Pa. may expand list of crimes that would mean loss of pension

The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office is urging lawmakers to expand the list of crimes that, when committed by a public employee, result in a lost pension.

 

There’s a law to make sure those who use the resources or circumstances of their public employment to commit a crime don’t also collect a state-paid pension.

Any one of a list of crimes results in pension forfeiture.

But Senior Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina says some gaps exist.

He says pension forfeiture isn’t required of public employees convicted of certain criminal sexual offenses — including the ones on which former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted.

“Only when the offense is committed by a school employee against a student will it serve to disqualify the public employee defendant from receiving a pension,” he said. “This unfortunately, as the Sandusky case has shown us, is under-inclusive.

Legislation to tweak the state’s pension forfeiture act is before the House, and one member of the chamber says amendments to broaden it are likely.