House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	March 1, 2019 01:37 PM
From:	Representative Aaron Bernstine
To:	All House members
Subject:	State-Related Institution Transparency and Accountability Legislation

I plan to introduce a three-bill package promoting transparency and accountability in Pennsylvania’s state-related institutions. These institutions receive considerable funding from the Commonwealth, but are not held to the same standards as the State System of Higher Education institutions. The state-related institutions are as follows: (1) Temple University (2) The University of Pittsburgh (3) The Pennsylvania State University (4) Lincoln University Please join me in co-sponsoring these important pieces of legislation to ensure that Pennsylvania’s state-related institutions are acting as responsible stewards of taxpayer resources.

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Document #1

Description:

Proposal #1:  This legislation expands the extent of documents and financial information that is statutorily required for state-related institutions through the Right-to-Know law. Currently they are not subject to the law, but the law requires the institutions to make a report of some limited financial information including certain employees’ salaries to the General Assembly, Auditor General and Governor.

Document #2

Description:

Proposal #2:  This legislation makes changes to the structure and operation of the Penn State Board of Trustees, which are the recommendations noted by the Auditor General in a recent performance audit report.  Specifically, this legislation will limit the size of the board to twenty-one voting members and one nonvoting member, as follows: The Governor, who will serve as the nonvoting member; The Secretary of Education; The Secretary of Agriculture; The Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources; Nine alumni representatives (elected by alumni); Three members representing business and industry interests elected by business and industry associations; Three members representing agricultural interests elected by agricultural associations; and Three at-large members, one of whom must be a student enrolled at the institution. This legislation also provides for a majority of trustees to constitute a quorum, establishes three-year terms for trustees, and limits the total number of years served by a trustee to nine years in the aggregate.

Document #3

Description:	Proposal #3:  This legislation subjects members of the Board of Trustees and other employees of state-related institutions who are responsible for taking or recommending official action to the requirements of Pennsylvania’s Ethics Act. This would require these individuals to file statements of financial interest.