PA Treasurer Torsella Praises House Passage Of Bill Prohibiting Pensions For Convicted Public Officials

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella today issued the following statement on the recent vote by the state House of Representatives passing House Bill 939, sponsored by state Representative Petri, which mandates pension forfeiture for any felony or crime punishable by five years or more. The Senate is considering a similar proposal, Senate Bill 611, sponsored by state Senator DiSanto.

"I applaud the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for its recent passage of HB 939 by an overwhelming margin, and urge the Senate to support this long overdue piece of legislation," said Torsella. "Pennsylvania has been plagued by a disturbing pattern of public corruption, and it's critical that we send a clear message: those who violate the public trust should not receive public pensions, period. As a new member of the state's pension boards, I've been deeply troubled by cases where convicted felons seek to receive taxpayer-funded pensions. Pennsylvanians deserve better—it's time to close any loopholes. Representative Petri and Senator DiSanto have the right idea in sponsoring these bills, and I strongly support this important legislation."

The Pennsylvania Treasury is an independent department of state government led by the state treasurer, who is elected every four years. The department's primary duty is to safeguard and manage the state's public funds. It invests state money to generate income on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, reviews and processes payments for state government agencies, and serves as custodian of more than $100 billion in state funds. Key Treasury programs include Unclaimed Property, PA 529 College Savings Program and the Board of Finance and Revenue. To learn more visit patreasury.gov.

Media Contact:
Heidi Havens, Treasury, (717) 787-2991or hhavens@patreasury.gov

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SOURCE Pennsylvania Treasury Department