16851_Authority_Aug_2023

municipalauthorities.org | 25 the fund. Provides for fee collection and clarifies contents of an ordinance to establish the fund. SB 202 (Senator Wayne Fontana – Allegheny) Amends the Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law by enhancing access to acquire abandoned properties for land bank communities in the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding municipalities in Allegheny County. Specifically, it expedites a sheriff sale process and lowers the redemp- tion period of a property from nine months to three months. Companion bill: HB 711 (Representative Emily Kinkead – Allegheny) SB 517 (Senator Dave Argall – Schuylkill) Amends the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law to in- crease the optional deed recording fee levied by counties, under the County Demolition Fund- ing program, by one dollar and allow for future adjustments accounting for inflation. SB 532 (Senator Elder Vogel – Beaver) Amends the Tax Reform Code by providing addi- tional funding to the PA Housing and Rehabilitation Enhance- ment Fund (PHARE) and redirecting revenues captured by the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RTT) from the General Fund (without increasing the rate of tax imposed on real-estate transfers). It would eliminate the $60 million limit on RTT funds deposited into the PHARE Fund annually and would instead employ a tiered cap approach over three fiscal years, to end with a final cap of $100 million. In years 2023-24, the cap would be raised to $80 million, in 2024-25 the cap would raise to $90 million, and in the final years of 2025-26, the cap would reach its new limit of $100 million. Regulatory Reform Bills SB 188 (Senator John DiSanto – Dauphin) Allows the General As- sembly to approve all reg- ulations with an economic impact or cost to the Commonwealth, to its political subdivisions, and to the private sector exceeding $1 million and increases legislative oversight and approval of revisions to general permits issued by the DEP. SB 190 (Senator Michele Brooks – Mercer) Provides for a one-time automatic review of all economically significant regulations established after the effec- tive date of the bill’s enactment. An “economically significant regu- lation” is defined as one that has a fiscal impact on the Commonwealth, its political subdivisions, or the pri- vate sector that exceeds $1 million annually. After the regulation has been in effect for three years, the agency promulgating the regulation must review it and then report to the Independent Regulatory Review Com- mission (IRRC) the following findings: • The status of implementation; • The effectiveness and efficiency of the regulation, as well as any steps taken to increase efficiency in implementing it; • The direct and indirect cost of the regulation, and whether the fiscal impact was over-estimated or under-estimated, as well as the nature of any public comments on the regulation; • Whether the current laws of the Commonwealth require the regu- lation’s repeal or amendment; and • If the promulgating agency is con- sidering changing the regulation, and whether the regulation itself is still needed. The IRRC will then collect public com- ments on the submitted report for no less than 30 days, and, within 30 days of the conclusion of the public com- ment period, will determine whether the regulation is still in the public in- terest and whether statutory changes should be considered. Permit Review Process Bills SB 198 (Senator Camera Bartolot- ta – Washington) Amends the Environmen- tal Hearing Board Act to provide more clarity regarding permit appeals from deci- sions made by DEP. Appeals would be limited to issues that were raised in the public comment period allowing permitees assurance that their pro- jects will not be delayed. SB 199 (Senator Camera Bartolot- ta – Washington) Amends the Environmen- tal Hearing Board Act by requiring Environmental Hearing Board judges who desire to stay on for more than one term to be reappointed by the governor and reconfirmed by the majority of the Senate after their term expires. Al- though current law states that mem- bers should serve six-year terms, no term limits are in place. SB 350 (Senator Kristin Phil- lips-Hill – York) Reforms the permitting process and increases transparency throughout the process for the administration of permits by state agencies, for a track- ing system for permit applications, for the establishment of permit programs, for third-party review of permit deci- sion delays and for annual reports. It also requires state agencies to imple- ment an accessible website so permit applicants can check their application status in real time.