One-in-10 Pennsylvanians have unclaimed property sitting with the state Treasury.

A total of $3.5 billion is currently unclaimed, according to the Treasury, often for reasons as simple as a misspelled name or out-of-date address.

State Sen. Scott Hutchinson has supported a bill that would make returning that property significantly easier.

“The Senate unanimously approved legislation authorizing the state to return unclaimed property without the need for rightful owners to search for it,” Hutchinson said in a recent newsletter. “It now advances to the House of Representatives for consideration.”

Senate Bill 24 would allow the Treasury Department to “automatically return single-owner property for living individuals valued up to $5,000 after a thorough identification and verification process,” Hutchinson said. “The legislation streamlines the return of unclaimed money and property by eliminating the need for citizens to search and file a claim.”

He called the change a “commonsense initiative, which exemplifies how government should work to better serve its citizens.”

According to a legislative memo, Treasurer Stacy Garrity supports the change.

Hutchinson also highlighted his support for Senate Bill 691, which would change the name of the state Department of Environmental Protection to the “Department of Environmental Services.”

It was also approved by the Senate and now goes to the House.

“The word ‘protection’ in the department’s name carries a law enforcement connotation rather than that of an environmental resource and partner to the citizens of Pennsylvania,” Hutchinson said. “Emphasizing that the department is focused on services will be a major step forward in instituting a needed culture change.”

He added that the change “will have no effect on the jurisdiction or current statutory or regulatory authority of the department.”