(The Center Square) - A Senate Committee on Tuesday approved a measure that would prohibit local and state governments from entering into non-disclosure agreements with data center owners or developers, a practice that has frustrated communities around the state.

The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Tracy Pennycuick of Montgomery County was approved unanimously by the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, which she chairs. It will now go the full Senate for consideration.

"Local officials have a responsibility to communicate openly and honestly with community residents, especially regarding the development of data centers. Signing a non-disclosure agreement restricts this duty," Pennycuick said.

The Center Square reported recently that in nearly half of the municipalities hosting the state's most prominent data center projects, local officials or staffers had signed NDA's.

"These things cut the public out of the conversation and I think that is a serious problem," David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, said. "These NDA's totally against what we believe in a democracy."

It isn't the first bill in Harrisburg seeking to limit data-center related NDA's.

The state offers a sales tax exemption to qualified data center operators. A bill sponsored by state Rep. Joe Ciresi of Montgomery County, a Democrat, would add to the list of qualifications an attestation that the owner or operator has not entered into an NDA with government.

The Ciresi bill passed the House in 171-31 vote in June and is awaiting action in the Senate Finance Committee. On Tuesday, Ciresi said he was open to supporting Pennycuick's bill.

"Anything that says they can't sign an NDA, I will be for," Ciresi said. "Everything should be full disclosure."

An executive order signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on Aug. 18 prohibits state agencies under his jurisdiction from entering into NDA's on data center projects.

The committee action in the Senate came on the second day of lawmaking in Harrisburg follow a break of more than 11 weeks. During that time, highly charged meetings about data center proposals have been held in many communities.

Some of the disagreements have gone to court.

Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, senior organizer for Food & Water Watch, an advocacy nonprofit that backs a moratorium on data center development, said, "The very idea that people elected to represent their communities on the local or state level would sign NDA's with this industry, or any other industry, is egregious."

There is a question, she said, whether a government signing one of the documents is even legal in the first place.