PRINTER'S NO. 949
No. 861 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY HANNA, LYNCH, RUDY, JADLOWIEC AND LLOYD,
FEBRUARY 14, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, FEBRUARY 14, 1995
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798, No.591), entitled
2 "An act providing a fixed charge, payable by the
3 Commonwealth, on lands acquired by the State and the Federal
4 Government for forest reserves, or for the purpose of
5 preserving and perpetuating a portion of the original forests
6 of Pennsylvania, and preserving and maintaining the same as
7 public places and parks; and the distribution of the same for
8 county, school, township, and road purposes in the counties,
9 school districts, and townships where such forests are
10 located; and making an appropriation," increasing the amount
11 paid by the Commonwealth.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. Section 1 of the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798,
15 No.591), referred to as the Forest Reserves Municipal Financial
16 Relief Law, amended February 24, 1984 (P.L.101, No.20), is
17 amended to read:
18 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That (a) from and after the
19 passage of this act, all lands heretofore or hereafter acquired
20 by the Commonwealth, or by the Government of the United States,
21 for forest reserves or for the purpose of preserving and
22 perpetuating any portion of the original forests of Pennsylvania
1 and preserving and maintaining the same as public places and
2 parks, and which, by existing laws, are now exempt from
3 taxation, and all lands and property heretofore or hereafter
4 acquired for the purpose of conservation of water, or to prevent
5 flood conditions, upon which a tax is imposed by existing laws
6 payable by the Commonwealth, shall hereafter be subject to an
7 annual charge of [twenty] forty cents per acre, for the benefit
8 of the county in which said lands are located, [twenty] forty
9 cents per acre for the benefit of the schools in the respective
10 school districts in which such lands are located, and [twenty]
11 forty cents per acre for the benefit of the township where such
12 lands are located, which charge shall be payable by the
13 Commonwealth. (b) Except as hereinafter provided, the annual
14 charge payable by the Commonwealth on land acquired by the
15 Government of the United States for forest reserves is to
16 continue only until the receipts of money by treasurers and
17 township supervisors of the said counties and school districts
18 and townships in which national forest reserves are located,
19 provided for in act of April twenty-seventh, one thousand nine
20 hundred twenty-five, Pamphlet Laws, three hundred twenty-four,
21 shall equal or exceed the amount paid by the Commonwealth in
22 lieu of taxes. This subsection shall not apply to the annual
23 charge per acre for the benefit of the county in which the land
24 acquired by the Government of the United States for forest
25 reserves is located for the years one thousand nine hundred
26 fifty-three, one thousand nine hundred fifty-four, one thousand
27 nine hundred fifty-five, one thousand nine hundred fifty-six,
28 and this subsection shall not apply to two and one-half cents of
29 the annual charge per acre for the benefit of the county in
30 which the land acquired by the Government of the United States
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1 for forest reserves is located for any year thereafter. The
2 charges for the benefit of the county for these years shall be
3 paid by the Commonwealth. All charges payable by the
4 Commonwealth under the provisions of this act shall be paid on
5 or before the first day of September of each year.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1995.
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