PRINTER'S NO. 3923
No. 2670 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, BELARDI, JOSEPHS, McCALL, FREEMAN,
STABACK, PISTELLA, SURRA, CASORIO, HARHAI, HORSEY, JAMES,
LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY, MELIO, MUNDY, PALLONE, ROONEY, SATHER,
SHANER, STEELMAN, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRELLO, J. WILLIAMS,
WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 30, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 30, 2002
AN ACT
1 Requiring public notice of certain real property purchases and
2 oil and gas leases by the Commonwealth; and providing for a
3 right of certain public officials to examine and review
4 Inspector General reports.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Commonwealth
9 Property and Mineral Rights Disclosure and Accountability Act.
10 Section 2. Notice of real property purchase.
11 Whenever an agency of State Government intends to enter into
12 a contract to purchase real property valued at more than
13 $100,000, the agency shall first publish a description of the
14 project and proposed criteria for the selection of real estate
15 in the Pennsylvania Bulletin at least 30 days before any
16 contract is signed or a specific property is selected.
17 Section 3. Notice of oil and gas leasing.
1 Whenever an agency of State Government intends to enter into
2 a contract for the lease of oil and gas rights on public lands,
3 the agency shall first publish a description of the public lands
4 as a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. An environmental
5 impact statement examining at a minimum the impact of the
6 exploration, production and transmission of oil or gas and the
7 adequacy of access roads to the public lands shall be completed
8 prior to publishing the notice. The agency shall provide ample
9 time for public comment and response prior to the publication of
10 the notice and inform and cooperate with the Department of
11 Environmental Protection and any relevant advisory boards in the
12 preparation of the environmental impact statement.
13 Section 4. Right to examine and review Inspector General
14 reports.
15 (a) General rule.--Upon request, the Attorney General,
16 Auditor General and State Treasurer shall have the right to
17 examine and review all reports prepared by the Inspector General
18 on State programs or contracts, including those relating to
19 public lands, when the Attorney General conducts a criminal
20 investigation on relevant programs or contracts or when the
21 Auditor General or State Treasurer exercise their official
22 duties under the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known
23 as The Fiscal Code.
24 (b) Temporary delay of release of report.--The Inspector
25 General may temporarily delay the releasing of a report up to 30
26 days from the date of the request of the Attorney General,
27 Auditor General or State Treasurer under subsection (a) for the
28 purpose of deleting the names of confidential informants or
29 protecting an ongoing criminal investigation or prosecution
30 conducted by Federal, State or local government agencies.
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1 Section 5. Effective date.
2 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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