PA Chamber Working to Move Key Pro-Business Bills

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

As House and Senate lawmakers return to Harrisburg this week, the PA Chamber is working to help move several key pro-business bills to the governor’s desk before the November 4 General Election. Key issues that include workers’ compensation reform and preventing union intimidation in the workplace are well positioned to move in the coming weeks.

The Senate is being pressed to pass a number of bills that cleared the House earlier this session. House Bill 2354 would give the public a stronger voice regarding the state’s plans for adhering to new rules by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its greenhouse gas emissions. This bill is incredibly important to the state’s energy industry, especially the segments connected to coal.

Fighting back on local mandates, House Bill 1796 (similar to H.B. 1807) would prevent individual municipalities from enacting local mandatory employee leave ordinances on employers. This issue has been raised in cities like Philadelphia and is becoming a national concern. The PA Chamber is committed to address the matter before it begins to further impact businesses. Read more about this proposal in this edition of Sentinel.

The PA Chamber is also promoting House Bill 1846, workers’ compensation reform legislation. In a state with increasing workers’ compensation costs, this measure would help curtail unnecessary expense growth by limiting the price markup and the amount of medication doctors can dispense from their office – a move that prevents out-of-state drug repacking companies from driving up prescription drug costs through a loophole in the current law.
In addition to each of these proposals, the PA Chamber continues its focus this fall on helping lawmakers address comprehensive reforms in both the state’s public pension system as well as its system for selling alcohol.