Jun. 25, 2015
HARRISBURG — By a vote of 111-78, the House today passed legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mauree Gingrich (R-Lebanon), that would require all executive orders issued by the governor to be evaluated for fiscal impact.
House Bill 826 would require the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) to prepare a fiscal impact statement on all general and permanent executive orders to determine whether an order would result in a loss of revenue to the Commonwealth or an increase in the cost of programs administered. In doing so, Gingrich’s bill would help ensure fiscal accountability between the legislative and executive branches.
“While executive orders are essentially proclamations by the chief executive, such orders are generally accepted as a privilege of the office and have the effect of law,” said Gingrich. “Increasingly, we are seeing executive orders being used as a tool with which to circumvent the Legislature. House Bill 826 would ensure that executive orders of a non-emergency nature are appropriately evaluated to ensure that precious taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly.
“My legislation would not preclude a governor from issuing an executive order, nor would it interfere with or delay appropriate action by the governor in emergency situations. It simply protects the interests of taxpayers,” said Gingrich.
The IFO provides revenue projections for use in the state budget process, as well as timely and impartial analysis of fiscal, economic and budgetary issues to aid the General Assembly in its evaluation of policy decisions.
Gingrich’s legislation now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Mauree Gingrich
101st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepGingrich.com