PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 86, 1826                  PRINTER'S NO. 2556

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 76 Session of 1977


        INTRODUCED BY MR. GARZIA, FEBRUARY 7, 1977

        AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
           REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 1, 1978

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
     2     act relating to the public school system, including certain
     3     provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
     4     schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
     5     laws relating thereto," providing for alternative methods of
     6     equalizing tax levies among certain school districts.

     7     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     8  hereby enacts as follows:
     9     Section 1.  Section 672.1, act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
    10  No.14), known as the "Public School Code of 1949," amended June
    11  30, 1971 (P.L.186, No.25), is amended and a section is added to
    12  read:
    13     Section 672.1.  School Districts Lying in More Than One
    14  County or in More Than One Municipality; Limitation on Total Tax
    15  Revenues.--(a)  Whenever a school district shall lie in more
    16  than one county, the total taxes levied on real estate within
    17  the school district in each county shall be subject to the
    18  limitation that the ratio which such total bears to the most
    19  recent valuation of the same properties by the State Tax
    20  Equalization Board shall be uniform in all of the counties, and

     1  the school district shall adjust its rate of taxation applicable
     2  to the portion of the district in each county to the extent
     3  necessary to achieve such uniformity; or
     4     (b)  As an alternative to the method provided in subsection
     5  (a), whenever a school district shall lie in more than one
     6  county the board of assessment and revision of taxes in any of
     7  the counties or all of the counties in which the school district
     8  is located shall, at the request of the school directors of the
     9  district, furnish the market value of each parcel of property on
    10  the tax roll required to be furnished to the school directors
    11  under any assessment law of the Commonwealth. The market value
    12  of each parcel shall be the quotient of the assessed value
    13  divided by the latest ratio of assessed value to market value in
    14  the municipality as determined by the State Tax Equalization
    15  Board, or, at the option of the school district, the market
    16  value of each parcel shall be the quotient of the assessed value
    17  divided by the latest ratio of assessed value to market value as
    18  determined by the State Tax Equalization Board in the aggregate
    19  of all municipalities of the school district within the county,
    20  or at the option of the school district where there are two or
    21  more ratios of assessed value to market value, the school
    22  directors of that school district shall select the lowest of the
    23  ratios for a uniform assessed value to market value throughout
    24  the school district, or at the option of the school district
    25  where such school district is located in a home rule county, the
    26  school directors of that school district may use the county
    27  assessments.
    28     The school directors shall set a tax rate based upon a
    29  percentage not exceeding seventy-five (75) per centum of such
    30  market values which shall be uniform throughout the district.
    19770H0076B2556                  - 2 -

     1     (c)  In the event a school district or part thereof located
     2  within one county is composed of two or more municipal
     3  governments at least one of which levies property taxes upon
     4  assessments made for county tax purposes and at least one of
     5  which utilizes separate assessments made for municipal tax
     6  purposes, the property tax levy for school district purposes
     7  shall be equalized by either of the methods prescribed in
     8  subsections (a) or (b). If the former method is adopted, the
     9  ratio which the total taxes levied in each part of the school
    10  district bears to the most recent valuation of the same
    11  properties by the State Tax Equalization Board shall be uniform;
    12  if the latter method is adopted, the market value of each parcel
    13  of property on the tax roll shall be (i) in the case of the
    14  assessment made for county tax purposes, the quotient of the
    15  assessed value divided by the latest ratio of assessed value to
    16  market value for that portion of the school district as
    17  determined by the State Tax Equalization Board and, (ii) in the
    18  case of the separate assessment for municipal tax purposes, the
    19  quotient of the assessed value divided by the product of the
    20  latest ratio of assessed value to market value in the
    21  municipality as determined by the State Tax Equalization Board
    22  and the ratio of the total assessed valuation of the same
    23  properties for municipal tax purposes to the total assessed
    24  valuation of said properties for county tax purposes: Provided,
    25  however, That no municipality or political subdivision within a
    26  school district shall pay an aggregate amount in school property
    27  taxes which, as a percentage of total school property taxes,
    28  shall exceed the ratio of its market value to the total market
    29  value of the school district as determined by the State Tax
    30  Equalization Board.
    19770H0076B2556                  - 3 -

     1     (d)  Whenever a revision of assessment is completed in any
     2  portion of a school district and the revised assessments are to
     3  be used for school tax purposes the method prescribed in
     4  subsection (b) above to equalize school property tax levies
     5  shall not be used until the latest ratio of assessed value to
     6  market value as determined by the State Tax Equalization Board
     7  for that portion of the school district is based upon the
     8  revised assessments.
     9     Section 672.2.  School Districts Lying in More Than One
    10  County; Tax Levy on Occupations.--Any school district which lies
    11  in more than one (1) county and which levies an occupation tax,
    12  shall levy such tax uniformly upon each occupational category
    13  existing in all counties in which the district lies, at the
    14  lowest assessed valuation for each equivalent occupational
    15  category as certified to the school district by the counties in
    16  which the district lies.
    17     Section 2.  Section 917-A of the act is repealed.              <--
    18     Section 3. 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.         <--








    K14L25RZ/19770H0076B2556         - 4 -