Rent-to-own News - Fifth Pennsylvania Congressman joins RTO bill

The hard work of Pennsylvania grassroots rent-to-own activists earned the support of another U.S. Congressman Wednesday, bringing total co-sponsorship of a pending federal definition bill to 90.

Pennsylvania Rep. Charles Dent.

Pennsylvania Congressman Charles Dent (R-15th) officially joined the Congressional Record May 21 as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1767 -- the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act.

Dent was first elected to the House in 2004 after 14 years in the state legislature and sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security Committees.

Dent is the fifth Pennsylvania Congressman to join the bill and the fourth Pennsylvania Rep. to join since the conclusion of the 2008 APRO Legislative Conference in February. His support of the bill is a direct reflection of the dedicated efforts undertaken by Pennsylvania dealers to maintain contact with their state representatives in the months since the conference.

A coalition of around 10 Pennsylvania RTO activists attended the conference -- many of them first time attendees -- where they held over a dozen meetings with legislators. 

Pennsylvania dealer Sandi Frye's recent hosting of Congressman Bill Shuster led directly to his co-sponsorship of the bill. 

In total, 28 new co-sponsors have joined H.R. 1767 since the close of the legislative conference. Co-sponsorship of the companion bill in the Senate, S. 1012, stands at 21.

mevans@rtohq.org