Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law a bill that strengthens the state’s Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act.
On Thursday, Wolf said SB 113 or Act 1 of 2019 will close the loophole in the state’s pension forfeiture law. It will prevent public employees and officials convicted of job-related crimes from receiving a pension.
SB 113 expands that list of crimes that require pension forfeiture to include all felonies under Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
The newly-enacted law requires courts to inform benefits administrators to immediately stop pension payments to public employees or officials who entered into a guilty or no contest plea.
Ethics reform in government
In a statement, Wolf said, “I commend the General Assembly for taking this first step towards greater ethics reform in state government. I look forward to continued progress in this area. It’s frustrating when we know someone has committed a serious crime, but we still have to pay them a pension using taxpayer money. That’s just not fair to honest, hardworking Pennsylvanians.”
