SENATE AMENDED
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 3474, 3609               PRINTER'S NO. 4252

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2586 Session of 1996


        INTRODUCED BY BAKER, MERRY, STEIL, TANGRETTI, BELARDI, GEORGE,
           ARMSTRONG, DEMPSEY, FAIRCHILD, O'BRIEN, FARGO, FICHTER,
           LAUGHLIN, SCHRODER, LYNCH, HALUSKA, SAYLOR, DeWEESE, STISH,
           TIGUE, ITKIN, HESS, CORRIGAN, CLARK, DiGIROLAMO, STABACK,
           DALEY, PETTIT, PISTELLA, BELFANTI, YOUNGBLOOD, ROHRER AND
           TRELLO, MAY 2, 1996

        SENATOR ROBBINS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IN SENATE, AS AMENDED,
           NOVEMBER 19, 1996

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), entitled
     2     "An act relating to counties of the third, fourth, fifth,
     3     sixth, seventh and eighth classes; amending, revising,
     4     consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto,"
     5     providing for the abolition of jury commissioners; and         <--
     6     authorizing counties to make appropriations to municipal
     7     corporations for disaster or emergency aid.

     8     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     9  hereby enacts as follows:
    10     Section 1.  Section 401 of the act of August 9, 1955           <--
    11  (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code, is amended by
    12  adding a subsection to read:
    13     Section 401.  Enumeration of Elected Officers.--* * *
    14     (d)  The office of jury commissioner may be abolished at the
    15  option of each county by referendum, whenever electors equal to
    16  at least five per centum of the highest vote cast for any office
    17  in the county at the last preceding general election shall file


     1  a petition with the county board of elections of the county, or
     2  the governing body of the county adopts, by a majority vote, a
     3  resolution to place such a question on the ballot and a copy of
     4  the resolution is filed with the board of elections of the
     5  county for a referendum on the question of abolishing the office
     6  of jury commissioner. Proceedings under this subsection shall be
     7  in accordance with the provisions of the act of June 3, 1937
     8  (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the "Pennsylvania Election Code."
     9     Section 2.  Article XIX of the act is amended by adding a
    10  subdivision to read:
    11     SECTION 1.  ARTICLE XIX OF THE ACT OF AUGUST 9, 1955           <--
    12  (P.L.323, NO.130), KNOWN AS THE COUNTY CODE, IS AMENDED BY
    13  ADDING A SUBDIVISION TO READ:
    14                            ARTICLE XIX
    15               SPECIAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNTIES
    16                               * * *
    17          (g.1)  Disaster-Emergency Aid to Municipalities
    18     Section 1948.  Emergency Appropriation to Municipal
    19  Corporations.--(a)  The board of county commissioners of any
    20  county may appropriate money from the county's operating reserve
    21  fund, created and maintained in accordance with section 513 of
    22  this act, for the purpose of assisting municipal corporations
    23  within the county with any cleanup, maintenance, repair and
    24  improvements undertaken as a result of damage incurred or a
    25  dangerous condition caused by either a disaster emergency within
    26  the county declared by the Governor or a local emergency
    27  declared by the governing body of a municipal corporation within
    28  the county.
    29     (b)  As used in this section:
    30     "Disaster emergency" shall have the meaning ascribed to the
    19960H2586B4252                  - 2 -

     1  term in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7102 (relating to definitions).
     2     "Local emergency" shall have the meaning ascribed to the term
     3  in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7102 (relating to definitions).
     4     Section 3.  (a)  The office of jury commissioner shall expire  <--
     5  at the completion of the current jury commissioners' terms of
     6  office.
     7     (b)  The referendum provided in section 401(d) of the act
     8  shall take place in any year in which the office of jury
     9  commissioner is not on the ballot.
    10     Section 4 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.           <--














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