SB 462 — An Act amending the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act, further providing for definitions and for existing regulations; and establishing the Office of Government Efficiency and providing for its power and duties.

PRINTER'S NO.    426

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 462
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, LANGERHOLC, COLEMAN, J. WARD,
        MARTIN, PENNYCUICK, STEFANO, DUSH AND KEEFER, MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, MARCH 19, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), entitled
 2      "An act providing for independent oversight and review of
 3      regulations, creating an Independent Regulatory Review
 4      Commission, providing for its powers and duties and making
 5      repeals," further providing for definitions and for existing
 6      regulations; and establishing the Office of Government
 7      Efficiency and providing for its power and duties.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    Section 3 of the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633,
11   No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act, is amended by
12   adding definitions to read:
13   Section 3.   Definitions.
14      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
15   have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
16   meanings given to them in this section:
17      * * *
18      "Director."    The director of the office.
19      * * *
20      "Office."    The Office of Government Efficiency.
 1      * * *
 2      "Selection committee."    The Selection and Organization
 3   Committee in the office.
 4      * * *
 5      Section 2.    Section 8.1 of the act is amended to read:
 6   Section 8.1.    Existing regulations.
 7      The commission, on its motion or at the request of any person
 8   or member of the General Assembly, may review any existing
 9   regulation which has been in effect for at least three years. If
10   a committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives
11   requests a review of an existing regulation, the commission
12   shall perform the review and shall assign it high priority. The
13   commission may submit recommendations to an agency recommending
14   changes in existing regulations if it finds the existing
15   regulations to be contrary to the public interest under the
16   criteria established in section 5.2. The commission may also
17   make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor
18   for statutory changes if the commission finds that any existing
19   regulation may be contrary to the public interest. Unless
20   prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth, at the time an
21   agency promulgates a new regulation, the agency shall identify
22   at least two existing regulations for repeal.
23      Section 3.    The act is amended by adding a section to read:
24   Section 12.2.    Office of Government Efficiency.
25      (a)   The nonpartisan Office of Government Efficiency is
26   established within the Independent Regulatory Review Commission.
27      (b)   The office shall have the following powers and duties:
28            (1)   Adopt logical, quantitative and qualitative rules to
29      determine whether an existing statute or regulation of the
30      Commonwealth is:

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 1              (i)    Unreasonable, unduly burdensome, detrimental to
 2        economic well-being, duplicative, onerous, defective or
 3        in conflict with another statute or regulation.
 4              (ii)   Defying a common sense approach to government.
 5        (2)   Perform a systematic review of existing statutes and
 6    regulations of this Commonwealth in accordance with the rules
 7    adopted for review under this act.
 8        (3)   Identify existing statutes and regulations that may
 9    be appropriate for legislative and executive agency
10    modification, revision or repeal.
11        (4)   Establish as soon as practical a system with a
12    publicly accessible Internet website that allows the office
13    to receive:
14              (i)    Suggestions and comments, along with supporting
15        documentation, for modification, revision or repeal from
16        citizens, businesses, government agencies or others.
17              (ii)   Reports on allegations of wasteful governmental
18        practices.
19        (5)   Determine and implement internal policies, standards
20    and procedures as may be necessary for the orderly and
21    efficient execution of the mission of the office.
22        (6)   Implement a tracking system to follow all
23    submissions and actions taken on a recommendation made by the
24    director which includes progress of modification, revision or
25    repeal.
26        (7)   By June 30 of each year, report to the General
27    Assembly and the Governor on:
28              (i)    Recommended changes to statutes and regulations.
29              (ii)   Recommended changes to increase efficiency and
30        eliminate wasteful practices.

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 1                  (iii)    Progress of the revision, repeal or abrogation
 2            of statutes and regulations.
 3      (c)   The committee established in the office shall:
 4            (1)   Consist of the following members:
 5                  (i)    One member appointed by the Governor.
 6                  (ii)    One member appointed by the President pro
 7            tempore of the Senate in consultation with the Majority
 8            Leader and the Minority Leader of the Senate.
 9                  (iii)    One member appointed by the Speaker of the
10            House of Representatives in consultation with the
11            Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the House of
12            Representatives.
13            (2)   Within 30 days from the effective date of this
14      section, select a director of the office in accordance with
15      the following:
16                  (i)    The committee shall provide and transmit the
17            qualifications of the director to the Legislative
18            Reference Bureau for publication in the next available
19            issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin within 90 days of the
20            first meeting of the committee.
21                  (ii)    The appointment may not be made on the basis of
22            political affiliation.
23                  (iii)    The appointment shall be made on the basis of
24            the fitness to perform the duties of the office based on
25            the published qualifications.
26      (d)   The director shall appoint a deputy director who shall
27   have the following duties:
28            (1)   Perform assigned duties from the director.
29            (2)   Assume the role of the director:
30                  (i)    during an absence or incapacity of the director;

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 1            or
 2                  (ii)    if a vacancy occurs in the position of director
 3            until a successor director is appointed.
 4      (e)   The director may be removed by a concurrent resolution
 5   passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
 6      (f)   The director shall have the following powers and duties:
 7            (1)   The authority to:
 8                  (i)    Determine and implement internal policies,
 9            standards and protocols to orderly and efficiently carry
10            out the mission of the office under this section.
11                  (ii)    Procure the temporary or intermittent service
12            of attorneys, experts, consultants or organizations by
13            contract.
14            (2)   Hire and fix compensation in accordance with the
15      following:
16                  (i)    The hiring and appointments shall be made on the
17            basis of the duties of the office and the performance of
18            the functions of the office.
19                  (ii)    All personnel shall be hired or appointed
20            without regard to political affiliation.
21                  (iii)    Hiring and appointments shall be based on
22            fitness to perform the necessary duties.
23      (g)   (1)    When the office determines that a statute or
24      regulation meets the standards set under this section and as
25      set by the director for modification, revision or repeal, the
26      director shall recommend the action to:
27                  (i)    The General Assembly if a statute needs to be
28            modified, revised or repealed.
29                  (ii)    The State department or agency that promulgated
30            the regulation that needs to be modified, revised or

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 1            repealed.
 2            (2)   A recommendation from the office shall provide
 3      specific details why the office is recommending that the
 4      statute or regulation needs to be modified, revised or
 5      repealed.
 6      (h)   The office shall be a Commonwealth agency for the
 7   purposes of the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as
 8   the "Right-to-Know Law."
 9      (i)   The office shall be abolished and cease to exist five
10   years from the effective date of this section.
11      Section 4.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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