HARRISBURG—Senator John DiSanto (Dauphin/Perry) commended Chairman Rob Kauffman and the members of the House Judiciary committee for their unanimous passage of SB 113, legislation strengthening Pennsylvania’s Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act.
DiSanto’s legislation ensures that public employees who commit any job-related felony are stripped of their taxpayer-funded pensions. Current law only requires forfeiture for certain crimes listed in the act, which has led to numerous public employees charged with a forfeiture crime pleading guilty to a non-listed crime in order to keep their pension.
SB 113 seeks to end this practice as well as close the “Mellow Loophole,” through which former State Senator Bob Mellow of Lackawanna County had his $245,000 a year pension restored despite pleading guilty and being sent to prison on federal conspiracy charges.
In addition, this legislation ensures criminal convictions involving public officials are reported to state pension boards rather than leaving it up to pension administrators to learn of pension forfeiture cases through agency websites and newspaper articles.
“I thank Chairman Kauffman for his timely consideration of SB 113 and encourage House leadership to expedite the bill for a final vote. It is past time we ensure lawbreakers face the consequences for violating the public trust. Taxpayers expect and deserve nothing less.”
CONTACT: Chuck Erdman 717-787-6801 cerdman@pasen.gov