Following is a listing of executive and legislative action from the week of Jan. 6. Both houses of the General Assembly were in recess at press time. The state House of Representatives was scheduled to return to session Monday. The Pennsylvania Senate was set to reconvene Jan. 27.

Carbon Pollution

Gov. Tom Wolf on Jan. 9 announced that state facilities achieved a 3% increase in energy efficiency in 2019, one year after he signed an executive order committing the government to reduce carbon pollution.

Wolf said that commonwealth installations—which include 8,000 electricity and natural gas meters—were able to reduce by 3% their use of electricity, natural gas and steam power.

"Pennsylvania is taking action to reduce our carbon footprint and serve as a leader in green policies to address climate change," Wolf said in a statement. "The first year has proven that our ambitious goals are achievable to improve our energy efficiency, protect the environment and generate cost-savings."

Executive Order 2019-01 set a goal of 26% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and an 80% reduction by 2050, using 2005 levels as a baseline. It also established the interagency GreenGov Council, to analyze state agency energy and sustainability strategies.

The administration said the council is also working toward a goal of adding 990 electric or hybrid plug-in vehicles to the state fleet by 2025, as well as increasing the number of charging stations and fine-tune high-performance design criteria into its facility design and construction.

To date, 11 state-owned buildings, along with one build-to-suit leased building, are being designed or in construction to meet or exceed those standards.

Unemployment Compensation

Wolf on Jan. 8 announced Pennsylvania businesses will see a reduction in their unemployment compensation (UC) tax rates, saving an estimated $552 million this year. The Department of Labor & Industry eliminated the 1.1% UC tax rate interest factor, effective Jan. 1.

This is the lowest UC tax rate on record since 1979, according to a Wolf administration statement.

"We are continuing our efforts to drive down the cost of doing business in Pennsylvania," Wolf said. "Lowering the UC tax rate will help business owners invest in their own company and workforce to create more jobs, while also maintaining fair benefits for workers who lose their job through no fault of their own."

The statement also explained that refinancing of Pennsylvania's UC debt, under Act 60 of 2012, which authorized bond sales to secure lower interest rates, has saved employers approximately $57 million in interest costs. The state retired that UC bond debt Jan. 1, the administration said.

Committee Chairmen

Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, announced Jan. 7 he has appointed state Rep. Tom Murt, R-Montgomery, to serve as chair of the Human Services Committee and Rep. Gary Day, R-Lehigh, as chair of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee during the 2019-20 legislative session.

"I am confident these chairmen will do an exceptional job at running the committees smoothly and ensuring the people of the commonwealth are taken care of," Turzai said. "I look forward to the legislation their committees examine and potentially pass forward to the House."

Murt previously served as the chair of the Aging and Older Adult Services and will now serve as the chairman of the Human Services Committee. The Human Services Committee is responsible for legislative oversight of matters pertaining to the Department of Human Services and the

Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bucks, former chair of the Human Services Committee, has resigned to become a Bucks County commissioner, leaving the chairmanship open.

Day previously served on the Gaming Oversight, Insurance, Professional Licensure, and Tourism and Recreational Development committees and will now serve as the chairman of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee. The Aging and Older Adult Services Committee oversees all legislation related to programs and services that pertain to seniors.

Welfare Fraud

Two measures to improve oversight of public benefits use have been introduced in the state House by state Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Fayette.

House Bill 2179 would close a loophole by requiring authorized users of Electronic Benefits

Transfer cards to sign the same rights and responsibilities agreements as those who are directly eligible for benefits, holding all recipients and authorized users to the same standards of use.

House Bill 2181 would require the Department of Human Services to create an Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards Management Program to develop electronic controls, oversight mechanisms and follow-up procedures to detect and track fraudulent uses of EBT cards.

In a statement issued Jan. 6, Warner said the proposals would help fight welfare fraud and abuse.

"Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve nothing but absolute certainty that their tax dollars are being used wisely by state agencies and the commonwealth is being a watchdog over those dollars," Warner said. "That is not the case right now with EBT cards, and that is unacceptable." Warner pointed to two reports by two different auditors general that raised concerns about usage of Pennsylvania EBT cards in other states. Despite these concerns, Warner said, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has not updated its processes since 2012.

"Without updating the system, the department could be potentially missing the opportunity to detect fraudulent use costing millions of taxpayer dollars," the lawmaker said.

An analysis of out-of-state EBT card use from 2013 to 2015 found activity each year exceeded $70 million, which is about 2% of the approximately $3.4 billion distributed through the cards each year.

HB 2181 would direct DHS to develop procedures to track out-of-state use of EBT cards.

HB 2179 would increase accountability for "authorized representatives" who may be designated to use EBT cards by eligible recipients of benefits, Warner said. In 2016, a DHS audit discovered that the state's inspector general is precluded from investigating and pursuing criminal charges against authorized representatives because DHS does not require them to review and sign the same information as cardholders.

Health Care

Five Pennsylvania Senate Democrats have asked the Banking and Insurance Committee in the upper house to convene a public hearing or vote on a package of bills that would uphold access to health care in the event that federal policy is changed.

Sens. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia; Pam Iovino, D-Allegheny; Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks; Maria Collett, D-Montgomery; and Tim Kearney, D-Delaware, sent a letter Jan. 7 to Committee Chairman Mario Scavello, R-Monroe, saying action is needed, in the wake of a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit holding unconstitutional the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to maintain Pennsylvania's commitment to quality and stable insurance for its citizens.

The bills put forth for public hearing or committee vote include:

• Senate Bill 50, prohibiting denial of coverage based on preexisting conditions.
• Senate Bill 51, providing for essential health benefits such as mental health and addiction treatment.
• Senate Bill 939, prohibiting the sale of insurance policies that have an annual or lifetime limit on coverage.
• Senate Bill 982, allowing young adults to stay on their parent's insurance until they reach age 26.

"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been critical in improving the health and wellness of our people, which makes preserving its provisions one of the most important priorities of the state legislature in 2020," Hughes said. "We must work together to maintain quality, affordable health care for all Pennsylvanians—especially as we launch our state-run health care exchange this year."

Net Neutrality

In an effort to counteract deregulation under the Trump administration, Democratic lawmakers at a public hearing heard from public officials on the need to support net neutrality by internet service providers.

Sen. Larry Farnese, D-Philadelphia, and state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, were co-hosts of the hearing.

"Protecting net neutrality means protecting consumers from internet providers trying to control what and how people can access their internet," Farnese said. "We need to maintain net neutrality to ensure that all data on the internet is treated equally for people despite their circumstances or their ability to pay additional fees for services."

The Federal Communication Commission under the Obama administration classified broadband internet services as a "telecommunication service." This allowed the FCC to apply nondiscrimination rules among internet providers.

The Trump administration has worked to remove what it deems as unnecessary regulations on broadband internet providers. Administration officials claim that the regulations on internet providers discourage investment in national internet systems infrastructure.

Senate Bill 392 would create guidelines for broadband internet providers that keep access to the internet and its services equitable for all who use the services.

Senate Bill 393 would add internet service providers to the list of public utilities in Pennsylvania.

This would allow the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to regulate ISPs and ensure they follow all net neutrality guidelines set forth in the state.

Fiedler has sponsored House Bill 544 to make sure that ISPs are not allowing paid prioritization of content among internet users who subscribe to their services.

"We need to protect our resident's equal access to information on the internet," Fiedler said.

"We cannot allow practices like paid prioritization to further the already profound digital divide experienced across our communities."