Senator Browne appointed to two state boards

Will serve on Minority Business, State Employee Retirement panels

Senate President Pro-Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer today appointed Senator Pat Browne to serve on the boards of two state agencies.

Senator Browne replaces his colleague Senator Rob Wonderling as a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority, an agency that provides low-interest loans to businesses owned and operated by ethnic minorities.

The PMBDA is authorized under state law to provide loans up to $500,000 (within Enterprise Zone, $750,000) for manufacturing, industrial, high-tech, international trade or franchise companies. Retail or commercial firms can receive loans up to $250,000 (within Enterprise Zone, $350,000).

Senator Browne was also appointed to serve on the Public Employee Retirement Commission, replacing Senator Hal Mowery, who retired at the end of 2004.

The Public Employee Retirement Commission was created in 1981 by the Public Employee Retirement Commission Act. The Commission is composed of nine members, five of whom are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and four of whom are appointed by the leaders of the General Assembly.

Under the Public Employee Retirement Commission Act, the Commission has two main responsibilities. One is to issue the required actuarial notes for proposed legislation affecting public employee retirement systems. The other is to study, on a continuing basis, public employee retirement system policy and the interrelationships, actuarial soundness and costs of the retirement systems.

Contact: Matt Moyer (610) 821-8468