PRINTER'S NO. 445
No. 70 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY PETRI, BALDWIN, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BISHOP, BOYD,
BROWNE, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, CORRIGAN,
CRAHALLA, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FRANKEL,
FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY, GOOD, GOODMAN, HENNESSEY,
HERMAN, HERSHEY, HICKERNELL, W. KELLER, LEDERER, MANN,
MARKOSEK, McGEEHAN, MILLARD, O'NEILL, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS,
PISTELLA, RAYMOND, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, SATHER,
SCAVELLO, SEMMEL, STURLA, SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE,
WALKO, WANSACZ, WATERS, WHEATLEY, WILT, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK,
KIRKLAND AND S. MILLER, FEBRUARY 14, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 14, 2005
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a task force to conduct an in-depth investigation
2 of the outsourcing of jobs from this Commonwealth.
3 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth spends millions of dollars of
4 taxpayer money each year for a variety of services and
5 commodities needed to operate the State government; and
6 WHEREAS, Pennsylvanians have the right to know whether
7 taxpayer dollars are being used to contribute to the outsourcing
8 of jobs from this Commonwealth; and
9 WHEREAS, Approximately 690,000 American jobs were lost to
10 overseas outsourcing in the years 2001 through 2003, and
11 estimates suggest that 3.3 million service jobs will go overseas
12 by 2015; and
13 WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the taxpayers of this
14 Commonwealth to preserve employment opportunities for
1 Pennsylvanians and prevent taxpayer dollars from being spent on
2 outsourced jobs; and
3 WHEREAS, The State Government Committee of the House of
4 Representatives and the State Government Committee of the Senate
5 have oversight over the Department of General Services;
6 therefore be it
7 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
8 establish a task force to conduct an in-depth investigation of
9 the outsourcing of jobs from this Commonwealth; and be it
10 further
11 RESOLVED, That the task force investigate and prepare a
12 report on the economic impact of offshore outsourcing on the
13 Commonwealth and its residents which includes, but is not
14 limited to, an estimate of the number of jobs that have been
15 outsourced by Pennsylvania companies since January 2003, an
16 estimate of the number of jobs performed in Pennsylvania that
17 have been outsourced since January 2003 and the State and local
18 tax revenue lost by the outsourcing of these jobs, the weighted
19 point system being used as part of the procurement process and a
20 survey of all current State contracts under which all or a
21 portion of the work has been outsourced, identifying the names
22 of the companies that hold such contracts, the length of each
23 contract, the factors considered when awarding a contract,
24 whether the contract would encourage or require the contractor's
25 business to be located in this Commonwealth and the
26 circumstances under which such a requirement is deemed
27 appropriate; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That the task force assess and report on the
29 adequacy of public access to information on which Commonwealth
30 contracts involve the outsourcing of jobs and services; and be
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1 it further
2 RESOLVED, That the task force be comprised of the following
3 members:
4 (1) The Secretary of General Services.
5 (2) The Secretary of Community and Economic Development.
6 (3) One member of the Senate appointed by the President
7 pro tempore of the Senate.
8 (4) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority
9 Leader of the Senate.
10 (5) One member of the House of Representatives appointed
11 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
12 (6) One member of the House of Representatives appointed
13 by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
14 (7) The chairman and minority chairman of the State
15 Government Committee of the Senate.
16 (8) The chairman and minority chairman of the State
17 Government Committee of the House of Representatives.
18 (9) A representative of the Pennsylvania Chamber of
19 Business and Industry.
20 (10) A representative of the National Federation of
21 Independent Business.
22 (11) A representative of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO;
23 and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the task force be authorized to hold hearings,
25 take testimony and make its investigations at such places as it
26 deems necessary in this Commonwealth; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the task force prepare a report containing its
28 findings and recommendations, together with any necessary
29 legislation, and deliver it to the General Assembly by September
30 30, 2005.
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