Benninghoff to State Agencies: Prepare Now for Waived and Suspended Regulations to be Reinstated

July 26, 2021

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) sent a letter to state agencies Monday telling them to prepare to have the nearly 500 waived and suspended regulations reinstated on Sept. 30, while also working with House standing committees on reviewing which regulations should be permanently repealed or reformed.

“This letter is to serve as notice that your department should begin the process of planning for the reinstatement of those suspended or waived regulations that are pertinent to the operation and processes and programs administered by your department if you have not already done so. While Republican chairs of House standing committees have been directed by my office to thoroughly examine all waived and suspended regulations, it is incumbent upon your department and its employees to work to ensure that all regulations can be reinstated starting on or before September 30, 2021,” the letter reads in part.

“In the meantime, I strongly encourage your office or designated staff to work with standing committee chairs and executive directors on regulatory suspensions and waivers that need to be permanently repealed or reformed.”

Of note, to agencies that deal with regulations related to telehealth, Benninghoff noted that nothing in current law will prevent telehealth services from continuing at the level they were provided pre-pandemic.

“Since your department does have jurisdiction relative to telehealth services provided in Pennsylvania, I want to make it clear nothing in current law prohibits telehealth services from being provided at pre-pandemic levels should the regulatory framework return to normal,” Benninghoff wrote.

The subject regulations were suspended and/or waived pursuant to the March 6, 2020, COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration issued by Gov. Tom Wolf and then extended by Act 21 of 2021 until Sept. 30.

Copies of the letters are here and here.

Representative Kerry Benninghoff
Pennsylvania House Majority Leader
171st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jason Gottesman
717-512-0620
jgottesman@pahousegop.com
KerryBenninghoff.com / Facebook.com/RepBenninghoff