Senator Williams and Governor Shapiro introducing Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Act in January 2020
Harrisburg, Pa. − February 3, 2026 − Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny) issues this statement following Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget address today:
“I want to applaud Governor Shapiro for recognizing that we must protect whistleblowers to stop fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer money. A state False Claims Act has been a top priority for me since I took office. Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) and I have reintroduced Senate Bill 38, the Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Act, again this session. This legislation encourages whistleblowers to come forward and report false or fraudulent claims against the Pennsylvania government in order to protect taxpayer dollars.
The Governor’s Address today kicks off our annual budget process. Each year, the General Assembly establishes a budget that spends billions of taxpayer dollars on programs that benefit the people of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Act will help us make sure that tax dollars are spent as intended and provide real protection for whistleblowers both inside and outside the government. Study after study has proven that the best way to detect and deter fraud is to protect the employees who see it and who come forward to report it. For too long, Pennsylvania has allowed whistleblowers to be silenced and our taxpayers have paid the price.
That money could be invested in some of Governor Shapiro’s and my shared budget priorities:
- Continuing our Universal School Breakfast Program that keeps students fed, nourished, and ready to learn.
- Increasing investment in Career and Technical Education to open up pathways for all career opportunities for students.
- Expanding the Child Care Recruitment and Retention grant program that was established in the FY2024-25 budget that I was proud to champion alongside Senator Judy Schwank in the Senate.
- Investing in our fire and EMS agencies and public infrastructure, like housing, schools, libraries, and municipal facilities that our communities cherish.
- Improving our energy generation capacity and energy efficiency, adding reliability, lowering utility bills, and increasing oversight on utility companies through a Special Counsel for Energy Affordability.
- Ending corporate tax loopholes by instituting Combined Reporting, which requires companies making profits in Pennsylvania report those profits and pay their fair share.
Our working families are stretched thin. It’s time we show that government can and should work for them, not just for billionaires and tech bros. We do that by protecting their tax dollars and by investing in programs that benefit their lives.
Governor Shapiro has known since he was Attorney General Shapiro that protecting whistleblowers through the Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Act is the best way to safeguard taxpayer dollars. He supported this legislation then, and I’m grateful for his continued support in today’s budget address.”
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