The Republican-controlled Legislature in Pennsylvania voted unanimously to continue hundreds of regulatory waivers for another six months, extending Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.
The governor is expected to sign the bill.
All waived and suspended regulations initiated during the COVID-19 emergency declaration were set to expire on Sept. 30, and Legislative action was needed to extend any waiver, according to NorthcentralPA.com.
The Pennsylvania House and Senate voted unanimously to add additional months, as the delta variant caused a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. While Pennsylvania’s economic recovery has been slower than some other states, extending the regulatory waivers could help create some stability, encouraging more unemployed people to return to work and prevent additional business closures.
“We know that some of these waivers were vital to licensees during the pandemic and that it would benefit their patients and those they serve if some of them were made permanent,” Professional and Occupational Affairs Commissioner Kalonji Johnson told NorthcentralPA.com.
All of this begs the question: Which regulatory waivers should expire after this additional six-month period and which should be made permanent? The governor’s state-of-emergency declaration ended after voters moved to grant the Legislature more say in emergency decisions.
A list of the extended waivers can be found at Pennsylvania Department of State.
