PRINTER'S NO. 2335
No. 1753 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, BEYER, BOBACK, BELFANTI, CAPPELLI, DALLY,
J. EVANS, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, HARHART,
M. KELLER, MACKERETH, MANTZ, MENSCH, MURT, NAILOR, PEIFER,
PHILLIPS, PICKETT, RUBLEY, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, SONNEY,
STEIL, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK,
JULY 14, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JULY 14, 2007
AN ACT
1 Providing for cooperation between political subdivisions and for
2 the award of grants to recognize such cooperation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Political
7 Subdivision Communication and Cooperation Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Department." The Department of Community and Economic
13 Development of the Commonwealth.
14 "Governing body." The council in a city, borough and
15 incorporated town, the board of commissioners in a county, the
16 board of commissioners in a township of the first class, the
1 board of supervisors in a township of the second class, or the
2 legislative policymaking body in a home rule municipality and
3 the board of school directors in a school district.
4 "Municipality." A city, borough, incorporated town, township
5 or other similar home rule charter or optional plan
6 municipality.
7 Section 3. Joint meetings.
8 (a) Counties.--At least once every three months, the
9 governing body of a county shall participate in a joint meeting
10 with the governing body of at least one other contiguous county.
11 (b) Municipalities.--At least once every three months, the
12 governing body of a municipality shall participate in a joint
13 meeting with the governing body of at least one other contiguous
14 municipality.
15 (c) School district.--At least once every three months the
16 governing body of a school district shall participate in a joint
17 meeting with the governing body of each municipality that is
18 situate partly or wholly within the school district.
19 (d) Nature of discussions.--At these joint meetings, the
20 members of the governing body may discuss items including, but
21 not limited to, areas of common interest, mutual goals, current
22 or proposed programs, potential cost-cutting efforts and the
23 ability to achieve greater economies by working in a cooperative
24 fashion.
25 (e) Reports.--By February 1 of each year, each county,
26 municipality and school district shall submit a one-page report
27 summarizing any meetings held pursuant to this act to the
28 department.
29 (f) Existing forums.--Participation in an existing
30 association, organization or forum shall be an acceptable
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1 meeting for the purposes of this act as long as a contiguous
2 county, municipality or school district is involved and the
3 entire governing body is able to participate in the meeting.
4 (g) Notice.--Each year the department shall send a notice to
5 any county, municipality and school district that fails to
6 participate in a meeting required by this act. The notice shall
7 also note the benefits and cost savings that may be achieved by
8 communicating with neighboring jurisdictions and participating
9 in cooperative programs.
10 Section 4. Recognition of effort.
11 (a) General rule.--Each year, as part of the Governor's
12 Award for Local Government Excellence, the Governor's Center for
13 Local Government Services shall review the reports submitted by
14 political subdivisions and recognize the most significant and
15 successful intergovernmental cooperation effort. The Governor's
16 Center for Local Government Services may request additional
17 information on intergovernmental cooperation efforts in order to
18 determine which project or projects to recognize.
19 (b) Grants.--The department shall provide grants from funds
20 appropriated to it to support the projects the Governor's Center
21 for Local Government Services has chosen to recognize under this
22 act. The department shall determine the number and amount of the
23 grants.
24 Section 5. Effective date.
25 This act shall take effect January 1, 2008.
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