HARRISBURG – The PA Senate State Government Committee approved a bill to update procedures that ensure the continuity of PA state government if a governor or lieutenant governor is unable to perform their duties. Bill sponsor, Sen. David Argall of Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill Counties hopes these procedures will never be necessary; however, we must be prepared as this 50-year-old, outdated law is our guide through the worst emergencies our state government could face. Senate Bill 460 was introduced after a review by the Senate State Government Committee found the Governor and Lieutenant Governor Disability Procedure Law, enacted in 1974, was applied differently in all three cases it was needed and contained antiquated language. The procedures came into the spotlight in May 2022 when Lt. Gov. John Fetterman underwent a pacemaker operation following a stroke. They previously were used in 1993 when Gov. Bob Casey underwent a rare heart-liver transplant and in 2014, when Gov. Tom Corbett was anesthetized during surgery.
SEN. DAVID ARGALL