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An update on COVID-19 actions by the PA Legislature and Wolf administration
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Gov. Wolf Adds Eight Counties to Yellow and 17 to Green on May 29, Remainder to Yellow on June 5
Furthering his plan for reopening Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf today announced eight additional counties will move to yellow and 17 to green, effective at 12:01 a.m., May 29. All remaining counties in red are expected to move to yellow by June 5 at 12:01 a.m.
The counties moving to yellow on May 29 include Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Schuylkill.
The 17 counties moving to green, also on May 29, include Bradford, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Montour, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango and Warren.
Counties that remain in red on May 29 and are expected to move to yellow by June 5 include Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Northampton, Montgomery and Philadelphia.
See a copy of the news release here.
Gov. Wolf Announces Real Estate Industry May Conduct Limited Business Transactions Statewide
Gov. Tom Wolf announced that starting Tuesday, May 19, businesses and employees in the real estate industry may conduct limited business-related activities statewide and provided guidance for this industry to operate in red phase and yellow phase counties. See a copy of the news release here.
Wolf Administration Releases Data on COVID-19 Cases by Long-Term Care Facility
The Wolf administration released data on the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths at long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania. The data provides the number of cases, number of employee cases and number of deaths that have occurred at each facility. For facilities with fewer than five in any of these data points, the information is redacted. See a copy of the news release here.
Lobbying Disclosure Webinars
The Department of State will be hosting two webinars on online lobbying disclosure filing during June and July. The 2020 first and second quarterly expense reports are due by Thursday, July 30. If you have questions about lobbying registrations, lobbying expenses or 2019 audits, please contact Margaret Durkin at durkin@thebravogroup.com.
Lobbying Disclosure Training: Online Filing
When: Tuesday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m.
Registration: Participants must register in advance here.
Lobbying Disclosure Training: Online Filing
When: Tuesday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Registration: Participants must register in advance here.
Gov. Wolf Signs Cocktails-to-Go Bill
Gov. Tom Wolf today signed House Bill 327, now Act 21 of 2020, allowing the temporary sale of cocktails-to-go from bars, restaurants or hotels with a liquor license. The law takes effect immediately.
“This new temporary rule creates more business for bars and restaurants when they need it, helps to meet customer demand and supports social distancing,” Wolf said. “As we approach the holiday weekend, I encourage all Pennsylvanians to remember to drink responsibly.”
The law applies to bars, restaurants and hotels that have lost 25% of average monthly total sales during the COVID-19 emergency. The beverages must be sold in containers with a secure lid in quantities from 4 ounces to 64 ounces before 11 p.m. An additional seal is required on the straw opening of a lid. Within 60 days, bars and restaurants must use a transaction scan device to verify a consumer’s age if the person appears to be younger than 35. The temporary rule expires after the COVID-19 disaster emergency ends and a business reaches 60% capacity. Pennsylvania’s open container law applies.
View additional information from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
Case Number Update
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12 a.m., May 22, that there are 866 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 66,258. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
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Image Source: Gov. Wolf Press Office
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PA Legislative Recap Week of May 18
The House was in session this week to continue consideration of COVID-related bills and business reopenings. Legislation addressed reopening for outdoor sportsman clubs, florists, indoor and outdoor dining establishments and outdoor recreation. The Legislature also considered bills related to elections, records retention and PASSHE reform.
Gov. Wolf vetoed SB 327, HB 2388 and HB 2412 on Tuesday, May 19. The House attempted to override the governor’s veto of HB 2388 on May 20 but the vote failed to reach the two-thirds needed to pass. HB 2388 allowed for waivers for vehicle dealers, lawn and garden centers, cosmetology salons and barbershops, messenger service and agency service activities and animal grooming services if the business is in compliance with social distancing practices and other mitigation efforts defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HB 2412 allowed for waivers for legal services and residential and commercial real estate services. SB 327 provided for the COVID-19 Cost and Recovery Task Force, emergency regulatory tolling, and added an article providing for the COVID-19 County Emergency Mitigation Plan for business reopenings.
The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee met Thursday and reported HR 836, which is a concurrent resolution terminating the disaster emergency declared in response to the cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. The 90-day emergency declaration, issued on March 6, would end in roughly two weeks, but proponents of the resolution, HR 836, argue there’s nothing to prevent Wolf from renewing that declaration for another 90 days, which he’s done 90 days at a time with regard to his current opioid disaster declaration since he first issued it on Jan. 10, 2018. When asked about his plans on a May 21 conference call with the media, Wolf said it is his intention to renew his disaster declaration, though he indicated that it remains to be seen if it would be needed for another 90 days, and he hoped that would not be the case. He said his decision is due to there being several counties still in the red phase of his reopening plan, with those counties under the most stringent mitigation policies because of what the Wolf administration has determined to be a significant, continued presence of the virus.
The Senate met on Monday, May 18 to sign bills.
Week of May 25
The House and Senate are expected to be in session next week and both chambers stand at the call of the chair and president pro temp. The General Assembly is expected to consider an abbreviated five-month budget for fiscal year 2020-2021. Legislation on the House "Week Ahead" includes Administrative Code bills, business reopenings, PASSHE reform, mental health and communicable disease release of information, among others. The House State Government committee is expected to consider HB 2540, which establishes the State Epidemiology Advisory Council. For more information on the session schedule, see the Legislature's website.
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