Bill Text: PA HB543 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for a ban on the use of public funds by Commonwealth agencies for public opinion polling.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 15-4)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-02-19 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [HB543 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB543-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 591
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 543 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, BEAR, CARROLL, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, KAUFFMAN, MELIO, MURT, ROAE, ROCK, ROHRER, SCAVELLO, STERN, SWANGER, TRUE AND VULAKOVICH, FEBRUARY 19, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 19, 2009
AN ACT
Providing for a ban on the use of public funds by Commonwealth
agencies for public opinion polling.
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 Ban on Use of
Public Funds for Public Opinion Polling Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings and declarations.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) It is the responsibility of the Commonwealth to
direct the expenditure of State funds and to ensure that
these moneys are used in a manner that benefits the citizens
of this Commonwealth.
(2) It is in the public interest of the citizens of this
Commonwealth that the practice of using taxpayer funds to
conduct public opinion polls no longer be permitted.
Section 3. 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:
"Business entity." Any corporation, partnership, sole
proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association,
organization, self-employed individual, holding company, joint-
stock company, receivership, trust or any legal entity organized
for profit or as a not-for-profit corporation or organization.
"Commonwealth agency." Any of the following:
(1) Any office, department, authority, board, multistate
agency or commission of the executive branch; an independent
agency; and a State-affiliated entity. The term includes:
(i) The Governor's Office.
(ii) The Office of Attorney General, the Department
of the Auditor General and the Treasury Department.
(iii) An organization established by the
Constitution of Pennsylvania, a statute or an executive
order which performs or is intended to perform an
essential governmental function.
(2) The legislative branch of the government of this
Commonwealth.
(3) Any court and any office of the unified judicial
system of this Commonwealth.
Section 4. General rule.
No money appropriated to a Commonwealth agency shall be
expended for payment to or the reimbursement of payments to a
business entity for the purpose of conducting any form of
survey, study or poll to determine public opinion on legislative
or public policy issues.
Section 5. Effective date.
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This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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