Profile

In May of 2005, Pat Browne began a new chapter in his legislative career when he was sworn in as the Senator of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's 16th District, serving constituents in portions of Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe Counties. Prior to winning his Senate seat, Senator Browne served as a member of the state House of Representatives in the 131st District for 10 years. He holds the distinction of being the first Republican elected to that seat.

As a Certified Public Accountant with an extensive knowledge of tax law, Senator Browne was recently appointed Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which reviews legislation affecting Pennsylvania's tax codes. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and a member of the following Senate Committees: Appropriations, Education and Judiciary.

As a Senator and state Representative, he has introduced numerous bills that have been signed into law which include:

The Ounce of Prevention Act, which supports at-risk families and their newborn children
The Child Abuse Responsibility Act, which holds supervisors personally liable for child abuse by their employees.
The "School Property Tax Rebate Act" the only state-sponsored property tax reduction in Pennsylvania history.
The "Health Cost Containment Act of 2003" which empowers patients in making health care decisions.
He authored laws that increased income tax exemptions for working families, repealed the "Widow's Tax" and eliminated taxes on retirement annuities.
Wrote the law that enacted the tax cuts key to then-Governor Tom Ridge's plan to radically improve Pennsylvania's economy and to provide quality, high-paying jobs for its citizens.
Sponsored the "Small Business Jobs Protection Act" which greatly expanded capital opportunities for Pennsylvania small business people.
Crafted numerous initiatives that gave law enforcement the tools to fight crime and protect property and investments from fraud and abuse.

Senator Browne is the author of a provision included in Act 114 of 2006 directing the State Board of Education to conduct a statewide study to determine the basic cost per pupil to provide an education that will permit a student to meet the state's academic standards and assessments.

As a champion of quality education initiatives, Senator Browne served as a member of the "Pennsylvania Legislative Commission on Urban Schools" whose recommendations led to the creation of the Education Empowerment Act. He is a statewide advocate for Pennsylvania's investment in early childhood education programs and was the Republican Prime Sponsor of many early childhood education initiatives.

Senator Browne holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Temple University. Prior to his legislative service, he was employed with the accounting firms of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse as a tax manager and senior tax associate, respectively. In addition to being a CPA, he is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Born and raised in Allentown, Senator Browne attended Allentown Central Catholic High School. He resides in Allentown with his wife, Heather, and son, Alex.