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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/25/2024 03:38 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20230&cosponId=38489
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 9, 2022 10:11 AM
From: Senator Maria Collett and Sen. Katie J. Muth, Sen. Lindsey M. Williams, Sen. Timothy P. Kearney, Sen. Steven J. Santarsiero, Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti, Sen. Carolyn T. Comitta, Sen. John I. Kane, Sen. Nikil Saval
To: All Senate members
Subject: The #MeToo in Pennsylvania General Assembly Act
 
 
For far too long, reports of instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault across our nation have been swept under the rug, victims have been silenced, and accountability has been avoided. Politics and elected officials, government employees, and members of the public were not immune from this type of behavior. Whether these reports came from instances by members of Congress, members of state legislatures, or by officials on the local level nationwide, the #MeToo Movement has not only been instrumental in raising awareness of this epidemic, but also instrumental in highlighting the lack of a formal process for victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault to successfully report their harassment and assault and seek the protections necessary to effectively address this issue. It is beyond time that we adopt legislation to make the General Assembly a safe place for all by passing the #MeToo in Pennsylvania General Assembly Act.
 
This legislation was previously introduced as SB 509 in the 2021-2022 session and is companion legislation to an identical bill offered by Rep. Kreuger in the House. 
 
As you may recall, the reforms introduced in the bill from last session included: 
 
  • Banning the use of non-disclosure agreements which mask the names of Members of the General Assembly who are accused of harassment if the complaint is credible; 
  • Require that credibly accused members of the Legislature be held accountable to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania and require that they repay any settlements that were paid with taxpayer dollars; 
  • Requiring that paid administrative leave, remote work assignments, and reimbursement for licensed professional counseling be offered to employees during the entire adjudication of the proceedings;
  • The establishment of procedures for keeping the investigatory, prosecutorial, and adjudicatory functions separate as required under Pennsylvania law; 
  • The establishment of a new section of procedures for promulgating temporary regulations to facilitate the prompt implementation of this new section; and
  • The combining the settlement provisions with provisions relating to the source of payment, the personal liability of elected officials, and the payment of awards.
It is our belief that is it time for the General Assembly of this great Commonwealth to be the leader in this area and to advance measures that protect legislators, staff, employees, and other stakeholders who work with our legislative body. 
 
Please join us in co-sponsoring this crucial legislation.