May. 10, 2017
HARRISBURG – Legislation that would remove questionable participants from Pennsylvania’s taxpayer-funded state pension systems is on the move in the General Assembly, according to state Reps. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) and Will Tallman (R-Adams/Cumberland).
“It is rare to see a group that is enjoying a benefit support legislation that would take away that same benefit, but that is the case with my
House Bill 205,” said Phillips-Hill. “The bill, which passed the House today with bipartisan support, would prevent future employees of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) from participating in PSERS (the Public School Employees’ Retirement System).”
PSBA, a private sector non-profit group, supports House Bill 205, which may now be taken up in the Senate. The legislation would change the definition of the phrase “government entity” which currently requires PSBA employees to enroll in PSERS.
Tallman, a co-sponsor of House Bill 205, has authored
House Bill 922, which passed today by the House State Government Committee on a party-line vote. The legislation addresses employees of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) participating in the State Employees Retirement System (SERS).
“We’re trying to find out how employees of the SRBC, which was created in 1970, managed to find their way into SERS even though they are not state employees,” Tallman said. “For the moment, I’m advancing an effort to remove future hires of this taxpayer-funded entity from our taxpayer-funded pension system. The result would reduce costs for all Pennsylvanians.
“One of the committee members who opposed my bill today questioned how much money could be saved. If taxpayer dollars are being wasted, we shouldn’t have to hit a certain threshold before we start caring about a problem.”
Phillips-Hill voted for Tallman’s bill today in committee and says scrutiny of participants in PSERS and SERS may be just beginning.
“I recently petitioned both PSERS and SERS for information on employers whose participation in these retirement systems could be called into question,” she added. “Similar instances involving other government entities were brought up in committee today and I’m looking into them. Limiting participation in our state retirement systems to public school and state employees would seem to make sense.”
Representative Kristin Phillips-Hill
93rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
RepKristin.com /
Facebook.com/RepKristin
Representative Will Tallman
193rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
RepWillTallman.com /
Facebook.com/RepTallman
Media Contact: Scott Little
717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com