Lawmakers were back in Harrisburg for the first time today since swearing in ceremonies on January 6.

Many committees in the House and Senate met for the first time since getting member assignments. Lawmakers got to see who they’ll be working with on legislation topics for the next two years.

In the House, bills that got voted on in committees came from Democrat and Republican sponsors, and many had significant bipartisan support. The bills picked represent the balance in the House right now, who is tied with 101 to 101 Democrat and Republican members.

Topics ranged from requiring bike lanes between parked cars and sidewalks to expanding education on eating disorders to allowing intermediary units in school districts to purchase property instead of just renting.

The House session itself was brief, with a moment of silence for the late Rep. Matthew Gergely. The representative from Allegheny county died Sunday, January 19 after experiencing a medical emergency over the holidays.

In the Republican controlled Senate, committees voted on things like abolishing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) or creating stricter rules around accessing human service benefits.

But they also voted on a utility consumer’s protection bill that both chambers described as unfinished business last session.

Senator Vincent Hughes, the Democrat appropriations chair, says this will be a slow legislative week as both chambers and political groups are waiting for the governor’s budget address next Tuesday.

"We're all kind of just getting ready for that, you know, working through the numbers, trying to get a good assessment of what the state's fiscal condition is,” Hughes said. “And  what we can do to tie, I think, a strong Pennsylvania economy to the important policies to move that improve life for people."