Pa. State House, Senate prep for whirlwind end to session

The state House and Senate are returning to the Capitol after months of recess, and according to their voting agendas, there are a lot of bills that could get votes.

However, that doesn’t mean many things actually will.

The House has just nine voting days scheduled before recessing for good in November, and the Senate has ten. Once they end the session, all bills have to start from scratch.

So while there are a lot of measures that could theoretically pass both chambers, only a few will make it over the finish line.

In the House, one of the most likely bills to move is one intended to make it harder for domestic abusers to have guns. It nearly passed last session but was held up at the last minute.

Also bogged down in the spring was the “safe harbor” bill — a measure that would extend new protections to victims of human trafficking.

Over in the Senate, a bill that would give courts more information in child abuse cases appears poised to pass.

And both chambers have said they intend to move legislation making it easier for victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue their alleged abusers — though disagreements on the specifics remain.