PRINTER'S NO. 1742
No. 1463 Session of 1987
INTRODUCED BY BELFANTI, BLAUM, MICOZZIE, BATTISTO, O'DONNELL,
KUKOVICH, SHOWERS, VEON, RAYMOND, KOSINSKI, HALUSKA,
LEVDANSKY, FISCHER, TIGUE, STABACK, PISTELLA, TRELLO,
PETRARCA, BELARDI, R. C. WRIGHT, OLASZ, ARTY, WOZNIAK AND
McCALL, JUNE 10, 1987
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JUNE 10, 1987
AN ACT
1 Providing a procedure whereby economically disadvantaged
2 municipalities may participate in State-funded programs
3 requiring shared funding when they are unable to provide
4 their share of the funds.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Legislative intent.
8 Due to plant closings, loss of jobs, property devaluation,
9 unemployment levels and poverty levels, many small
10 municipalities in this Commonwealth are unable to raise
11 sufficient local tax revenues to provide essential government
12 services for their citizens. Because of this situation, the
13 social and economic viability of many communities and the health
14 and welfare of their people are severely threatened. While the
15 General Assembly has enacted numerous programs to assist
16 municipalities in providing government services, either through
17 direct State activity or through grants awarded to
1 municipalities, many of these programs require the benefiting
2 municipality to provide a local share or matching funds in order
3 to receive this aid. Because of the severe economic conditions
4 existing in many small municipalities, these municipalities are
5 presently unable to meet these local funding requirements for
6 State aid. It is the intent of this act to enable these severely
7 distressed municipalities to participate in State-funded
8 programs even though they are unable to meet existing statutory
9 or regulatory requirements for local shares or matching funds.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Department." The Department of Commerce, Department of
15 Community Affairs, Department of Environmental Resources or
16 Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth.
17 "Economically disadvantaged municipalities." Those
18 municipalities identified as economically disadvantaged
19 municipalities by the Bureau for Economically Disadvantaged
20 Municipalities in the Department of Community Affairs, including
21 authorities formed by economically disadvantaged municipalities.
22 "Local share." That portion of the costs of any State
23 program which is required by law or regulation to be borne by a
24 municipality.
25 "Municipality." A city, borough, incorporated town, township
26 or any home rule municipality that is not a county.
27 "Secretary." The Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of
28 Community Affairs, Secretary of Environmental Resources or
29 Secretary of Transportation of the Commonwealth.
30 "State program." Any program or activity providing funding
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1 to municipalities conducted or administered by a department
2 which results in an expenditure of funds appropriated by the
3 General Assembly. This term excludes any program which provides
4 aid solely to counties.
5 Section 3. Discretion granted to secretary.
6 Whenever any State program requires a local share by an
7 economically disadvantaged municipality, the secretary of the
8 department administering the program shall review the proposed
9 program and shall consult with the officials of the
10 municipality, the Director of the Bureau for Economically
11 Disadvantaged Municipalities and all members of the General
12 Assembly who represent the affected municipality to evaluate the
13 public benefit of the program and the ability of the
14 municipality to provide the local share. After this evaluation,
15 the secretary shall have the authority to reduce the amount or
16 percentage of the local share commensurate with the nature of
17 the project and the ability of the municipality to meet its
18 share.
19 Section 4. Expiration.
20 This act expires June 30, 1990, unless extended by statute.
21 Section 5. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect immediately.
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