Omnibus

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has delayed implementing Act 13, the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law, “due to an ambiguity with an injunction imposed by the state’s Commonwealth Court,” the PUC said Thursday.

When the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 13, its omnibus Marcellus Shale law, in February, it marked the end of three years of legislative wrangling and the beginning of a period of legal interpretation.

The House Friday passed by 296-121 a major omnibus spending bill to avert a shutdown of the federal government. Senate approval of the measure, which included nine different appropriations bills to fund agencies through fiscal 2012, was imminent. The bill contains several provisions that are favorable to the oil and natural gas industry, including one that would give the Interior Department authority over air quality compliance in the Arctic offshore.

The House Friday passed by a 296-121 vote a major omnibus spending bill to avert a shutdown of the federal government. Senate approval of the measure was to follow but had not come by press time Friday. The package, which combined nine different appropriations bills to fund agencies through fiscal 2012, contained several provisions that are favorable to the oil and natural gas industry, including one that would give the Interior Department authority over air quality compliance in the Arctic offshore.

Proposed amendments to the omnibus Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 4173) cleared Thursday by the House Rules Committee for consideration on the House floor appeared to preserve the exemption for commercial commodities traders from requirements for clearing or exchange trading.

The Senate last Thursday voted out a $10-11 billion omnibus lands bill for a second time after deflecting several attempts by a leading Republican opponent to significantly alter the contentious legislation. The House is expected to take up the lands bill again this week, hoping for better results the second time around.

The Senate Thursday voted out a $10-11 billion omnibus lands bill after deflecting several attempts by a leading Republican opponent to significantly alter the contentious legislation.

The Senate moved the $10 billion omnibus lands bill a step closer to passage Monday and put into play a strategy that, if successful, could get the legislation over some of the procedural hurdles that have stalled the measure in the House. The bill would take millions of acres of public lands in the West off the table for potential oil and natural gas development.

The Senate plans to take a second look at the $10 billion omnibus lands bill Monday in an apparent attempt to get around some of the procedural hurdles that have stalled the measure in the House. The bill would take millions of acres of public lands in the West off the table for potential oil and natural gas development.