The House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection (ENRP) Committee is currently reviewing the following bills and is seeking feedback before considering a vote.

HB 644 would require PennDOT, in coordination with the Department of Environmental Protection, to create and annually update a Road Salt Management Best Practices Guide aimed at minimizing damage caused by road salt runoff.
HB 1038 proposes a Green Roof Tax Credit, offering up to $100,000 annually per applicant for individuals and businesses that install and maintain green roofs. This aims to help offset the cost of sustainable rooftop infrastructure.
HB 1711 would establish a Performance Incentive Program for the use of low-embodied carbon concrete in Commonwealth-funded construction projects, offering financial incentives to vendors who deliver materials with reduced environmental impact.

Any input or feedback on how these bills would impact you and your profession is greatly appreciated. Contact PSPE at contactpspe@pspe.org to share your comments.

Agenda: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:6ef7532d-fad1-46ff-92b9-1dbcdf2223ef

The State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists met on July 24, via hybrid meeting format. Following are the highlights.

∙ Board President Robert Kudlawiec, PE, presided, and welcomed the members. He had no further report.

∙ Board member reports: No reports.

∙ Acting Commissioner Arion Claggett had no report.

∙ Board Administrator Kristel Hennessey Himler noted that the next (September 18) meeting will be held in person at York College of Pennsylvania, Alumni Hall, 411 Country Club Road, York PA 17403. She also presented the 2028 Board meeting dates, for members to mark their calendars.

∙ Board Prosecution Liaisons Nathan C. Guinta, Esq., and Angela S. Solomon, Esq. presented 5 consent agreements for Board approval, all approved.

∙ Board Counsel Ashley Goshert, Esq., presented one motion on a PE case. The motion was granted, and the adjudication and order was approved. She deferred to Regulatory Counsel Marc Farrell, who presented a draft annex for 16A-4716 Ethics Continuing Education, which the Board approved.

∙ The Board reviewed and approved six Examination applications and two PDH exemptions. The Board also held a public hearing on an application to sit for the PE exam.

The next meeting is September 18, with both in-person and virtual options for attendees, at at York College of Pennsylvania, Alumni Hall, 411 Country Club Road, York PA 17403. Public Session begins at 10:30 AM

HB1711 RE: Concrete Innovation Act (by Rep. Mandy Steele, et al)

Amends Title 62 (Procurement), providing for concrete innovation; establishing the Performance Incentive Program within the Department of General Services (DGS) to provide performance incentives; and promulgating regulations. Provides definitions. Allows qualified vendors to apply for a performance incentive on a form provided by DGS. Outlines criteria for qualified vendors. Requires DGS and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to review and issue a decision on the application within 60 days of receiving documentation. Provides performance incentive calculations. Requires DEP and DGS to develop written guidelines for regulations within one year of the effective date of this section. Asserts that DGS will submit a report to the General Assembly on the effectiveness of the program no later than January 1 following the effective date.

Referred to House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee, 7/10/2025

HB1330. RE: General Appropriation Act of 2025 (by Rep. Jordan A. Harris)

Provides appropriations from the General Fund for the expenses of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Departments of the commonwealth, the public debt and the public schools for the fiscal year July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and for the payment of bills incurred and remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025; to provide appropriations from special funds and accounts to the executive and judicial departments for the fiscal year July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and for the payment of bills remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025; to provide for the appropriation of federal funds to the executive and judicial departments for the fiscal year July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and for the payment of bills remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025; and to provide for the additional appropriation of federal and state funds to the executive and legislative departments for the fiscal year July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, and for the payment of bills incurred and remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. Effective July 1, 2025, or immediately, whichever is later.

Read third time, and passed House, 7/14/2025 

Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 7/15/2025 

Reported as amended from Senate Appropriations Committee, and read first time, 7/16/2025 

Read second time, and re-committed to Senate Appropriations Committee, 7/17/2025 

HB1532 RE: Expanding the Use and Scope of Specific Plans (by Rep. Robert Freeman, et al)

Amends the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, in general provisions, further providing for definitions; in comprehensive plan, providing for municipal specific plans; and, in intergovernmental cooperative planning and implementation agreements, further providing for specific plans. Adds a definition for “sketch plan” and replaces language under the definition of “specific plan” to read a detailed plan for development of an area covered by a municipal or multi-municipal comprehensive plan under section 308 or 1106. Provides for municipal-specific plans, authorizing a municipality to adopt a specific plan for the systematic implementation of any portion of the plan, and allows for fees. Adds intensity, accommodation of expected new housing, dwelling types and housing densities for households of various income levels to plan content requirements. Requires a specific plan to be adopted or amended using the same procedures under this article or Article 3. Establishes pre-application conferences for applicants for subdivision or land development approval. Asserts that a specific plan shall include certain enumerated provisions, rather than making such provisions optional. Removes the reference to “housing densities for households of various income levels.” Adds language referencing the availability of affordable or below-market housing to the standards relating to residential uses within specific plans. Makes technical adjustments.

Referred to Senate Local Government Committee, 7/14/2025

HB1319 RE: Revising the Mechanics’ Lien Law of 1963 (by Rep. Patrick J. Harkins, et al)

Amends the Mechanics' Lien Law, in definitions, further providing for the definition of “material” to include rented equipment reasonably necessary for the construction of or incorporated into the improvement.

Re-reported as committed from House Appropriations Committee, read third time, and passed House,

7/7/2025 (116-87)

Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee, 7/24/2025 

HB1701 RE: School Facilities Inventory (by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, et al)

Creates a School Facilities Inventory within PDE that will be charged with the following:

• Maintaining a public-school facility inventory

• Ensuring school entities regularly complete a building condition assessment and a district-wide facilities study

• Assisting school entities with assessing their infrastructure needs and leveraging federal, state, and local resources

• Coordinating school facility planning and improvement across agencies

Referred to House Education Committee, 7/9/2025

HB1668 RE: Allowing Philadelphia to Establish a Tax Abatement for Fire Sprinkler Systems - Fiscal Code Version to HB1561 (by Rep. Anthony A. Bellmon, et al)

Amends the Fiscal Code, in Water Assistance Program, providing for retrofitting residential high-rise buildings with automatic fire sprinkler systems. Provides that a city of the first class shall have the authority to determine the participation in a property tax abatement program or real property tax relief program to incentivize investment in retrofitting residential high-rise buildings with automatic fire sprinkler systems and associated monitoring or detection devices.

Re-reported as committed from House Rules Committee, read second time, and re-committed to House Appropriations Committee, 7/7/2025 

Re-reported as committed from House Appropriations Committee, read third time, and passed House, 7/8/2025 

Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 7/23/2025

SB500 RE: Lightning Plan: Improve the EDGE Tax Credit (by Sen. Nick Pisciottano, et al)

An Act amending the Tax Reform Code of 1971, in Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy (PA EDGE) Tax Credits, repealing provisions relating to local resource manufacturing, providing for Reliable Energy Investment Tax Credit, repealing provisions relating to Pennsylvania milk processing and providing for Pennsylvania milk processing; in regional clean hydrogen hubs, further providing for definitions, for eligibility, for application and approval of tax credit, for use of tax credits and for applicability; in semiconductor manufacturing and biomedical manufacturing and research, further providing for definitions and for application and approval of tax credit and providing for geothermal energy and for sustainable aviation fuel; and, in application of Prevailing Wage Act, further providing for definitions.

Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 7/8/2025 

SB527 RE: Sterling Act Reimbursement (by Sen. Frank Farry, et al)

Amends the Local Tax Enabling Act, further providing for title of act; providing for local taxes in cities of the first class, for prohibition of tax on certain individuals and for reimbursement of taxes; and repealing the Sterling Act and Section 324 of the Taxpayer Relief Act. Authorizes citizens of the first class to levy, assess and collect taxes and prohibits taxes on salaries, wages, commissions or other compensation on certain individuals, including nonresidents employed by a place of business located in a city of the first class. Adds to the duties of the State Treasurer to deduct any taxes imposed by the city on the salary, wage or other compensation paid by the state to the officer or employee and make a return on a form furnished by or obtainable from the revenue commissioner of the city. Authorizes a city of the first class to create offices necessary for the collection of taxes. Provides for penalties and enforcement of nonpayment of taxes and allows for reimbursements. Adds that the taxes shall be credited by the school district of the taxpayer’s residence at an amount no greater than the tax on salaries, wages, commissions or other compensations imposed by the school district. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Community and Economic Development, to promulgate temporary regulation and outlines content requirements. Section 6 is effective immediately.

Reported as committed from Senate Finance Committee, and read first time, 6/10/2025 

Read second time, and re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 6/11/2025

Re-reported as committed from Senate Appropriations Committee, read third time, and passed Senate, 6/23/2025 (29-21)

Referred to House Finance Committee, 6/24/2025 

HB1608 RE: Design Build Best Value Procurement (by Rep. Ed Neilson, et al)

Amends Title 74 (Transportation), in transportation infrastructure, providing for design build best value. Defines “agency,” “alternative technical concept,” “commission,” “commissioners,” “department,” “design build best value,” “offeror,” “project,” “request for proposals,” “request for qualifications,” “responsible offeror,” “responsive proposal,” “secretary,” “shortlisted offeror” and “statement of qualifications.” Provides for a design build best value process with a value score, conditions for its use and limits for the amount of projects procured per agency. Establishes the need for public notice of a determination when using design build best value practices and the process for one-step or two-step requests for proposals. Provides for the receipt of statements of qualifications and requests for proposals, and how to submit them. Provides for a preproposal conference to be scheduled after issuance of a request for qualifications in a two-step procurement and a request for proposal in a one-step procurement. Establishes a process for the request for technical and price proposals in a one-step procurement. Provides for a process and the statement of qualifications for a two-step procurement for an agency. Provides for technical and price proposal processes in a two-step procurement. Provides for alternative technical concepts (ATCs) and an approval process of an ATC for an agency. Establishes a record of requests for ATCs and the use of intellectual property. Provides for payment from an agency to an unsuccessful responsible offeror for ATCs who are not receiving a stipend under subsection o. Provides for stipends on a project-by-project basis in a one-step and two-step procurement. Establishes due dates for technical and price proposals. Provides that the most advantageous proposal will be selected by the agency for negotiation. Provides an ATC of an unsuccessful offeror can be utilized by the agency after a payment execution. Establishes that a proposal validity period is established in the proposal. Provides for an evaluation committee of the proposals with at least five employees determined by the agency and an individual employed by the offeror within the preceding five years cannot participate in proposal evaluations. Provides for the applicability of other laws. Establishes the limitations on powers and duties of an agency that may not be exercised beginning eight years after the effective date of the section and an exception to contracts procured prior to eight years after the section’s effective date

Reported as committed from House Transportation Committee, read first time, and re-committed to House Rules Committee, 7/8/2025