HARRISBURG, Pa.- The Pennsylvania House unanimously passed Bill 306 to provide greater transparency in the release of Public Utility Commission (PUC) records in response to the 2023 West Reading R.M. Palmer factory explosion.
The factory explosion killed seven people, Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freyitz said in a news release.
After the explosion, the PUC, under Act 156 of 2006, was unable to give inspection reports with confidential security information to federal investigators who were seeking to find out the cause of the accident, according to the report.
The news release said the new proposal would authorize the PUC to share records containing confidential information with federal agencies investigating safety issues.
“We should take every step to ensure that a tragedy like what occurred in my district in West Reading never happens again,” Cepeda-Freytiz said.
The legislation joins three of Cepeda-Freyitz’s previously passed bills that provide safeguards around natural gas, based on the causes of the R.M. Palmer explosion, according to the news release.
The report states that all four bills await consideration in the state Senate.