By Laura Bonawits, Contributing Writer

With many state lawmakers in agreement that restoring government trust and improving transparency are vital issues across the Commonwealth, Gov. Corbett could cross off some items on his government reform “to-do list.” The House passed a seven-bill reform package Wednesday, dubbed the Pennsylvania Agenda for Trust in Harrisburg (PATH). Most notably, the package includes the creation of a searchable, user-friendly database that will allow residents to track how their tax dollars are being spent.

House Bill 15, sponsored by Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver County, calls for the creation of PennWATCH, a comprehensive online source that would feature all government expenditures.  Rep. Christiana was hopeful that once signed, the bill would reiterate that he and fellow lawmakers heard residents’ cries for government reform. “We are serious about reforming state government… transparency and accountability are not pipe dreams, but quickly becoming reality,” he said in an issued statement. The site, which would be hosted by the Treasurer’s Office, could be up and running by the end of the year. It will feature a comprehensive database where taxpayers can search salaries, contracts and spending made by the legislature, executive branch and judiciary. In addition, a “tracker provision” was added to the bill to monitor the number of hits the site receives. The bill calls for the website to be up and running by Aug. 31.

In addition, the House passed six bills that will contribute to the reestablishment of faith in government.
House Bill 103, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster County, heightens penalties for violation of Pennsylvania’s Lobbyist Disclosure Act (LDA). “Lobbyists have an important function to play in developing and advocating policy in Harrisburg, but they also have a responsibility to be accountable for their actions,” Rep. Cutler said in a statement on his website.

House Bill 104, sponsored by Rep. Marc Gergely, D-Allegheny County, was passed unanimously. The bill calls for extending whistleblower protections for state employees and those working on state contracts to include the legislature.

Also dealing with whistleblower protection, House Bill 105 extends protection to non-profit and private sector employees to relay financial waste by their employers, without fear of retaliation. “State government must put policies and mechanisms in place to prevent misuse of public dollars and weed out illegal, corrupt behavior,” bill sponsor Rep. Brian Ellis, R-Butler County said. Additionally, the bill would also enforce harsh penalties on employers who violate its provisions

House Bill 107, sponsored by George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland County, ensures that sealed competitive bids are not evaluated by public employees who were once employed by the companies bidding on state contracts.

House Bill 108 amends the Right-To-Know Law, allowing public inspection of non-competitively awarded contracts prior to approval.

Finally, House Bill 109 bars General Assembly members from creating or maintaining non-profit entities that receive public funding or grants. Bill sponsor Rep. Jim Marshall,  R-Beaver County, said the point to the bill is straightforward—legislators are not permitted to create entities that are sustained by tax dollars. “There have been some problems with this type of action in the past, and this bill will help to clean up this issue,” Rep. Marshall said in an issued statement on his website.

All bills await approval from the Senate.