HARRISBURG – A bill to update the procedures to ensure continuity of the Pennsylvania state government if a governor or lieutenant governor is unable to perform their duties was approved with unanimous support by the Senate State Government Committee today, according to Sen. Dave Argall (R-29).
“When Lt. Governor Fetterman failed to properly disclose the severity of his stroke last year, he could have caused a constitutional crisis had the governor also been incapacitated by a medical issue,” said Argall. “I’m thankful this important fix to our laws has won strong bipartisan support.”
Argall introduced Senate Bill 246 after a review by the Senate State Government Committee found the Governor and Lieutenant Governor Disability Procedure Law, which was passed in 1974, has been applied differently in all three cases it was needed and contained antiquated language, including a reference to the telegram.
These procedures came into the spotlight in May of 2022 when Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman underwent a pacemaker operation following a stroke. Confusion remains about when Fetterman’s office first notified Governor Wolf when he first required medical care, Argall said.
The bill now heads to the Senate for its consideration.
CONTACT: Jim Brugger, 717-787-2637