HB 798 — An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in powers and duties in general, further providing for departmental reports.

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
 1   Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
 2      "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
 3      executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
 4      Executive Department thereof and the administrative
 5      departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
 6      including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
 7      Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
 8      authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
 9      departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10      duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11      officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12      boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13      Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14      and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15      certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16      other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17      and commissions; providing for judicial administration; and
18      prescribing the manner in which the number and compensation
19      of the deputies and all other assistants and employes of
20      certain departments, boards and commissions shall be
21      determined," in powers and duties in general, further
22      providing for departmental reports.
23      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
24   hereby enacts as follows:
25      Section 1.    Section 504 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
26   No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended to
27   read:
 1      Section 504.   Departmental Reports.--(a)   The head of each
 2   [administrative department and each independent administrative
 3   board and commission shall, not later than October first of each
 4   even-numbered year, report in writing to the Governor concerning
 5   the condition, management, and financial transactions, of the
 6   department, board, or commission; such reports shall, except
 7   where impracticable, be for the two-year period ending May
 8   thirty-first of the year in which they are made. Each
 9   departmental administrative board and commission, and each
10   advisory board and commission, shall, not later than September
11   first of each even-numbered year, report in writing to the head
12   of the department of which such board or commission is a part.
13   All such reports shall be attached as exhibits to the report
14   made by the head of the department to the Governor.
15      Except as otherwise in this act specifically provided, the
16   reports required by this section shall be in lieu of all other
17   reports heretofore required by law to be made by the several
18   administrative departments, boards, and commissions, either to
19   the Governor or to the General Assembly.] administrative
20   department, excluding the Office of Attorney General, Department
21   of the Auditor General and Treasury Department, shall annually
22   report in writing to the Governor concerning the condition,
23   management and financial transactions of the administrative
24   department.
25      (b)   Reports required under subsection (a) shall:
26      (1)   contain a thorough assessment of the weaknesses and
27   risks within each administrative department that could
28   negatively affect the ability of the administrative department
29   to respond to a future emergency in this Commonwealth; and
30      (2)   detail the actions necessary to address or otherwise

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 1   resolve the weaknesses and risks within each administrative
 2   department.
 3      (c)   A report required under subsection (a), as well as all
 4   documents, materials, information and copies thereof in the
 5   possession or control of each department, office, board,
 6   commission and council that are included in a report required
 7   under subsection (a) shall be privileged and given confidential
 8   treatment and shall not be:
 9      (1)   Subject to discovery or admissible as evidence in any
10   civil action.
11      (2)   Considered a public record under the act of February 14,
12   2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the "Right-to-Know Law."
13      (3)   Made public by the administrative department, except as
14   approved by the Governor in writing.
15      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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