PRINTER'S NO. 3581
No. 304 Session of 1986
INTRODUCED BY F. TAYLOR, DALEY, KASUNIC AND DeWEESE, JUNE 3,
1986
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 5, 1986
A RESOLUTION
1 Amending House Resolution No. 192, adopted December 11, 1985,
2 entitled "A Resolution establishing an investigatory
3 committee to investigate the circumstances preceding and
4 existing during and subsequent to the massive flooding of the
5 Monongahela River Basin which occurred on and around November
6 5, 1985," providing for a survey of Presidentially declared
7 disasters in Pennsylvania in 1985.
8 RESOLVED, That House Resolution No. 192, adopted December 11,
9 1985, be amended to read:
10 WHEREAS, The Monongahela River Basin, a geographic area of
11 Western Pennsylvania, which has experienced chronic economic
12 depression since 1981, was dealt yet another blow on and around
13 November 5, 1985, when massive flooding of the river basin
14 precipitated loss of life and loss of millions of dollars of
15 property; and
16 WHEREAS, Rumors run rampant throughout Western Pennsylvania
17 that losses would have been less if the disaster had been
18 handled differently; and
19 WHEREAS, Because flooding of the rivers of Western
20 Pennsylvania recurs from time to time, it is imperative to
1 thoroughly review this particular event to determine that
2 warning systems, emergency response systems and other systems
3 which functioned throughout this flooding emergency were
4 adequate and coordinated, and to determine that water systems in
5 the area are contained in safe, healthy reservoirs and
6 waterways; [therefore be it] and
7 WHEREAS, Uncertainty exists regarding the amount of the
8 losses suffered by private homeowners which was not covered by
9 private insurance and Federal and State grants as a result of
10 Presidentially declared disasters in Pennsylvania in 1985;
11 therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That an investigatory committee be established to
13 gather information and report to the full House of
14 Representatives within 120 days its findings regarding the
15 adequacy of all systems which responded to this latest flooding
16 of the Monongahela River Basin, the circumstances existing
17 immediately before and throughout the flooding, and any
18 engineering improvements which would be necessarily made to
19 reduce such a disaster from recurring; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That this committee undertake a comprehensive
21 survey of victims of Presidentially declared disasters in
22 Pennsylvania in 1985 to determine the amount of losses suffered
23 by private homeowners which was not covered by private insurance
24 and Federal and State grants; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That this committee be appointed by the Speaker of
26 the House and be composed of four members of the majority party
27 and three members of the minority party, that it have the power
28 to call witnesses and to require the production of documents,
29 and that it have the power to hire a staff and reimburse the
30 staff from the budget of the Chief Clerk of the House of
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1 Representatives in an amount not to exceed $50,000; and be it
2 further
3 RESOLVED, That all expenditures from the $50,000 shall be
4 authorized by a majority vote of the committee and the chairman
5 shall make a monthly report of all such expenditures to each
6 member of the committee; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and submit
8 all expenses to the House of Representatives no later than
9 September 1, 1986.
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