HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee has approved a bill to require state agencies to be audited and to report the findings to the governor and to members of the Legislature.

House Bill 2209, also known as the “Lean State Government Act,” on Tuesday passed a committee vote 15 to 11.

The bill would require all state agencies to undergo an audit to better assess in what ways they are successful and where they can improve.

The bill's prime sponsor, Rep. Francis Ryan, R-101st, said his bill would help state agencies better understand what resources to focus on and which were not needed for the aims of the agency.

“State agencies which efficiently and effectively carry out the missions with which they are tasked form the core of a functional state government,” Ryan said in a memo on the bill. “To achieve this objective, state agencies need a clear and unbiased view of their current operations so they can improve and focus attention and resources on processes which help achieve an agency's mission, while removing resources from processes which do not.”

Under the bill, agency audits will be prioritized by the state House and Senate appropriations committees in concert with the governor.

Once audited, an agency will file a report to the majority and minority chairs of the committees and to the governor.

Democrats on the House committee opposed the bill, saying that it adds unnecessary bureaucracy and infringes on the separation of powers, though they did applaud the sentiment.

“Since the governor is doing most of this on its own initiative ... I think having the Legislature getting involved is probably not the best idea,” said Democratic Chair Matthew Bradford, D-70th. “I think we might be out of our lane a little bit ... I'll be voting no, but again with the highest regard.”

Rep. Mary Jo Daly, D-148th, put her concerns more bluntly.

“My concern is the Legislature is telling the administration how to do their work. I actually think there's three branches of government and there's a separation of powers,” she said, “It concerns me when we try to step on what they're doing.”

Republicans praised the bill as bringing more efficiency and accountability to government agencies, and Ryan said he's seen similar policies work in the private and public sector.