Office of Speaker Dennis M. O’Brien

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

139 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            CONTACT:  Bill Patton

                                                                                                                       717-787-4610

O’Brien names conferees on smoking bill

HARRISBURG, Dec. 10 – House Speaker Dennis O’Brien today named Reps. Robert Belfanti, D-Northumberland; Michael Gerber, D-Montgomery; and Ron Miller, R-York as conferees to meet with their Senate counterparts and work out differences between the House and Senate versions of a pending bill to prohibit smoking in most public places in Pennsylvania.

There is no defined schedule for the conference committee to produce a report, but O’Brien hopes it will complete work in time for a vote on the finished product in early 2008.

The smoking ban measure (S.B. 246) passed in both the House and Senate in July but the two chambers were unable to agree on amendments that specify what public facilities would be exempt from the smoking ban.

Discussions by staff throughout the fall made some progress but differences remain. The conference committee is a method for those considering the changes to combine their efforts and forge consensus.

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