Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and further amend a bill that establishes a budget for fiscal year 2017-2018.

Highlights:

• Specifies that the state will borrow over $1.5 billion, which will be repaid with money received from the 1998 multistate legal settlement with tobacco companies (Sec. 17).

• Authorizes the Department of Revenue to spend up to $25 million on expanding the state’s tax return review process and tax collection activities (Sec. 19).

• Specifies that $20 million will be transferred every fiscal year to the Marcellus Legacy Fund for distribution to the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Sec. 3)

• Specifies that $15 million will be transferred every fiscal year to the Marcellus Legacy Fund for distribution to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes drivers of transportation network companies to operate a vehicle up to 15 years old for services (Sec. 5).

• Appropriates an annual sum of $19.7 million to the state’s racing fund for regulatory costs and drug testing requirements within the horseracing industry (Sec. 9).

• Specifies that $15 million will be made available each year for water and sewer projects that cost more than $30,000 and $10 million for those that cost less than $30,000 (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to transfer up to $4.55 million of its funds to the Department of Health for children’s medical care (Sec. 19).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a budget for for fiscal year 2017-2018.

Highlights:

• Specifies that the state will borrow over $1 billion, which will be repaid with money received from the 1998 multistate legal settlement with tobacco companies (Sec. 8).

• Authorizes the Department of Revenue to spend up to $30 million on expanding the state’s tax return review process and tax collection activities (Sec. 19).

• Specifies that $20 million will be transferred every fiscal year to the Marcellus Legacy Fund for distribution to the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Sec. 3)

• Specifies that $15 million will be transferred every fiscal year to the Marcellus Legacy Fund for distribution to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes drivers of transportation network companies to operate a vehicle up to 15 years old for services (Sec. 5).

• Appropriates an annual sum of $19.7 million to the state’s racing fund for regulatory costs and drug testing requirements within the horseracing industry (Sec. 9).

• Specifies that $15 million will be made available each year for water and sewer projects that cost more than $50,000 and $10 million for those that cost less than $30,000 (Sec. 7).

• Establishes a special advisory committee that must approve air quality permits for oil and gas operations and requires the Department of Environmental Protection to set up a third-party permit review program (Sec. 3).

• Requires the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to transfer up to $4 million of its funds to the Department of Health for children’s medical care (Sec. 19).

Full Bill Text