THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY M. WHITE, ERICKSON, MUSTO, ORIE, ALLOWAY, TARTAGLIONE, BAKER, FOLMER AND RAFFERTY, APRIL 27, 2009

REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, APRIL 27, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending the act of July 9, 2008 (P.L.935, No.70), entitled "An

act providing for a report on potential climate change

impacts and economic opportunities for this Commonwealth, for

duties of the Department of Environmental Protection, for an

inventory of greenhouse gases, for establishment of the

Climate Change Advisory Committee, for a voluntary registry

of greenhouse gas emissions and for a climate change action

plan," further providing for climate change action plan.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 7 of the act of July 9, 2008 (P.L.935,

No.70), known as the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act, is amended

to read: 

Section 7.  Climate change action plan.

(a)  Action plan required.--Within [15] 18 months from the

effective date of this act and every three years thereafter, the

department shall, in consultation with the committee, submit to

the Governor a climate change action plan that:

(1)  Identifies GHG emission and sequestration trends and

baselines in this Commonwealth.

(2)  Evaluates cost-effective strategies for reducing or

offsetting GHG emissions from various sectors in this

Commonwealth.

(3)  Identifies costs, benefits and cobenefits of GHG

reduction strategies recommended by the climate change action

plan, including the impact on the capability of meeting

future energy demand within this Commonwealth.

(4)  Identifies areas of agreement and disagreement among

committee members about the climate change action plan.

(5)  Recommends to the General Assembly legislative

changes necessary to implement the climate change action

plan.

(b)  Publication.--The climate change action plan shall be

published and distributed to the General Assembly and made

available to the public in printed form and on the department's

Internet website upon submission of the plan to the Governor.

(c)  Public comment.--Prior to submittal of a climate change

action plan as required in subsection (a), the department shall

make a draft plan available for public comment for a period of

at least 60 days. The department shall review and consider

public comments. Upon completion of the department's review of

comments, the department shall prepare and publish a copy of its

responses to the comments received.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.