House Appropriations Committee unanimously advances four-bill package including electronic driver's licenses

The House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a four-bill package Tuesday and referred the measures to the full House.

The package includes House Bill 1970, which "authorizes the issuance of electronic driver's licenses and identification cards by PennDOT," and House Bill 2003, which requires that flags purchased by the Department of General Services be "made in America," the Executive Director told the committee. "In front of us, we have House Bill 1970, which authorizes the issuance of electronic driver's licenses and identification cards by PennDOT," the Executive Director said during the committee's overview.

Chairman Harris conducted the meeting and announced a quorum was present. When the chair called for discussion on the package, one committee member said, "On this package of bills, all Republicans will be voting in the affirmative." Chairman Harris replied, "All the Democrats will also vote in the affirmative," and the chair announced the bills would "pass the committee unanimously" and be referred to the floor of the House.

Also in the package, House Bill 2177 would provide a definition for a "brief summary" for ordinances, and House Bill 2179 would amend the second class township code to define a "brief summary" for public notice requirements, the Executive Director said. The committee conducted roll call and recorded member presences before taking the vote; no individual vote tallies or recorded roll-call votes were entered into the transcript for the package vote.

The committee took no separate amendments or motions on individual bills during the meeting; the chair moved the package as a group to the House floor for further consideration.