PRINTER'S NO. 1049
No. 928 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY YUDICHAK, THOMAS, JAMES, PRESTON, BEBKO-JONES,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, DALEY, FRANKEL, GRUCELA,
LEDERER, MUNDY, SAINATO, SOLOBAY, STABACK, MANN, WALKO,
YOUNGBLOOD, TIGUE, MELIO, PALLONE AND STURLA, MARCH 14, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, MARCH 14, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," further providing for the
21 powers and duties of the Department of Community and Economic
22 Development; making an appropriation and an editorial change.
23 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
24 hereby enacts as follows:
25 Section 1. Article XXV-C heading of the act of April 9, 1929
26 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929,
27 added February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1849, No.582), is amended to
1 read:
2 ARTICLE XXV-C
3 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
4 COMMUNITY [AFFAIRS] AND ECONOMIC
5 DEVELOPMENT, ITS DEPARTMENTAL
6 BOARDS, BUREAUS AND AGENCIES
7 Section 2. Section 2501-C of the act, added February 1, 1966
8 (1965 P.L.1849, No.582) and amended March 21, 1970 (P.L.198,
9 No.78) and June 22, 1994 (P.L.351, No.52), is amended to read:
10 Section 2501-C. Powers and Duties in General.--The
11 Department of Community [Affairs] and Economic Development shall
12 have the power, and its duties shall be:
13 (a) To coordinate the many programs of grants and subsidies
14 paid to political subdivisions by various agencies of State and
15 Federal government.
16 (b) Provide for a central clearing house for information
17 concerning local government problems between local governments
18 and the various State agencies; and to direct inquiries about
19 specific problems of local government to the proper State
20 agencies for solution.
21 (c) Maintain close contact with all local governments to
22 help them improve their administrative methods and to foster
23 better municipal government and development.
24 (d) To review State policy and Federal programs with respect
25 to major local governmental, metropolitan and area problems; and
26 to determine their impact on local units of government as they
27 pertain to community affairs.
28 (e) To conduct general research for various units of local
29 government on problems affecting community affairs in the field
30 of municipal administrative management, comprehensive planning,
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1 municipal forms of government, State-local relationships, fiscal
2 procedures and generally to do any and all things necessary as
3 an aid to better local and area government and community
4 development; and upon request of a specific political
5 subdivision to conduct under contract mutually agreed upon,
6 extensive and continuous research on general problems of local
7 and urban government and analysis of specific problems of the
8 political subdivision.
9 (f) Provide direct consultive services to political
10 subdivisions upon requests and staff services to special
11 commissions, or the Governor, or the Legislature as directed.
12 (g) Provide technical assistance and research to political
13 subdivisions participating in various operational programs
14 affecting political subdivisions in the State.
15 (h) To coordinate and wherever provided by law to supervise
16 or administer the various programs of State and Federal
17 assistance and grants, including but not limited to housing,
18 redevelopment, urban renewal, urban planning assistance, Project
19 70, area development, revitalization of central city cores, mass
20 transportation, river basin studies, port development, air and
21 water pollution, land and soil conservation, economic
22 opportunity, and public works and community facilities and
23 Appalachian assistance; and to furnish comprehensive planning
24 and technical assistance on any program set forth in this
25 subsection (h).
26 (i) To furnish assistance to political subdivisions in the
27 preparation of and advice on enforcement of codes and
28 ordinances.
29 (j) To aid in the preparation of and to distribute
30 handbooks, research, financial and other reports derived from
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1 the activities of the department.
2 (k) To generally do any and all things necessary to make
3 this act effective.
4 (l) Subject to the limitations of this act and of law, the
5 Secretary of Community [Affairs] and Economic Development shall,
6 from time to time, establish, rules and regulations to better
7 carry this act into effect.
8 (m) To make grants to any two or more counties, cities,
9 boroughs, incorporated towns, townships, or any other similar
10 general purpose unit of government which shall hereafter be
11 created by the General Assembly, or to any body which is
12 authorized to act in behalf of two or more units of government,
13 for the purpose of assisting them in acting in concert in the
14 performance of any local governmental function or functions, or
15 for the purpose of conducting studies and investigations to
16 determine the feasibility and desirability of acting in concert
17 in the performance of local governmental functions.
18 (n) To make direct grants or provide other forms of
19 technical assistance to various public safety, recreation,
20 senior citizen or other community service organizations.
21 Section 3. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
22 Section 2503-C. Reimbursement for Homeland Security
23 Emergencies.--(a) The Department of Community and Economic
24 Development shall reimburse local governments for expenses
25 incurred in providing for homeland security emergencies,
26 including, but not limited to, deployment of fire, police,
27 ambulance and hazardous material personnel in response to
28 anticipated and real emergencies.
29 (b) The Department of Community and Economic Development
30 shall develop procedures for local governments to follow in
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1 applying for reimbursements under this section.
2 (c) Reimbursements under this section may not be made to the
3 extent that Federal funds have been or will be provided for the
4 emergency.
5 Section 4. The sum of $10,000,000, or as much thereof as may
6 be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
7 Community and Economic Development for the fiscal year July 1,
8 2005, to June 30, 2006, to fund the reimbursements authorized by
9 section 2503-C of The Administrative Code of 1929.
10 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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