House Gets Ready for Action: Inauguration, Committee Reorganization on Tap

Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives return to Harrisburg on Tuesday, Jan. 20, for the inauguration of Gov.-elect Tom Wolf and to continue the organization process for the 2015-16 legislative session.

Members will report to the House floor at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, followed by the governor’s inauguration outside the Capitol at noon.

The House will again convene at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, where Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) will announce the composition of each of the House’s 23 standing committees and brief meetings will then be held off the floor for each committee to organize.

Committees are the foundation of legislative activity in the House. All bills introduced by lawmakers must first be referred to the appropriate committee and vetted before being sent to the full House for consideration. Committees conduct meetings and public hearings to discuss issues and specific legislation in order to develop the best policies for the Commonwealth.

Members have begun circulating memos seeking co-sponsors for proposed legislation. Continuing the commitment to open government, all co-sponsorship memos are being posted publicly and can be viewed under the “session” tab at www.legis.state.pa.us.

Any bill introduced in the 2013-14 legislation session that was not enacted into law is considered dead. Members who want those proposals considered must reintroduce them in the new session.

Live web streams of House session and the majority of committee meetings are available at PAHouseGOP.com.  Important information and events may also be viewed by visiting Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP.