SB 28, PN 10 (Phillips-Hill) – Establishes the Permit Administration Act, requiring state agencies to submit annual reports to the General Assembly detailing permitting decisions and delays undertaken in the previous year. The bill also requires state agencies to contract with third-party professional to review all permit decision delays. Senator Muth offered amendment A00954 which requires state agencies to return grossly deficient applications to the applicant as null and void and exempts grossly deficient applications from the time limits imposed under the bill. It defines “grossly deficient application” as one that fails to provide necessary documents and info in sufficient detail to perform a technical review or that demonstrates insufficient understanding of what is required to comply with state law.
This amendment also subjects the third-party professionals who administer the state agency programs reviewing permit decision delays to the Ethics Act and prohibits them from being immediate family members of permit applicants or owners/employees/officers/directors with which immediate family members are associated. An “immediate family member” would include a parent, spouse, child, sibling, nephew, niece or the parent of a spouse. The amendment failed by a vote of 20-28.
Senator Muth also offered amendment A01165 which limits the definition of “third-party professional,” as it applies to DEP, DCNR and PennDOT, to conservation districts as defined in the Conservation District Law. As a reminder, third-party professionals under the bill are those who administer the state agency programs reviewing permit decision delays. The amendment failed by a vote of 19-29. The bill was approved by a vote of 28-20.
SB 126, PN 98 (Brooks) – Amends the Regulatory Review Act to require agency review of “economically significant” regulations. A vote of 27-21 was recorded.
SB 520, PN 526 (DiSanto) – Amends the Regulatory Review Act to provide for legislative approval of “economically significant” regulations. A vote of 27-21 was recorded.
HB 832, PN 814 (Boback) – An Act designating a bridge, identified as Bridge Key 37135, located on Pennsylvania Route 92 over the Susquehanna River, Falls Township, Wyoming County, as the Falls Veterans Memorial Bridge. A vote of 48-0 was recorded.
HB 1101, PN 1132 (Warner) – An Act designating a portion of Pennsylvania Route 981 from the intersection with Pennsylvania Route 819 to the intersection with State Route 2021 in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, as the Honorable Mike Reese Memorial Highway. A vote of 48-0 was recorded.