Pennsylvania enacts tougher public pension forfeiture law

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's first law of 2019 expands the list of crimes that would result in a convicted public official or government employee being stripped of their public pension.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill Thursday, at a time when Pennsylvania's state and municipal pension funds face big debts.

The legislation expands the law to apply to state and federal felonies and other crimes that could result in at least five years behind bars, on top of an existing list of crimes related to public office or public employment.

It also requires the forfeiture of pensions when a defendant pleads guilty or no contest, or is found guilty by a judge or jury. The current law imposes pension forfeiture when a defendant is sentenced, leading to periods when someone who has lost their criminal case continues to receive benefits.

Read more: https://www.philly.com/politics/pennsylvania/public-pension-forfeiture-law-pennsylvania-tom-wolf-20190328.html