Pennsylvania State Capitol. Photo: Shutterstock

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action for the week of June 22. The Pennsylvania Senate was in recess at press time and scheduled to return Monday. The state House of Representatives was in recess, subject to recall by Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster.

New Speaker

State Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, was elected June 22 to be speaker of the state House of Representatives.

Cutler, 45, becomes the 141st speaker. First elected to the House in 2006, Cutler is the youngest person to serve as speaker in three decades, and made the fastest rise to the post since the 1960s, according to WITF, the Harrisburg public radio station.

Rep. David Hickernell, R-Lancaster County, the longest-serving member of that county's legislative delegation, nominated Cutler.

Rep. Pam DeLissio, D-Philadelphia, offered a seconding speech to make the move bipartisan.

"The importance of this moment in history is not lost on me, and I give my word to all Pennsylvanians that the sincerity and fairness with which I serve will never be in question," Cutler said in his first speech to the chamber as speaker.

A resident of Peach Bottom, Cutler is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College and earned a law degree at Widener University.

He worked as an X-ray technologist before becoming a lawyer and has focused on health policy as a lawmaker.

Cutler succeeds former Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, who retired from the General Assembly to accept a position as general counsel to an energy company in western Pennsylvania.

Prison Population

Gov. Tom Wolf announced June 22 that the population of persons in state correctional facilities has been reduced by 3,471 since March 1, the largest multiple-month decrease ever experienced by the Department of Corrections.

According to a Wolf administration statement, the population reduction likely helped the department reduce the number of COVID-19 cases in facilities.

"When COVID-19 arrived, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections met the challenge of keeping the general public safe while protecting its inmate population from this easily transmissible disease," Wolf said. "The department has been successful at keeping COVID-19 from spreading widely in the congregate settings of correctional facilities."

Since COVID-19 was first identified in Pennsylvania, less than 1% of the state prison population has tested positive, according to the statement.

The population reduction includes furloughing paroled individuals from centers to home plans; working with the parole board to maximize parole releases; reviewing parole detainers for those in county jails and state prisons; expediting the release process for anyone with a pending approved home plan; reviewing and releasing inmates who are beyond their minimum sentences, and implementing the temporary reprieve program that has allowed Wolf to issue reprieves to 159 inmates during the pandemic.

These releases are in addition to preexisting criminal justice reform efforts that have reduced Pennsylvania's prison population from 48,881 inmates to 41,738 inmates today during Wolf's terms in office.

Climate Change

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been given a six-week extension to develop a proposed rulemaking to allow Pennsylvania to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the Wolf administration announced June 22.

Initially, Wolf through an executive action instructed the DEP to develop a plan to present to the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) by July 31. Under the amended executive order, the deadline has been extended to Sept. 15.

"Addressing the global climate crisis is one of the most important and critical challenges we face," Wolf said. "Amending this order will provide DEP with more time to develop a strong plan without impacting our over goals for implementing the regulation."

RGGI is a market-based collaboration among 10 Northeast and mid-Atlantic states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating economic growth. Last year, Wolf instructed the DEP to begin the regulatory process of participating in RGGI.

The RGGI states have reduced power sector CO2 pollution by 45% since 2005, while the region's per-capita GDP has continued to grow.

Health Workers

A bill that would strengthen penalties for assaults against health care practitioners and technicians is on its way to Wolf's desk to be signed into law.

Senate Bill 351 passed the House on a 180-21 vote June 23. It was approved by the Pennsylvania Senate in October.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, would extend enhanced penalties to assaults against health care professionals including social workers, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician assistants and respiratory therapists.

A number of health care technicians would also be included under the bill.

Current law already provides the enhancement to a range of health care workers, and Ward's bill would extend those protections to a broader range of health care professionals.

The bill would also increase the penalty for an assault against a health care practitioner in which there is bodily injury. Ward's legislation would upgrade the offense from a misdemeanor of the second degree to a felony of the second degree.

"Violence against employees is much more prevalent in health care settings than in most other professions," Ward said in a statement. "Every member of the health care community deserves the peace of mind to know they are better protected against the threat of being attacked at work."

Higher Education

On June 24, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation to update governance of the Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

House Bill 2171, sponsored by state Rep. Curt Sonney, R-Erie, chairman of the House Education Committee, would reform the governance and accountability of PASSHE's Board of Governors, chancellor and the university councils of trustees.

HB 2171 passed the House unanimously after securing approval on a 47-3 vote in the state Senate.

"Our state system of higher education is facing considerable challenges that threaten the sustainability of the system," Sonney said. "The COVID-19 crisis has made the need for reform even more urgent. In an effort to confront these challenges, the state system has begun the process of a complete system redesign. But they can't do it alone, which is why we have worked closely with them to develop this legislation."

These reforms include clarifying language regarding cooperative use or purchasing agreements; removing outdated terminology; easing redundant reporting requirements; and exempting student records and emails from the Right-to-Know Law.

HB 2171 now heads to the governor's desk.