House Approves Banning Use of State Cars by House Members First Proposed by Roae

November 17, 2022

HARRISBURG – Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie) today announced the state House on Wednesday approved a rules change first proposed by him in House Bill 746 to forbid the reimbursement of a vehicle lease or use of a state vehicle by a House member.

House Resolution 243 will end the private lease and state vehicle use effective Nov. 30. While the House approved Roae’s legislation in April, the Senate never took action on it.

“I’m pleased on the final day of the legislative session, the House took this important step to become more accountable,” Roae said. “Pennsylvanians are struggling, and gas prices are rising once again. Legislators should not be receiving benefits their constituents can only dream about. We should be reimbursed for work mileage just like everyday Pennsylvanians.”

House Bill 746 would have banned both House and Senate members from reimbursement for private vehicle leases and the use of state-owned vehicles.

“While this change is the right thing to do, it also removes financial liability on the Commonwealth,” Roae noted. “A former legislator crashed her state car three times. The last accident occurred while she did not have a valid driver’s license. These types of incidents can cost the taxpayers a lot of money not only to fix the state car but also for damages to others involved.”

Roae has promoted legislative reform initiatives since he first took office in 2007 in the wake of the 2005 legislative pay raise. He served on the House Speaker’s Commission on Legislative Reform that drastically altered the way the House operates by opening the lawmaking process to more public scrutiny and transparency.

More information about Roae is available by visiting his website at RepRoae.com and following him on Facebook at Facebook.com/RepRoae.