Oct. 13, 2020
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Bud Cook (R-Washington/Fayette) is seeking to end a practice used by Republican and Democratic governors that hides the true cost of their administration. The Truth in Hiring Act (
House Bill 2913) aims to add transparency to Pennsylvania’s leadership.
In 2018, Illinois passed legislation that reformed government and provided transparency to taxpayers. “Unfortunately, this problem is not unique to Illinois as Republican and Democratic governors have used the same practice in Pennsylvania,” said Cook. “Governors of both parties can hide the cost of their office by charging other state agencies for work done by their office to assist the agency - a practice called offshoring.”
Due to the offshoring of executive branch employees, Pennsylvania’s budget does not accurately depict agency costs. Taxpayers and the General Assembly deserve a transparent government, and that starts with providing accurate numbers of employees and operating costs. Under House Bill 2913, no agency would be able to charge another agency to cover their expenses, including employee salaries.
This bill would also require the budget secretary to provide the General Assembly with a report on the total number of employees and the cost associated with them for each agency. The budget secretary would include the total augmentations received by an agency of the executive branch received by other agencies to cover the cost of their employees.
“As the representative of the 49th District, where it’s always a great day, I am committed to fighting for we the people,” Cook continued. “I will not let our constitutional rights that generations before us fought hard for be taken away. I will continue to hold our government responsible for transparency and accountability. Our citizens deserve to have a government on which they can count.”
Representative Bud Cook
49th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Michelle Swab
717.260.6325
mswab@pahousegop.com
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