PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 891 PRINTER'S NO. 1165
No. 799 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY M. WHITE, GORDNER, FERLO, COSTA, SCARNATI,
ROBBINS, ORIE, STOUT, RAFFERTY, WASHINGTON, KASUNIC AND
REGOLA, APRIL 24, 2007
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, JUNE 12, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 30, 1987 (P.L.163, No.16), entitled "An
2 act providing for the revitalization of rural Pennsylvania;
3 establishing the Center for Rural Pennsylvania; providing for
4 rural education partnerships and adult literacy programs;
5 allocating funds appropriated to the Department of Commerce
6 for a Regional Center for Continuing Education of Health
7 Science Practitioners in western Pennsylvania; making
8 appropriations; and making a repeal," further providing for
9 board of directors and for grants.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Sections 302 and 304 of the act of June 30, 1987
13 (P.L.163, No.16), known as the Rural Pennsylvania Revitalization
14 Act, are amended to read:
15 Section 302. Board of directors.
16 (a) Members.--The Center for Rural Pennsylvania shall be
17 governed by a board of directors which shall consist of 11
18 members. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
19 appoint two members from the House of Representatives, one from
20 the majority party and one from the minority party. The
21 President pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint two members
1 from the Senate, one from the majority party and one from the
2 minority party. Two members shall be representatives of
3 universities in the State System of Higher Education. One member
4 shall be from The Pennsylvania State University. One member
5 shall be from the University of Pittsburgh. One member shall be
6 the Director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural
7 Development. The Governor shall appoint two members from among
8 the memberships of the following Statewide organizations:
9 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, Pennsylvania Grange
10 Association[, Pennsylvania Farmers' Association and Pennsylvania
11 Rural Coalition] and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
12 (b) Terms.--The term of office of all members of the board
13 shall be two years. Each member shall be eligible to be
14 reappointed to the board.
15 (c) Meetings; quorum.--The board shall meet at least every
16 four months, or as often as it deems necessary. [Six members] A
17 simple majority of the duly qualified members of the board shall
18 constitute a quorum.
19 (d) Expenses.--The members of the board, except for the
20 director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, shall serve
21 without salary or compensation, but shall be entitled to such
22 expenses as are reasonable and necessary to the performance of
23 their duties.
24 Section 304. Grants.
25 (a) Eligibility.--Grants shall be available only to the
26 qualified faculty members of the various colleges and university
27 members of the State System of Higher Education and the current
28 land grant university and the regional campuses of the
29 University of Pittsburgh.
30 (b) Amounts.--No grant shall exceed the sum of [$50,000]
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1 $60,000.
2 (c) Subjects.--The subject areas of the grant program are as
3 follows:
4 (1) Rural people and communities.
5 (2) Economic development.
6 (3) Local government finance and administration.
7 (4) Community services.
8 (5) Natural resources and environment.
9 (6) Educational outreach.
10 (7) Rural values and social change.
11 (8) AGRICULTURE. <--
12 (9) HEALTH AND WELFARE CONCERNS.
13 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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