Bills Propose PA Statutes Online!
I learned yesterday, at the Pennsylvania Bar Association's "Committee & Section Day" meeting, held in the Harrisburg area, that a Legislative Bill -- House Bill 976 -- was introduced in the Pennsylvania House on March 29, 2007, that would authorize the online posting of Pennsylvania's existing statutes.
Such legislation would be the answer to the request made in my prior posting & some updates. I explained the pressing need for public availability of Pennsylvania statutes online in my prior posting, "Sunshine Week" in PA Neglects Statutes (03/20/07). Pennsylvania remains the only state that does not post its enacted statutes online for public reference. The proposal would change that, effective January 1, 2008.
The sponsors of HB 976 are: Representatives Benninghoff, Kerry A. (R), George, Camille Bud (D), Readshaw, Harry (D), DePasquale, Eugene (D), Freeman, Robert (D), Hornaman, John (D), Petrone, Thomas C. (D), Payne, John D. (R), McCall, Keith R. (D), Markosek, Joseph F. (D), Cox, Jim (R), Geist, Richard A. (R), Josephs, Babette (D), Youngblood, Rosita C. (D), Shapiro, Josh (D), , Vulakovich, Randy (R), Stevenson, Richard R. (R), Scavello, Mario M. (R), Taylor, Rick (D), Walko, Don (D), Wagner, Chelsa (D), Siptroth, John J. (D), Pallone, John E. (D), Maher, John (R), Sonney, Curtis G. (R), Ross, Chris (R), Sturla, P. Michael (D), & Kortz, II, William C (D).
The Bill is short & simple in its amendment to an existing statute. Its adoption would enable & authorize a great change for the Commonwealth: All enacted Pennsylvania statutes would be made available, officially, online -- and quickly, too!
This is the entire House Bill:
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 10, 1968 (P.L.1158, No.365),
2 entitled "An act creating and establishing the Legislative
3 Data Processing Committee: providing for its membership;
4 prescribing its powers, functions and duties; and making and
5 appropriation," directing the committee to provide limited
6 public access to statutes in computer information systems.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 2(1.2) of the act of December 10, 1968
10 (P.L.1158, No.365), entitled "An act creating and establishing
11 the Legislative Data Processing Committee: providing for its
12 membership; prescribing its powers, functions and duties; and
13 making an appropriation," amended May 7, 1998 (P.L.352, No.55),
14 is amended to read:
15 Section 2. The committee shall have the following powers and
16 duties:
17 * * *
18 (1.2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1.1), to [provide]:
1 (i) Provide access to information relating to bills,
2 legislative histories and session calendars to the Governor's
3 Office, the Office of Attorney General, the Auditor General, the
4 State Treasurer, the heads of other departments and such other
5 offices within State government as the committee, with the
6 approval of the Senate Committee on Management Operations and
7 the Bi-partisan Management Committee of the House of
8 Representatives, shall determine.
9 (ii) Provide open web-based access for the public to the
10 statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania residing in its
11 computer information systems.
12 * * *
13 Section 2. Public access to the statutes of the Commonwealth
14 of Pennsylvania shall be available on and after January 1, 2008.
15 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
[Emphasis Added]
Today, I researched Senate Bills, and found Senate Bill 422.
It was introduced on March 14, 2007:
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 422 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY CORMAN, SCARNATI, PILEGGI, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BOSCOLA, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, COSTA, EARLL, EICHELBERGER, ERICKSON, FERLO, FOLMER, FONTANA, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, LOGAN, MADIGAN, MELLOW, MUSTO, O'PAKE, ORIE, PIPPY, PUNT, RAFFERTY, REGOLA, RHOADES, ROBBINS, STACK, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, TOMLINSON, VANCE, WASHINGTON, WAUGH, D. WHITE, M. WHITE, C. WILLIAMS, WOZNIAK, WONDERLING AND McILHINNEY, MARCH 14, 2007
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, MARCH 14, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 10, 1968 (P.L.1158, No.365),
2 entitled "An act creating and establishing the Legislative
3 Data Processing Committee: providing for its membership;
4 prescribing its powers, functions and duties; and making an
5 appropriation," directing the committee to provide limited
6 public access to statutes in computer information systems.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 2(1.2) of the act of December 10, 1968
10 (P.L.1158, No.365), entitled "An act creating and establishing
11 the Legislative Data Processing Committee: providing for its
12 membership; prescribing its powers, functions and duties; and
13 making an appropriation," amended May 7, 1998 (P.L.352, No.55),
14 is amended to read:
15 Section 2. The committee shall have the following powers and
16 duties:
17 * * *
1 (1.2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1.1), to [provide]:
2 (i) Provide access to information relating to bills,
3 legislative histories and session calendars to the Governor's
4 Office, the Office of Attorney General, the Auditor General, the
5 State Treasurer, the heads of other departments and such other
6 offices within State government as the committee, with the
7 approval of the Senate Committee on Management Operations and
8 the Bi-partisan Management Committee of the House of
9 Representatives, shall determine.
10 (ii) Provide access to the public for the limited purposes
11 of displaying, copying or searching the statutes of the
12 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania residing in computer information
13 systems.
14 * * *
15 Section 2. Public access to the statutes of the Commonwealth
16 of Pennsylvania shall be available on and after January 1, 2008.
17 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately. [Emphasis Added]
The intent of the two bills is identical: Provide PA statutes online.
More than two-thirds of PA Senators are sponsors of SB 422.
Many PA Representatives are sponsors of HB 976
The language of the two bills differs slightly.
The targeted implementation date is identical: January 1, 2008.
Both bills have been referred to committees.
Now, the question becomes: Will they move?
