Rabb introduces legislation to establish Equal Opportunity Audit program
Rep. Christopher M. Rabb September 14, 2026 | 11:22 AM
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 14 – This past week, state Rep. Chris Rabb introduced legislation (H.B. 2767) that would establish an Equal Opportunity Audit program for contractors, grant recipients, and beneficiaries of tax incentives in Pennsylvania.
The proposed audit program would strengthen accountability and transparency for these entities through several requirements, including the enforcement of nondiscrimination policies and public disclosure of merit criteria for hiring and contracting decisions.
Sanctions for noncompliance may include suspension of contracts, recovery of grant funds, denial of tax incentives, or temporary disbarment. The bill has been referred to the PA House Intergovernmental Affairs and Operations Committee.
"With billions of dollars in public resources awarded by the commonwealth each year, it is imperative that entities demonstrate a genuine commitment to equal opportunity," Rabb said. "Currently, there is no system to evaluate their devotion to these principles, and the Equal Opportunity Audit program would provide that framework. We need to identify what a level playing field looks like, so that we can invest in the means to define it."
Alvin B. Tillery Jr., professor of political science and founding director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern University, developed a model that helped inform the bill. He said Rabb "has crafted a measure that is transparent, evidence-based, and workable for employers."
"H.B. 2767 is durable in a way federal policy no longer is," Tillery said. "It does not depend on an executive order that can be revoked or a reporting requirement that can be scrapped by rulemaking. It rests on the simplest principle in public administration: The commonwealth should know whether its contractors are treating people fairly."
More information about the legislation is available at https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb2767.