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                                                       PRINTER'S NO. 988

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 870 Session of 1989


        INTRODUCED BY MURPHY, O'DONNELL, KUKOVICH, ITKIN, MICHLOVIC,
           FEE, McNALLY, PERZEL, WASS, JOSEPHS, ROBINSON, KOSINSKI,
           PRESSMANN, KENNEY, STISH, MAYERNIK, GANNON, BLAUM, TRELLO,
           CAWLEY, LEVDANSKY, VEON, CORRIGAN AND PISTELLA, APRIL 3, 1989

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, APRIL 3, 1989

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of February 1, 1974 (P.L.34, No.15), entitled
     2     "An act creating a Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System
     3     for the payment of retirement allowances to officers,
     4     employes, firemen and police of political subdivisions and
     5     municipal authorities and of institutions supported and
     6     maintained by political subdivisions and municipal government
     7     associations and providing for the administration of the same
     8     by a board composed of the State Treasurer and others
     9     appointed by the Governor; imposing certain duties on the
    10     Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board and the actuary
    11     thereof; providing the procedure whereby political
    12     subdivisions and municipal authorities may join such system,
    13     and imposing certain liabilities and obligations on such
    14     political subdivisions and municipal authorities in
    15     connection therewith, and as to certain existing retirement
    16     and pension systems, and upon officers, employes, firemen and
    17     police of such political subdivisions, institutions supported
    18     and maintained by political subdivisions, and upon municipal
    19     authorities; providing for the continuation of certain
    20     municipal retirement systems now administered by the
    21     Commonwealth; providing certain exemptions from taxation,
    22     execution, attachment, levy and sale and providing for the
    23     repeal of certain related acts," imposing restrictions on
    24     investments in Northern Ireland.

    25     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    26  hereby enacts as follows:
    27     Section 1.  The act of February 1, 1974 (P.L.34, No.15),
    28  known as the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Law, is amended

     1  by adding a section to read:
     2     Section 110.1.  Northern Ireland Related Investments.--(a)
     3  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, on
     4  or after the effective date of this section, any money or assets
     5  of the fund which shall be invested in the stocks, securities or
     6  other obligations of any institution or company doing business
     7  in or with Northern Ireland or with agencies or
     8  instrumentalities thereof, shall be invested in accordance with
     9  subsection (c).
    10     (b)  On or before the first day of January of each year, the
    11  board shall determine the existence of affirmative action taken
    12  by institutions or companies doing business in Northern Ireland
    13  to eliminate ethnic or religious discrimination based on actions
    14  taken for:
    15     (1)  Increasing the representation of individuals from
    16  underrepresented religious groups in the work force, including
    17  managerial, supervisory, administrative, clerical and technical
    18  jobs.
    19     (2)  Providing adequate security for the protection of
    20  minority employes both at the workplace and while traveling to
    21  and from work.
    22     (3)  The banning of provocative religious or political
    23  emblems from the workplace.
    24     (4)  Publicly advertising all job openings and making special
    25  recruitment efforts to attract applicants from underrepresented
    26  religious groups.
    27     (5)  Providing that layoff, recall and termination procedures
    28  should not in practice favor particular religious groupings.
    29     (6)  The abolition of job reservations, apprenticeship
    30  restrictions and differential employment criteria, which
    19890H0870B0988                  - 2 -

     1  discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnic origin.
     2     (7)  The development of training programs that will prepare
     3  substantial number of current minority employes for skilled
     4  jobs, including the expansion of existing programs and the
     5  creation of new programs to train, upgrade and improve the
     6  skills of minority employes.
     7     (8)  The establishment of procedures to assess, identify and
     8  actively recruit minority employes with potential for further
     9  advancement.
    10     (9)  The appointment of senior management staff members to
    11  oversee affirmative action efforts and the setting up of
    12  timetables to carry out affirmative action principles.
    13     (c)  Consistent with sound investment policy, the board shall
    14  invest the assets of the fund in such manner that the
    15  investments in institutions doing business in or with Northern
    16  Ireland shall reflect the advances made by such institutions in
    17  eliminating discrimination according to the principles set forth
    18  in subsection (b).
    19     Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.








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