Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus
04/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/24/2026 07:24
Walsh Legislation Addresses DEP Paperwork Delays Hampering Business Operations
Apr. 24, 2026
HARRISBURG - State Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne) has introduced legislation to help Pennsylvania businesses navigate Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) paperwork logjams regarding water tests meeting safety standards.
"The idea for this legislation was born out of a DEP issue that my office resolved for Captains Bar and Grill at Harveys Lake in order for them to open in time for their first summer season," said Walsh. "In helping Captains, we quickly realized this was a potential problem for many businesses across the state and that a workable solution was needed."
Walsh explained how the owner of Captains invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into revamping the restaurant he recently purchased, but he had been blocked from opening because of a misunderstanding with DEP. Prior to his ownership, the previous owner had a non-regulated public water source by the DEP and was able to obtain an operating license from the Department of Agriculture each year for 70-plus years.
The new owner met every other requirement to open and conducted several tests demonstrating his water met all required standards, but his water system application had been delayed by DEP.
"My legislation would address this concern by allowing businesses to receive a temporary operating license from the Department of Agriculture while the business owner works through the DEP process," said Walsh. "The business owner would be able to open as long as he or she can provide tests to demonstrate their water has met all required federal standards."
This temporary license would only be valid for a limited period of time while the DEP permit is pending, and once the business owner receives the permit, they would need to continue working to obtain a normal operating license.
"This important legislation would ensure paperwork delays do not get in the way of perfectly safe and responsible businesses operating in our communities," said Walsh.
House Bill 2442 is now awaiting assignment to a House committee.
Representative Jamie Walsh
117th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
[email protected]
"The idea for this legislation was born out of a DEP issue that my office resolved for Captains Bar and Grill at Harveys Lake in order for them to open in time for their first summer season," said Walsh. "In helping Captains, we quickly realized this was a potential problem for many businesses across the state and that a workable solution was needed."
Walsh explained how the owner of Captains invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into revamping the restaurant he recently purchased, but he had been blocked from opening because of a misunderstanding with DEP. Prior to his ownership, the previous owner had a non-regulated public water source by the DEP and was able to obtain an operating license from the Department of Agriculture each year for 70-plus years.
The new owner met every other requirement to open and conducted several tests demonstrating his water met all required standards, but his water system application had been delayed by DEP.
"My legislation would address this concern by allowing businesses to receive a temporary operating license from the Department of Agriculture while the business owner works through the DEP process," said Walsh. "The business owner would be able to open as long as he or she can provide tests to demonstrate their water has met all required federal standards."
This temporary license would only be valid for a limited period of time while the DEP permit is pending, and once the business owner receives the permit, they would need to continue working to obtain a normal operating license.
"This important legislation would ensure paperwork delays do not get in the way of perfectly safe and responsible businesses operating in our communities," said Walsh.
House Bill 2442 is now awaiting assignment to a House committee.
Representative Jamie Walsh
117th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
[email protected]
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Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus published this content on April 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 24, 2026 at 13:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]