PRINTER'S NO. 822
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.798
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BENHAM, VENKAT, MADDEN, WEBSTER, KENYATTA, MAYES
AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MARCH 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 3, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
"An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
Executive Department thereof and the administrative
departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
officers, and of the several administrative departments,
boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
and commissions; providing for judicial administration; and
prescribing the manner in which the number and compensation
of the deputies and all other assistants and employes of
certain departments, boards and commissions shall be
determined," in powers and duties in general, further
providing for departmental reports.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 504 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended to
read:
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27 Section 504. Departmental Reports.-- (a) The head of each
[administrative department and each independent administrative
board and commission shall, not later than October first of each
even-numbered year, report in writing to the Governor concerning
the condition, management, and financial transactions, of the
department, board, or commission; such reports shall, except
where impracticable, be for the two-year period ending May
thirty-first of the year in which they are made. Each
departmental administrative board and commission, and each
advisory board and commission, shall, not later than September
first of each even-numbered year, report in writing to the head
of the department of which such board or commission is a part.
All such reports shall be attached as exhibits to the report
made by the head of the department to the Governor.
Except as otherwise in this act specifically provided, the
reports required by this section shall be in lieu of all other
reports heretofore required by law to be made by the several
administrative departments, boards, and commissions, either to
the Governor or to the General Assembly. ] administrative
department, excluding the Office of Attorney General, Department
of the Auditor General and Treasury Department, shall annually
report in writing to the Governor concerning the condition,
management and financial transactions of the administrative
department.
(b) Reports required under subsection (a) shall:
(1) contain a thorough assessment of the weaknesses and
risks within each administrative department that could
negatively affect the ability of the administrative department
to respond to a future emergency in this Commonwealth; and
(2) detail the actions necessary to address or otherwise
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30 resolve the weaknesses and risks within each administrative
department.
(c) A report required under subsection (a), as well as all
documents, materials, information and copies thereof in the
possession or control of each department, office, board,
commission and council that are included in a report required
under subsection (a) shall be privileged and given confidential
treatment and shall not be:
(1) Subject to discovery or admissible as evidence in any
civil action.
(2) Considered a public record under the act of February 14,
2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the "Right-to-Know Law."
(3) Made public by the administrative department, except as
approved by the Governor in writing.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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