New Bills Aim To Limit Political Influence Of Lobbyists In PA

HARRISBURG — A local state lawmaker from Montgomery County is among a group of senators who have unveiled legislation designed to limit influence from lobbyists and political consults on state government.

The office of Sen. Bob Mensch, R-25, announced Wednesday that Senate Republican leadership under Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-34, has made the lobbyist reform package a top priority during this legislative session and that Corman himself is a co-sponsor of all five bills making up the package.

Four of those bills are now moving through the Senate while a fifth has already cleared the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf this summer.

One of the proposals, Senate Bill 801, was introduced by Mensch, whose district includes Lansdale and other surrounding municipalities in central and western Montgomery County. It would require lobbyists to register any client seeking state financial assistance or grants and it would also prohibit kickbacks and inducements for referrals or performance bonuses for a successful application for grants paid using taxpayer money, according to Mensch's office.

The other three measures are Senate Bill 802, which would, among other things, prohibit any state entity from hiring an outside lobbyist or political consultant to lobby any branch of government; Senate Bill 803, which would prevent lobbyists from also being registered as political consultants and prohibits a political consultant from lobbying a state official who was a client for the remainder of the term for which consulting services were provided; and Senate Bill 804, which would require all registered lobbyists to complete mandatory annual ethics training implemented by the Department of State.

The fifth lobbying reform law was signed in July and requires lobbyists to disclose any equity they hold in any entity for which they are lobbying. That law was known as Act 70 of 2021.

Senate Bill 802 is sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips of York County, Senate Bill 803 is sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker of Luzerne County and Senate Bill 804 is sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tomlinson of Bucks County.

Corman, the Senate President Pro Tempore, said that the package of legislation is crucial when it comes to ensuring there is a "bright line" between lawmakers, lobbyists and political consultants.

"Adding the necessary layers of transparency and separation between all of these entities will help prevent conflicts of interest and ensure lobbyists and political consultants cannot play an inappropriate role in the legislative process," Corman said in a statement.