Bill Text: PA HR469 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging the members of the Governor's Advisory Council on Privatization and Innovation to sign an Integrity and Accountability Pledge so as to ensure that all recommendations that are made are in the best interests of the citizens of this Commonwealth.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 66-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-10-20 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [HR469 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR469-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2592
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 469 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY HANNA, DERMODY, FRANKEL, MARKOSEK, STURLA, MANN, K. BOYLE, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CRUZ, CURRY, DALEY, DAVIS, DAVIDSON, DEASY, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE, DeWEESE, DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, HALUSKA, HARHAI, HARKINS, HORNAMAN, JOHNSON, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MIRABITO, MULLERY, MUNDY, MURPHY, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, PAYTON, PRESTON, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, ROEBUCK, SABATINA, SAMUELSON, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SHAPIRO, K. SMITH, M. SMITH, VITALI, WAGNER, WHEATLEY, WHITE, WILLIAMS AND YOUNGBLOOD, OCTOBER 20, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 20, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Urging the members of the Governor's Advisory Council on
Privatization and Innovation to sign an Integrity and
Accountability Pledge so as to ensure that all
recommendations that are made are in the best interests of
the citizens of this Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, America was founded as a democracy representative of
the interests and the needs of the people; and
WHEREAS, The purpose of government is to serve the best
interests of those it represents; and
WHEREAS, Public service is a privilege that requires
adherence to core values, including accountability, integrity
and reliability; and
WHEREAS, The privatization of functions served by State
government is likely to result in substantial financial benefits
to purchasers of government assets and recipients of the award
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of privatization contracts; and
WHEREAS, Those engaged in public service in this
Commonwealth, whether appointed, elected or employed, are
mandated to serve the public trust; and
WHEREAS, Section 2 of Article IV of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania grants the Governor supreme executive power and
compels the Governor to ensure that all laws are executed in
good faith; and
WHEREAS, The General Assembly has made many efforts to ensure
the honesty and integrity of the public sector, including its
employees and elected and appointed officials; and
WHEREAS, The Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, Chapter
11 of Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statues, states, "The Legislature hereby declares
that public office is a public trust and that any effort to
realize personal financial gain through public office other than
compensation provided by law is a violation of that trust"; and
WHEREAS, Section 1104 of Title 65 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes requires public officials to file a
financial interest statement with the State Ethics Commission,
and both public officials and public employees to submit a
financial interest statement with the institution, agency or
bureau to which they are appointed or elected, or by which they
are employed; and
WHEREAS, The act of July 10, 1968 (P.L.316, No.154), known as
the Legislative Code of Ethics, prohibits any member of the
General Assembly from participating in any State action that
could benefit him or her, or his or her family; and
WHEREAS, The act of December 17, 1981 (P.L.435, No.135),
known as the Race Horse Industry Reform Act, prohibits public
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employees, public officers and party officers from engaging in
certain acts that could result in a conflict of interest; and
WHEREAS, The act of July 5, 2004 (P.L.572, No.71), known as
the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, requires
members of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to recuse
themselves from any actions that may provide a benefit to
themselves or their families; and
WHEREAS, Individuals appointed to councils and boards under
the jurisdiction of the Governor should be held to the same
level of scrutiny as those hired and elected to serve the public
interest; and
WHEREAS, Appointees to the Governor's Advisory Council on
Privatization and Innovation should sign an Accountability and
Integrity Pledge, which reads:
"I, as a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on
Privatization and Innovation, do hereby pledge that neither
myself, my spouse, my parent, my brother, my sister, or child
nor any business in which I, my spouse, my parent, my
brother, my sister or my child is associated with, will
benefit financially, in any manner whatsoever, from the
actions taken by the council of a period of not less than
five years after the enactment of any recommendation";
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the members of the Pennsylvania General
Assembly urge the Governor to require that all current and
future members of the Governor's Advisory Council on
Privatization and Innovation sign an Accountability and
Integrity Pledge; and be it further
RESOLVED, That in the absence of the Governor's acting under
this resolution, all current and future members of the
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Governor's Advisory Council on Privatization and Innovation
nevertheless voluntarily sign an Accountability and Integrity
Pledge.
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