PRINTER'S NO. 405

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 375 Session of 1985


        INTRODUCED BY REINARD, KUKOVICH, GEORGE, CORDISCO, J. L. WRIGHT,
           COY, VROON, SCHEETZ, LLOYD, NAHILL, GREENWOOD, COLAFELLA,
           BOOK, ANGSTADT, MERRY, SAURMAN, GALLAGHER, CIVERA, HALUSKA,
           TRELLO, BURNS, ARTY, FISCHER, HERMAN, BELFANTI, G. M. SNYDER,
           SEMMEL, AFFLERBACH, CLARK, B. SMITH, MORRIS, McVERRY,
           PRESTON, DORR, PRATT, NOYE, D. W. SNYDER, BALDWIN, BELARDI,
           RAYMOND, HERSHEY, E. Z. TAYLOR, SIRIANNI AND STEVENS,
           FEBRUARY 13, 1985

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION, FEBRUARY 13, 1985

                                     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," requiring the Department of
    21     Environmental Resources to give notice to municipalities of
    22     orders for abatement of nuisances.

    23     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    24  hereby enacts as follows:
    25     Section 1.  Section 1917-A of the act of April 9, 1929

     1  (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929,
     2  added December 3, 1970 (P.L.834, No.275), is amended to read:
     3     Section 1917-A.  Abatement of Nuisances.--The Department of
     4  Environmental Resources shall have the power and its duty shall
     5  be:
     6     (1)  To protect the people of this Commonwealth from
     7  unsanitary conditions and other nuisances, including any
     8  condition which is declared to be a nuisance by any law
     9  administered by the department;
    10     (2)  To cause examination to be made of nuisances, or
    11  questions affecting the security of life and health, in any
    12  locality, and, for that purpose, without fee or hinderance, to
    13  enter, examine and survey all grounds, vehicles, apartments,
    14  buildings, and places, within the Commonwealth, and all persons,
    15  authorized by the department to enter, examine and survey such
    16  grounds, vehicles, apartments, buildings and places, shall have
    17  the powers and authority conferred by law upon constables;
    18     (3)  To order such nuisances including those detrimental to
    19  the public health to be abated and removed and to provide the
    20  governing body of the local municipality and county in which the
    21  alleged nuisance is located with a copy of the order within
    22  seven days after its issuance;
    23     (4)  If the owner or occupant of any premises, whereon any
    24  such nuisance fails to comply with any order of the department
    25  for the abatement or removal thereof, to enter upon the
    26  premises, to which such order relates, and abate or remove such
    27  nuisance;
    28     (5)  For the purpose of collecting or recovering the expense
    29  of the abatement or removal of a nuisance, to file a claim, or
    30  maintain an action, in such manner as may now or hereafter be
    19850H0375B0405                  - 2 -

     1  provided by law, against the owner or occupant of the premises
     2  upon or from which such nuisance shall have been abated or
     3  removed by the department;
     4     (6)  In making examinations as authorized by this section,
     5  the Department of Environmental Resources shall cooperate with
     6  the Department of Health, for the purpose of avoiding any
     7  duplication of inspection or overlapping of functions.
     8     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.















    A24L71JS/19850H0375B0405         - 3 -