House Positions Senate Clean Power Plan, Drilling Reg Bills For Tuesday Floor Vote

The House late Monday positioned both Senate bills further providing for legislative review of any plan developed by DEP to implement the EPA Clean Power Climate Plan and requiring DEP to start over to update its drilling regulations covering conventional oil and gas wells for a House Floor vote Tuesday.

The bills include--

-- Climate Plan Review: Senate Bill 1195 (White-R-Indiana) further providing for legislative review of any plan developed by DEP to implement the EPA Clean Power Climate Plan which was reported from the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Monday.  Rep. Maher (R-Allegheny), Majority Chair of the Committee, said a technical amendment will be offered on the Floor Tuesday; and

-- DEP Drilling Regs: Senate Bill 279 (Hutchinson-R-Venango) requiring DEP to start over to update its drilling regulations covering conventional oil and gas wells and creating the PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council which was removed from the Table Monday.

After the Floor vote, the bills are typically referred into and out of the House Appropriations Committee and then receive a final vote by the full House.  We’ll see if that typical process is followed.

Both bills are the result of an agreement between Senate and House Republicans and Gov. Wolf.