PRINTER'S NO. 1795
No. 1533 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY GAMBLE, MERRY, DeLUCA, MELIO, SCHEETZ AND
TANGRETTI, JUNE 3, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JUNE 3, 1991
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 37 (Historical and Museums) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for documents;
3 establishing the Local Government Records Management
4 Improvement Fund; and imposing an additional recording fee on
5 certain documents.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Section 305 of Title 37 of the Pennsylvania
9 Consolidated Statutes is amending by adding a paragraph to read:
10 § 305. Documents.
11 The commission shall have the power and duty to:
12 * * *
13 (7) Local Government Records Management Improvement
14 Fund.--Administer all moneys deposited in a nonlapsing fund
15 to be known as the Local Government Records Management
16 Improvement Fund created under section 308 (relating to Local
17 Government Records Management Improvement Fund).
18 Section 2. Title 37 is amended by adding a section to read:
19 § 308. Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund.
1 (a) Creation.--The Local Government Records Management
2 Improvement Fund is hereby created.
3 (b) Purpose.--All moneys in this fund are hereby
4 appropriated to the commission to be used solely for the
5 provision of archival and records management services to school
6 districts, to municipalities other than counties and to either
7 county offices represented on the County Records Committee or an
8 equivalent office in a home rule charter county.
9 (c) Limitations on use of moneys.--Specifically, this fund
10 shall be used to support, within the commission the following:
11 (1) Management and operation of a security microfilm
12 storage program.
13 (2) Vital records and disaster recovery services.
14 (3) Educational and training seminars relating to
15 information management.
16 (4) The delivery of professional and technical
17 assistance.
18 (5) The preservation, reproduction and use of
19 historically valuable local records.
20 (6) A records management and archives regrant program.
21 (d) Allocation of fund.--The moneys in the fund are hereby
22 appropriated to the commission and shall be allocated as
23 follows:
24 (1) To cover the administrative, equipment, personnel
25 and other program costs required to deliver the fund services
26 as enumerated in subsection (c).
27 (2) All moneys not expended for costs enumerated in
28 paragraph (1) shall be used for the award of records
29 management and archives grants as follows:
30 (i) 80% to county offices represented on the County
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1 Records Committee or an equivalent office in a home rule
2 charter county.
3 (ii) 20% to municipalities other than counties and
4 to school districts.
5 (3) The commission shall promulgate rules and
6 regulations setting forth criteria and procedures for the
7 award of grants from fund moneys in consultation with the
8 County Records Committee and the Local Government Records
9 Committee.
10 (e) Additional recording fee.--An additional fee of $2 shall
11 be charged and collected by recorders of deeds, or by their
12 equivalent officer in a home rule charter county, for every
13 deed, mortgage or other instrument in writing for which a
14 recording fee is provided. Of that amount, $1 shall be forwarded
15 on a monthly basis to the Department of Revenue for deposit in
16 the fund. The remaining $1 shall be accounted for and paid to
17 the county treasurer or to the equivalent officer in a home rule
18 charter county. Of that $1, 75¢ shall be used by the county to
19 support records management and archival activities and 25¢ shall
20 be used to cover costs associated with the collection and
21 remittance of the fee and to support office records management
22 activities in the office of the recorder of deeds or in its
23 equivalent in a home rule charter county.
24 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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