Apr. 14, 2020
LUZERNE – Rep. Aaron Kaufer announced today that the House passed small business-focused legislation,
Senate Bill 613, by a vote of (107-95)
Senate Bill 613 would require Gov. Tom Wolf to develop and implement a plan to allow businesses to operate in the Commonwealth during the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 6, 2020, provided the business is, and remains, in compliance. The plan must be developed using mitigation recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and guidelines from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
“When it comes to shutting down businesses, Pennsylvania needs a transparent policy in determining which businesses should be open or closed,” said Kaufer. “It is our duty as the Legislature to review the governor's executive action. Transparency is essential between our government and the citizens we represent, which is why the executive branch should not simply close down businesses without prior legislative oversight. Senate Bill 613 aims to remedy the situation by requiring the governor to put out a standard and transparent policy within seven days. This is not a return to business as usual but an approach that means we are all in this together, no exceptions for those who are politically connected or hand-chosen by the governor. Wal-Mart should not be open while our small businesses with less than ten employees are not. This doesn't make sense, and we need an actual policy.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Aaron Kaufer
120th Legislative District
PA House of Representatives