West Montgomery Times

The Pennsylvania Senate is making strides to address the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace by introducing a bipartisan legislative package consisting of two bills. Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, along with Senators Kristin Phillips-Hill, Tracy Pennycuick, and Maria Collett, issued a co-sponsorship memo announcing their intent to advance these bills.

In a statement, Senator Ward emphasized the importance of creating a safe workplace environment for all individuals. She stated, "As leaders, we need to set the standard to create a safe workplace environment for all in practice and law when it comes to instances of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is not a political issue. It is a human issue."

The first bill, co-sponsored by Senator Ward and Senator Collett, proposes that state agencies and the General Assembly utilize a third-party to investigate all sexual harassment claims submitted by an employee. Senator Collett emphasized the need for accountability and justice, stating, "There can be no tolerance for sexual harassment in any workplace, especially one that serves the people of our Commonwealth."

The second bill, sponsored by Senator Phillips-Hill and Senator Pennycuick, aims to increase transparency by requiring the public posting of monetary nondisclosure agreements related to sexual harassment or misconduct claims in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Senator Phillips-Hill explained the importance of this bill, saying, "Our goal is to leave this state government a better place than we found it, and these bills will provide a better place to work and keep taxpayers better informed of how their money is used in Harrisburg."

Both bills, if passed, would apply to state government employees, including all agencies, the Governor's Office, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of the Auditor General, the Treasury Department, the General Assembly, and the Judicial branch.

Senator Pennycuick highlighted the need for reform, stating, "Recent events have cast a spotlight on the inadequacies of the current process surrounding state government's handling of sexual harassment allegations. It is time to bring these practices to an end. By instituting these commonsense reforms, we can shine a light on this opaque process and ensure that taxpayers are respected, and victims are protected."

The bills will now be sent to committee for further consideration. If passed, they will serve as an important step in addressing sexual harassment in the workplace and promoting transparency and accountability in state government.

For media inquiries, please contact:

- Erica Clayton Wright, ewright@pasen.gov, (412) 334-4856 (Sen. Kim Ward)

- Jon Hopcraft, jhopcraft@pasen.gov, (717) 787-7085  (Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill)

- Matthew Szuchyt, mszuchyt@pasen.gov (717) 787-3110 (Sen. Tracy Pennycuick)

- Bailey Landis, bailey.landis@pasenate.com, (215) 688-0493 (Sen. Maria Collett)

For additional details, please follow this link: https://senatorpennycuick.com/2023/11/14/senate-takes-steps-to-advance-bipartisan-sexual-harassment-legislation/