PRINTER'S NO. 361
No. 326 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY VROON, J. L. WRIGHT, DEMPSEY, MICOZZIE, GEIST,
MARKOSEK, WOGAN, GANNON, CIVERA, BELARDI, TRELLO, JOHNSON,
MICHLOVIC, ROBINSON, BUNT, FLICK, LAUGHLIN AND BISHOP,
FEBRUARY 8, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 8, 1989
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," establishing a commission
21 for the celebration of the Dutch settlement of New Netherland
22 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
23 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
24 hereby enacts as follows:
25 Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
26 as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a
27 section to read:
1 Section 307. The New Netherland Commemorative Commission.--
2 (a) (1) The New Netherland Commemorative Commission is hereby
3 created as an independent commission and shall consist of thirty
4 members, as follows:
5 (i) Three members of the Senate, to be appointed by the
6 President pro tempore of the Senate, no more than two of whom
7 shall be of the same political party.
8 (ii) Three members of the House of Representatives, to be
9 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, no
10 more than two of whom shall be of the same political party.
11 (iii) The Secretary of the Commonwealth, the Secretary of
12 Commerce, the Secretary of Community Affairs, the Secretary of
13 Education, the Secretary of Environmental Resources, the
14 Commissioner of the Office of Higher Education, the Executive
15 Director of the Historical and Museum Commission, the Chairman
16 of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Director of the
17 State Museum, or their designated representatives.
18 (iv) Fifteen public members, who may or may not be residents
19 of this Commonwealth, to be appointed by the Governor. The
20 public members shall include one representative of the
21 Netherlands Society of Philadelphia; one representative of the
22 Netherlands America Association of the Delaware Valley; one
23 representative of Holland Village, Inc. of New Jersey; one
24 representative of the Holland Society of New York; one
25 representative of the St. Nicholas Society of New Jersey; one
26 representative of the New Netherland Project; and one or more
27 persons chosen from nominees of municipal and county
28 governments, including authorities and regional planning
29 organizations.
30 (2) Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be
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1 filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made.
2 (b) The commission shall organize as soon as may be
3 practicable after the appointment of its members and shall elect
4 a chairman and vice chairman from among its members and a
5 secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
6 (c) Members of the commission shall serve without
7 compensation but, within the limits of available funds, are
8 entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in the
9 performance of their duties as members of the commission.
10 (d) The commission shall have the duty to plan, promote and
11 coordinate the celebration, from 1989 to 1990, of the first
12 celebration and 375th anniversary of the founding of the
13 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the Dutch settlement of
14 New Netherland, including the duty to:
15 (1) plan, promote and coordinate the commemorative programs
16 and activities sponsored and supported by agencies of the State
17 Government;
18 (2) assist and coordinate the commemorative programs and
19 activities sponsored by counties, municipalities, civic,
20 historical and other organizations in the State;
21 (3) plan and arrange fitting observances, programs and
22 exhibitions to be held during the 375th anniversary celebration;
23 (4) consult and cooperate with State, local, national and
24 international organizations in the development of appropriate
25 programs and activities; and
26 (5) prepare legislative bills it may desire to recommend for
27 enactment.
28 (e) The commission shall establish a regular schedule of
29 meetings, schedule hearings to solicit and review
30 recommendations for its programs and activities, and report
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1 periodically to the Governor and the General Assembly on its
2 progress and recommendations. An initial report shall be made
3 within six months of the first meeting of the commission. An
4 interim report shall also be made on January 1, 1990. A final
5 report shall be made on December 31, 1990.
6 (f) The commission is authorized to engage an executive
7 director, to employ professional and clerical assistance, to
8 rent or lease office space or to incur office, traveling and
9 other miscellaneous expenses as it deems necessary to perform
10 its duties and as may be within limits of funds appropriated or
11 otherwise made available to it for its purposes.
12 (g) The commission shall be entitled to call to its
13 assistance and avail itself of such services of the employes of
14 any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau,
15 commission or agency as it may require and as may be available
16 for its purposes.
17 (h) The commission may accept and disburse donations or
18 grants of money, property or personal services from any source.
19 Section 2. This act shall expire on December 31, 1990.
20 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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