General Fund Budget: Senate Bill 1466 (Corman-R-Centre) contains the FY 2012-13 General Fund budget. The Senate and House Republicans (by and large) gave the bill final approval Friday-- a day early-- touting the spending plan as another no-tax, on-time budget.
House Democrats said the budget does not do enough to restore funding for education, address the state’s transportation infrastructure needs nor supports the Commonwealth’s neediest citizens, especially when the Independent Fiscal Office projects there will be an additional $400 million in state tax revenue for the coming year.
The overall spending of $27,656,381 is an increase of $470,728,000 over FY 2011-12 and over the $27.1 billion budget Gov. Corbett proposed in February.
Republicans generally highlighted these items from the budget--
-- The budget is below the FY 2008-09 spending level of $28.3 billion;-- Higher Education funding restored to FY 2011-12 levels-- $246 million;
-- K-12 Education state funding is $100 million more than FY 11-12;
-- $84 million in county Human Services funding restored; and
-- Pays pension contributions in full.
Click Here for a House Republican summary of the budget. Click Here for a House Democratic summary. Click Here for a line by line budget spreadsheet.
Tax Code: House Bill 761 (Cutler-R-Lancaster) further exempting certain transfers from the realty transfer tax is waiting for a concurrence vote in the House. A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available. This is the first Tax Code bill in five years and has 24 provisions. Among the changes are--
-- Establishes a new Resource Manufacturing Tax Credit (Shell ethane plant) up to $66 million/year;
-- Increases Research and Development Tax Credit from $40 to $55 million;
-- Establishes a new $3 million Historic Preservation Incentive Tax Credit; and
-- Provides an additional exclusion from realty transfer tax for transfer of a family farm.
Fiscal Code: Senate Bill 1263 (Browne-R-Lehigh) amending the Fiscal Code to implement the budget agreement, including provisions which further provide for conventional oil and gas well blanket bonding requirements; Prohibiting DEP from issuing permits in the South Newark Basin until January 1, 2018 unless a study of the impact of drilling is done by DCNR; and directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, in consultation with PennVEST, is directed to conduct a study of how the state can meet nutrient reduction planning targets in any watershed implementation plan by December 30, 2012. The bill is waiting for final action in the House and a concurrence vote in the Senate.
Welfare Code: House Bill 1261 (Quigley-R-Montgomery) further providing for eligibility for public assistance, providing for a county human services block grant pilot study, ends general public cash assistance, but not medical assistance. A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available. The bill is waiting for a concurrence vote in the House.
Education Code: House Bill 1901 (Everett-R-Lycoming) amending the Education Code to implement the FY 2012-13 budget, provide for employee background checks and other changes. A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available. The bill is waiting for a concurrence vote in the House.
