For Immediate Release
June 14, 2010
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Folmer's Vehicle Accountability Bill Passes Full Senate

Harrisburg – One of Senator Mike Folmer's Promise to Pennsylvania reform bills – Senate Bill 104 – today unanimously passed the full Senate.

Senate Bill 104, the Accountability for Use of State Vehicles Act, would put commonsense restrictions on the use of state vehicles and establish more transparency. The bill would require state vehicles assigned to state employees bear an "official use" blue Commonwealth license plate.  Cabinet officials assigned a vehicle would be required to comply with the legislation; employees performing undercover law enforcement duties would be exempt.

The bill would also require the Department of General Services and the respective state agency assigning vehicles to post employees' names and titles as well as the year of the vehicle.

"While this is a small step on the road to reform through my Promise to Pennsylvania, it nonetheless is a big step to openness and transparency in state government," Folmer said.

The legislation was first introduced in the 2007-2008 session and reintroduced in the current legislative session. In January 2009, Auditor General Jack Wagner released a report on the Department of General Services' (DGS) management of the state's 16,637 fleet vehicles which detailed the current system's lack of accountability to Pennsylvania taxpayers. It is estimated this lack of central management of the state fleet costs taxpayers approximately $72 million a year.  The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. 

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