PRINTER'S NO. 1395
No. 1183 Session of 1985
INTRODUCED BY BELFANTI, J. L. WRIGHT, STABACK, KOSINSKI, CIVERA,
SEMMEL, BOWSER, KASUNIC, PISTELLA AND JOHNSON, MAY 13, 1985
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 13, 1985
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 31, 1893 (P.L.188, No.138), entitled "An
2 act designating the days and half days to be observed as
3 legal holidays, and for the payment, acceptance and
4 protesting of bills, notes, drafts, checks and other
5 negotiable paper on such days," providing that the twenty-
6 fourth day of October shall be known as William Penn's
7 Birthday and observed as a holiday.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 1 of the act of May 31, 1893 (P.L.188,
11 No.138), referred to as the Legal Holiday Law, amended November
12 26, 1978 (P.L.1176, No.275), is amended to read:
13 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That the following days and
14 half days, namely: the first day of January, commonly called New
15 Year's Day, the fifteenth day of January, known as Dr. Martin
16 Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday of February, known as
17 Presidents' Day, Good Friday, the last Monday in May, known as
18 Memorial Day, the fourteenth day of June, known as Flag Day, the
19 fourth of July, called Independence Day, the first Monday of
20 September, known as Labor Day, the second Monday in October,
1 known as Columbus Day, the twenty-fourth day of October, known
2 as William Penn's Birthday, the first Tuesday after the first
3 Monday of November, Election Day, the eleventh day of November,
4 known as Veterans' Day, the fourth Thursday in November, known
5 as Thanksgiving Day, the twenty-fifth day of December, known as
6 Christmas Day; and every Saturday, after twelve o'clock noon
7 until twelve o'clock midnight, each of which Saturdays is hereby
8 designated a half holiday; and any day appointed or recommended
9 by the Governor of this State or the President of the United
10 States as a day of thanksgiving or fastings and prayer, or other
11 religious observance; and in the event of a financial crisis in
12 the State or Nation, any day or days appointed by the Governor
13 of this State or the President of the United States as a bank
14 holiday; and in the event of public calamity in any part of the
15 State through fire, flood, famine, violence, riot, insurrection,
16 or enemy action, any day or days appointed by the Governor of
17 this State as a bank holiday for banking institutions affected
18 by such public calamity shall, for all purposes whatever as
19 regards the presenting for payment or acceptance, and as regards
20 the protesting and giving notice of the dishonor of bills of
21 exchange, checks, drafts, and promissory notes, made after the
22 passage of this act, be treated and considered as the first day
23 of the week, commonly called Sunday, and as public holidays and
24 half holidays; and all such bills, checks, drafts, and notes
25 otherwise presentable for acceptance or payment on any of the
26 said days, shall be deemed to be payable and be presentable for
27 acceptance or payment on the secular or business day next
28 succeeding such holiday or half holiday; except checks, drafts,
29 bills of exchange, and promissory notes, payable at sight or on
30 demand, which would otherwise be payable on any half holiday
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1 Saturday, shall be deemed to be payable at or before twelve
2 o'clock noon of such half holiday: Provided, however, That for
3 the purpose of protesting or otherwise holding liable any party
4 to any bill of exchange, check, draft, or promissory note, and
5 which shall not have been paid before twelve o'clock noon of any
6 Saturday designated a half holiday as aforesaid, a demand for
7 acceptance or payment thereof shall not be made, and notice of
8 protest or dishonor thereof shall not be given, until the next
9 succeeding secular or business day: And provided further, That
10 when any person, firm, corporation or company shall, on any
11 Saturday designated a half holiday, receive for collection any
12 check, bill of exchange, draft, or promissory note, such person,
13 firm, corporation, or company shall not be deemed guilty of any
14 neglect or omission of duty, nor incur any liability, in not
15 presenting for payment or acceptance or collection such check,
16 bill of exchange, draft or promissory note, on that day: And
17 provided further, That, in construing this section, every
18 Saturday designated a half holiday shall, until twelve o'clock
19 noon, be deemed a secular or business day; and the days and half
20 days aforesaid, so designated as holidays and half holidays,
21 shall be considered as public holidays and half holidays for all
22 purposes whatsoever as regards the transaction of business,
23 except that any day or days appointed as a bank holiday shall be
24 regarded as secular or business days for all other purposes than
25 those mentioned in this act: And provided further, That nothing
26 herein contained shall be construed to prevent or invalidate the
27 entry, issuance, service, or execution of any writ, summons,
28 confession of judgment, or other legal process whatever, on any
29 of the holidays or half holidays herein designated as holidays;
30 nor to prevent any banking institution from keeping its doors
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1 open or transacting its business, on any Saturday afternoon, if
2 by a vote of its directors it shall elect to do so, unless such
3 Saturday is appointed as a bank holiday under the provisions of
4 this act: And provided further, That any banking institution
5 may, by a vote of its directors, or in the case of a private
6 bank by action of the private banker or bankers, notice of which
7 shall have been posted in its banking house for not less than
8 fifteen days before the taking effect thereof, observe any
9 Saturday throughout the year as a full holiday with like effect
10 hereunder as though such day had been designated as a full
11 holiday by the provisions of this act, and may in the same
12 manner, observe as a full holiday any Monday next following the
13 first day of January, the fourth day of July, the twenty-fourth
14 day of October or the twenty-fifth day of December whenever any
15 of such holidays shall occur on a Saturday with like effect
16 hereunder as though such day had been designated as a full
17 holiday by the provisions of this act.
18 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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