorney General / Fracking Grand Jury legislative recommendations are highlighted in yellow.

 Accountability

• HB353 (Isaacson): Add tracer substances to fracking fluids to identify the party responsible for related water quality impairments
• HB375 (A. Davis): Increase fines for major facilities that violate air pollution regulations
• HB590 (Isaacson): Raise recycling fee that landfill operators pay from $2 to $5
• HB838 (D. Miller and McNeill): Requiring natural gas companies to disclose what chemicals are used in the fracking process per the 43^rd Statewide Grand Jury’s recommendations
• HB1353 (Innamorato): Include drilling waste in the SWMA’S definition of “hazardous waste”
• HB1354 (Innamorato): Repeals language that exempts the oil and gas industry from complying with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act
• HB1355 (Innamorato): Close the Leachate Loophole and will require that all waste streams from conventional and unconventional oil and gas companies be subject to stringent, evidence-based radiological testing before leaving a well site
• HB 1466 (Otten; in Judiciary Committee): Concurrent Jurisdiction for Environmental Crimes for the Office of Attorney General
• HB1873 (Shusterman and Rabb): Create an Extended Producer Responsibility program. Require companies that manufacture packaging products to be registered with the PA DEP and create a recycling procedure for the products they sell within the Commonwealth
• HB1914 (Webster): Provide for plain language in oil and gas property contracts to ensure that constituents are provided with a simplified process and avoid unnecessary disputes with oil and gas companies
• HB2081 (Shusterman; Transportation Committee) – Increases fines for littering and dumping
• HB2117 (Howard): Amend the Solid Waste Management Act to provide the Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in related environmental crimes
• HB2118 (Howard): Amend the Clean Streams Law to provide the Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in related environmental crimes
• HB2119 (Howard): Amend the PA Safe Drinking Water Act to provide the Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in related environmental crimes
• HB2323 (Howard): Double the maximum fines for both general and willful violations of the oil and gas development provisions of Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Prohibit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection from waiving fines issued against oil and gas companies.
• HB2724 (Rabb): Provide for the reporting of impacts on communities and public resource cause by unconventional natural gas production

Resilience

• HB332 (Isaacson): Lower the acceptable limit of lead in playground soil (from 400 ppm to 200ppm)
• HB704 (Parker): EQB establish statewide maximum contaminant levels for carcinogens and other pollutants found in drinking water systems (levels do not exceed the EPA levels)
• HB714 (Webster): Provide for a minimum of 100-foot riparian buffer along each side of a surface of water and minimum of 300-foot buffer along streams that are considered High Quality or Exceptional Value
• HB783 (Briggs): Prohibit food establishments from using Styrofoam as temporary packaging for prepared food
• HB748 (Cruz): Require more frequent testing (every 3 years) to identify elevated lead concentrations in our public water systems
• HB810 (Sturla): Municipalities have the freedom to require fences between livestock and streams to allow for livestock crossing points to keep the livestock out of streams to reduce pollutants
• HB1194 (Daley): Prohibit establishments from offering plastic straws except upon the specific request of the customer
• HB1414 (Isaacson): Add PFAS to the list of hazardous substances under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act so that municipalities can legally seek damages from responsible parties. Allow the Governor to declare an emergency in communities affected by drinking water systems polluted with PFAS. Provide affected communities with access to grants through the PENNVESAT to aid in the cleanup of their water systems
• HB1413 (Isaacson): Lower the acceptable amount of PFAS in drinking water (70 ppt to 10 ppt)
• HB1465 (Otten): Increase setbacks for unconventional natural gas well sites
• HB1467 (Krajewski, Frankel; in Health Committee): Conducting a comprehensive health response to the effects of living near unconventional drilling sites.
• HB1740 (Mullins): Provides for minimum standards for power plant host agreements between municipalities and owners of certain electric generating facilities
• HB1902 (Sappey; State Government Committee): Limiting the ability of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection employees to be employed in the private sector immediately after leaving the Department
• HB2103 (Shusterman; Finance Committee) – Extends PA sales tax exemption to additional categories of goods purchased in second-hand stores
• HB2140 (Shusterman; Commerce Committee) – Prohibits small, single-use plastic bottles in lodging establishments
• HB2567 (Webster): Require counties to prepare and implement a comprehensive storm water management plan.
• HB2789 (Parker; Health Committee) – Healthy Outdoor Public Spaces - Prohibits the application of synthetic herbicides on public grounds.

Innovation

• HB20 (Sturla):  Charge extraordinary water users a fee which would then be used to fund grants and financing opportunities for municipalities, watershed organizations, and authorities (funds would stay local)
• HB100 (Rabb): 100% renewable energy by 2050
• HB579 (Shusterman): Beverage bottle and can deposit program, five cents on returnable containers and a handling fee of two cents per container for retailers and redemption centers to help cover costs associated with handling and storage of returnable containers. Also, any unclaimed or abandoned deposits would be deposited into the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund
• HB813 (Isaacson): Create a lead abatement grant program to give grants on a competitive basis with primary consideration given to municipalities that demonstrate a financial need and prioritize assistance to low-income households and those with children under the age of 6.
• HB989 (Kinkead): Instructs EQB to reduce pollution emissions from the electric power sector and to adopt mechanisms for the deployment of zero-emissions technologies. This bill will general revenue for investments in economic development, workforce training, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy affordability.
• HB1080 (Quinn and Herrin): Expand renewable energy in PA to help with job stimulus and economic development growth.
• HB1185 (O’Mara and Thomas; Consumer Affairs Committee) Sets energy efficiency and water conservation standards for commercial and residential appliances sold in the Commonwealth
• HB1394 (Quinn): Increase in Solar/Tier 1 targets to maintain jobs and investments in PA
• HB1396 (Quinn): Enable community solar projects in PA
• HB1400 (Quinn): Rededicates a portion of the Commonwealth’s Impact Fee to be distributed to local governments dealing with impacts of active pipeline projects and expanded public safety needs
• HB1565 (Herrin): RGGI Funding Program
• HB2140 
• HB2377 (O’Mara): Create a Public Natural Resources Trust Fund
• HB2469 (Daley and Rabb): Establish a comprehensive definition for cremation to include alkaline hydrolysis which is a zero-emissions process and has lower energy costs

Environmental Justice

• HB2034 (Kenyatta, Bullock, and Rabb): Codify the EJAB into PA law.
• HB2043 (Bullock, Kenyatta, Rabb): Require more transparent and open process before certain facilities are built or expanded within areas defined as “burdened communities”
• HB2256 (Kenyatta, Bullock, Rabb): Codification and Expansion of the Office of Environmental Justice

Climate Bills in the Senate

• All bills on the list are currently in ERE Committee except where otherwise noted.
• Bills based on the Attorney General / fracking Grand Jury legislative recommendations are highlighted in yellow.

Accountability

• SB387 (Schwank): Impose a rebuttable presumption of liability on owners and operators of pipelines under state jurisdiction when pollution, diminution, or loss of water occurs at a public or private water supply
• SB408 (Muth): Increases fines for major air facilities air pollution episode and establishes a municipal notification requirement of the episodes
• SB644 (Muth): Repeals language that exempts the oil and gas industry from complying with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act
• SB645 (Muth): Include drilling waste in the SWMA’S definition of “hazardous waste”
• SB646 (Muth): Close the Leachate Loophole and will require that all waste streams from conventional and unconventional oil and gas companies be subject to stringent, evidence-based radiological testing before leaving a well site
• SB655 (Santarsiero and Collett): This bill will provide the OAG with concurrent jurisdiction in environmental crimes under the Solid Waste Management Act.
• SB656 (Santarsiero and Collett): This bill will provide the OAG with concurrent jurisdiction in environmental crimes under the Clean Streams Law.
• SB657 (Santarsiero and Collett): This bill will provide the OAG with concurrent jurisdiction in environmental crimes under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• SB971 (Muth): Require that the DEP must notify both public and private well owners of spills that could affect their water supply

Resilience

• SB205 (Tartaglione): Require all residential rental properties, schools, and newly constructed properties to receive proper radon testing
• SB611 (Collett): Lowers the acceptable levels of PFAS in drinking water
• SB612 (Collett): Amends the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act to protect communities from the dangers associated with contamination from the release of PFAS
• SB650 (Santarsiero and Comitta): Increase the distance to buildings and water wells to 2,500 feet and 5,000 feet to reservoirs, schools, and hospitals
• SB651 (Muth): require disclosure of chemicals used in fracking (***)
• SB652 (Muth): air and water monitoring (***)
• SB653 (Muth): Public health response (***)
• SB1310 (Cappelletti): Electronic Waste Recycling Program, ensuring all residents have convenient options available to them for the recycling of their electronic device
• SB1011 (Santarsiero): Prohibit employees from the PA DEP from accepting employment in the fracking industry for a period of two years following their termination of employment with the state

Innovation

• SB15 (Comitta): RGGI Investments Act
• SB300 (Santarsiero, Comitta, Haywood; Consumer Protection Committee): Modernizing Pennsylvania's Renewable Energy Standards. Expands the AEPS Tier I requirement, directs the PUC to study the benefits of a renewable energy storage program, and provides for protections that control costs for electricity customers.
• SB472 (Scavello; Consumer Protection Committee) – Enables community solar projects in Pennsylvania.
• SB743 (Costa): Landslide Insurance and Assistance Program within the PA Emergency Management Agency.
• SB810 (Dush): Establish a comprehensive definition for cremation to include alkaline hydrolysis which is a zero-emissions process and has lower energy costs
• SB839 (Santarsiero and Cappelletti): Bolster the state’s household hazardous waste collection program by increasing the limit on matching duns that each county may receive.
• SB868 (Muth):  Charge extraordinary water users a fee which would then be used to fund grants and financing opportunities for municipalities, watershed organizations, and authorities (funds would stay local)
• SB872 (Cappelletti and Muth): 100% renewable energy by 2050

Environmental Justice

• SB189 (Hughes): Codification and expansion of the Office of Environmental Justice