PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A bill that would prohibit non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) between data center developers and municipalities is on its way to the Pennsylvania Senate after passing the state House with bipartisan support.
Montgomery County Democrat Joe Ciresi, the prime sponsor of the bill, said NDAs allow large data companies and developers to hide crucial information.
“We need to give this back to our local communities to make sure that they know what’s being built, who’s being built, what they’re going to do with that property,” he said.
The bill passed the state House 171-31, with all but one Democrat and 70 Republicans voting in support.
Opponents argue NDAs are optional for municipalities and strip control from local elected officials. Republican Robert Leadbetter said this bill goes beyond banning NDAs and creates additional regulations and reporting requirements.
“If we truly believe in local control, then we should trust the people closest to these decisions and not continue shifting responsibility toward Harrisburg through additional mandates and additional bureaucracy,” he argued.
Other Republicans who voted in favor said while they support it, they would like to see a broader NDA ban.
The bill now heads to the state Senate.
