PRINTER'S NO. 2449

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1871 Session of 1984


        INTRODUCED BY CALTAGIRONE, TRELLO, WAMBACH, PETRONE, POTT, NOYE,
           FISCHER, TIGUE, KOSINSKI, MICOZZIE, KLINGAMAN, CIVERA,
           MICHLOVIC, MORRIS, HERMAN, WOGAN, SEMMEL, GANNON, JOHNSON,
           DAWIDA, HALUSKA, CARN, McMONAGLE, BATTISTO, COLE, MOEHLMANN,
           PISTELLA, AFFLERBACH, STUBAN, DUFFY AND WILSON, JANUARY 31,
           1984

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, JANUARY 31, 1984

                                     AN ACT

     1  Providing for satisfaction of tax liability out of property
     2     seized in law enforcement actions against illegal operations.

     3     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     4  hereby enacts as follows:
     5  Section 1.  Short title.
     6     This act shall be known and may be cited as the Jeopardy
     7  Assessment Act.
     8  Section 2.  Declaration of purpose.
     9     The United States Congress has experienced that individuals
    10  and entities involved in illegal operations usually have large
    11  tax liability on the basis of unreported income and sales. The
    12  purpose of the act is to set up a program for satisfying this
    13  tax liability out of cash or assets which are seized in law
    14  enforcement action against illegal operations and to compensate
    15  law enforcement offices for participation in the program.
    16  Section 3.  Definitions.

     1     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
     2  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
     3  context clearly indicates otherwise:
     4     "Department."  The Department of Revenue.
     5  Section 4.  Notice upon seizure.
     6     When a police officer of a municipality or of the State
     7  Police seizes property in the course of law enforcement action
     8  against an illegal operation, the police officer shall notify
     9  the department of the seizure and of the approximate value of
    10  the property by the end of the next business day after the
    11  seizure.
    12  Section 5.  Assessment.
    13     Within 24 hours of receipt of notice under section 4, the
    14  department shall issue a jeopardy assessment of the tax due
    15  against the person or entity from whom the property was seized.
    16  Regardless of the nature of the tax liability, the procedure for
    17  the jeopardy assessment shall be as set forth in section 339 of
    18  the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform
    19  Code of 1971. This section does not apply to property which is
    20  claimed by the victim of the illegal activity.
    21  Section 6.  Allocation of collected funds.
    22     After the department collects upon an assessment under
    23  section 5, the money collected shall be divided equally between
    24  the department and the entity responsible for the seizure. If
    25  the police officer involved in the law enforcement action
    26  against the illegal operation is a police officer of a
    27  municipality, the entity responsible for the seizure is the
    28  municipality. If the police officer involved in the law
    29  enforcement action against the illegal operation is a State
    30  trooper, the entity responsible for the seizure is the State
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     1  Police. If there is more than one entity responsible for the
     2  seizure, the department shall apportion the share of the
     3  entities responsible for the seizure according to time devoted
     4  to the enforcement action against the illegal operation.
     5  Section 7.  Regulations.
     6     The department shall promulgate regulations to implement this
     7  act.
     8  Section 8.  Effective date.
     9     This act shall take effect in 60 days.














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