Citizen Access Page: A Source for Open Government

Pennsylvania Senate votes, debates, bills and statutes - as well as live video of Senate floor activity - can now be accessed online via one site, the Citizen Access Page.

Visitors can click on the Citizen Access Page button (on the right side of my home page) to look up bills and amendments, review text of floor debates, and see how senators voted. Information is available for votes in committee and the full Senate.

The Citizen Access Page also helps users track who is lobbying, who individual lobbyists are representing, and how they are spending their money. They can also see the number of clients each lobbyist has and what each one is spending per client.

The site guides users through the process, under the headings "How to View Senate Votes and Debates," "How to Search Pennsylvania Statutes," and "How to View Lobbyist Disclosure Reports."

Citizens have a right to access this information, and the Citizen Access Page is a great starting point for navigating the various online sources where the information is found.

The Citizen Access Page is part of the ongoing effort to provide greater transparency in the Senate. Others steps include limiting voting session to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. to prevent late-night votes, and waiting at least six hours before voting on an amended bill to give legislators and the public time to understand the changes before a final vote.

More information:

Reforming Government