Bill Text: PA HB368 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishing a time frame for public review on proposed budgets.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-01 - Referred to APPROPRIATIONS [HB368 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HB368-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 333
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 368 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY SWANGER, HUTCHINSON, GILLEN, KAUFFMAN, METZGAR, MURT, SCHRODER, TALLMAN AND VULAKOVICH, FEBRUARY 1, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, FEBRUARY 1, 2011
AN ACT
Establishing a time frame for public review on proposed budgets.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
finds and declares as follows:
Public participation in the legislative process improves the
quality of proposed legislation by allowing the opportunity for
its detailed review by interested parties.
The opportunity for a detailed review by the public prior to
votes on legislation helps increase public trust in government
and enhances respect for the General Assembly by ensuring that
its operation is conducted with the openness, order and dignity
befitting the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Five-Day
Budget Review Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Appropriations bill." Any legislation that authorizes an
expenditure of Commonwealth funds.
"Five-day waiting period." A period of five consecutive days
excluding Saturdays, Sundays and State holidays except when the
legislative body considering the bill is in session on such a
day.
"Revenue bill." Any legislation that intends to generate
revenue for State operating, capital or transportation expenses.
Section 3. Five-day waiting period required.
(a) Appropriations and revenue bills.--No appropriations
bill or revenue bill may be given a final vote in either House
of the General Assembly until the version of the bill to be
voted upon has been made available on the General Assembly's
publicly accessible Internet website for a five-day waiting
period.
(b) Amendments.--No amendment to an appropriations bill or
to a revenue bill and no amendment that would cause legislation
to have the effect of an appropriations bill or revenue bill may
be voted upon until the amendment has been made available on the
General Assembly's publicly accessible Internet website for a
five-day waiting period.
(c) Reports of committees of conference.--No report of a
committee of conference that authorizes an expenditure of
Commonwealth funds or that intends to generate revenue for State
expenses may be voted upon until the report has been made
available on the General Assembly's publicly accessible Internet
website for a five-day waiting period.
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Section 4. Exemption.
The waiting period and public posting requirements of this
act shall be waived upon a two-thirds vote of the legislative
body considering the appropriations bill, revenue bill,
amendment or conference committee report. For bills adopted
utilizing this exemption, the following section shall be added
to the text of the bill: The (insert legislative body) has
waived the people's right for a detailed review of this bill as
required by the Five-Day Budget Review Act.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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