Adjust Text Size

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2008

Committee Approves Browne Bill to Open Spending Records

Senate Bill 1350 would create PA Taxpayer Transparency Act

The Senate Finance Committee today approved Senate Bill 1350, the Taxpayer Transparency Act, according to Senator Pat Browne, committee chairman and prime sponsor of the measure.

SB 1350 would direct the Office of Budget to create and maintain a searchable budget database-driven website that the public can access, for free, to obtain:

• Information on grants and contracts provided by government agencies.  All transactions above $25,000 would be accessible to the public; 
• Agency performance indicators and quarterly performance results compared to these indicators;
• Agency line-by-line appropriation analysis including user-friendly detailed monetary breakouts and detailed narrative descriptions.

"Since the General Assembly has taken steps in the past few months to improve the way we disclose information to the residents of the Commonwealth, I feel that this legislation is another important and essential step in that direction," Senator Browne said.

Contact:
Lesley Crozier
(717) 787-1349