PRINTER'S NO. 1147
No. 926 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY FUMO, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA, GREENLEAF, D. WHITE, McILHINNEY, LOGAN, RHOADES AND FERLO, JUNE 11, 2007
REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, JUNE 11, 2007
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated 2 Statutes, further providing for organization of commission. 3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 hereby enacts as follows: 5 Section 1. Section 301 of Title 30 of the Pennsylvania 6 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read: 7 § 301. Organization of commission. 8 (a) Composition.--The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission 9 is continued as an independent administrative commission and 10 shall consist of [ten] 14 competent citizens of this 11 Commonwealth who shall be appointed as follows: 12 (1) Ten members by the Governor by and with the advice 13 and consent of [two-thirds] a majority of the members elected 14 to the Senate. [for terms of eight years and until their 15 successors are appointed and qualified.] 16 (2) One member by the President pro tempore of the 17 Senate who is not an elected official. 18 (3) One member by the Minority Leader of the Senate who
1 is not an elected official. 2 (4) One member by the Speaker of the House of 3 Representatives who is not an elected official. 4 (5) One member by the Minority Leader of the House of 5 Representatives who is not an elected official. 6 (b) Qualifications.--Two members of the commission appointed 7 by the Governor shall serve at-large and be experienced in 8 boating and water safety education and be a registered boat 9 owner in Pennsylvania. The two boatmen members shall represent 10 the various geographical sections and boating interests of this 11 Commonwealth. The remaining [eight] members shall be persons 12 well informed on the subject of conservation, restoration, fish 13 and fishing and boats and boating, and the Governor's remaining 14 appointees shall be appointed, insofar as practicable, on a 15 bipartisan basis and from the various geographic districts of 16 this Commonwealth so that at all times one and only one member 17 shall be a resident of each of the following districts: 18 (1) First district, consisting of the counties of Erie, 19 Crawford, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, Butler, Warren, Forest 20 and Clarion. 21 (2) Second district, consisting of the counties of 22 Beaver, Allegheny, Washington, Greene, Armstrong, Indiana, 23 Westmoreland and Fayette. 24 (3) Third district, consisting of the counties of 25 McKean, Elk, Jefferson, Potter, Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton 26 and Centre. 27 (4) Fourth district, consisting of the counties of 28 Cambria, Somerset, Blair, Bedford, Huntingdon, Fulton, 29 Mifflin and Juniata. 30 (5) Fifth district, consisting of the counties of Tioga, 20070S0926B1147 - 2 -
1 Lycoming, Union, Snyder, Bradford, Sullivan, Columbia, 2 Montour and Northumberland. 3 (6) Sixth district, consisting of the counties of 4 Franklin, Perry, Cumberland, Adams, Dauphin, York, Lebanon 5 and Lancaster. 6 (7) Seventh district, consisting of the counties of 7 Susquehanna, Wyoming, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Carbon, Wayne, 8 Pike and Monroe. 9 (8) Eighth district, consisting of the counties of 10 Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Northampton, Lehigh, Bucks, 11 Montgomery, Philadelphia and Delaware. 12 (c) Terms of office and compensation.--The members appointed 13 by the Governor shall hold office for terms of eight years and 14 may continue to hold office for a period of time not to exceed 15 six months or until a successor is appointed and qualified, 16 whichever occurs first. A member appointed to fill a vacancy for 17 a period of four years or less may be eligible for appointment 18 to a full eight-year term. A member who serves a full eight-year 19 term or fills a vacancy for a period of more than four years 20 shall not be eligible for reappointment to the commission until 21 a period of eight years expires. All other commissioners shall 22 serve terms of office coterminous with that of each 23 commissioner's appointing authority. The members shall receive 24 no compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for 25 travel expenses. When performing any function on behalf of the 26 commission or acting within the scope of their official duties, 27 members of the commission shall be authorized to operate 28 Commonwealth vehicles and watercraft and shall be treated as 29 employees of the Commonwealth for the purposes of automotive and 30 general liability and the act of June 2, 1915 (P.L.736, No.338), 20070S0926B1147 - 3 -
1 known as the Workers' Compensation Act. 2 (d) Vacancies.--Upon the death, resignation or removal from 3 office of any member, the [Governor] respective appointing 4 authority shall appoint a competent person to serve for the 5 unexpired term. 6 (e) Meetings, officers and quorum.--The commission shall 7 have an office in the Harrisburg area and shall hold meetings in 8 the Harrisburg area in January and July and at such other times 9 and places within this Commonwealth as the commission shall 10 designate for the transaction of business. At the meeting held 11 in July of each year, the commission shall elect one of its 12 members as president and one of its members as vice president 13 who shall hold office for one year. [Six] Eight members shall 14 constitute a quorum. 15 (f) Powers of waterways patrolmen.--Except for the power 16 conferred by section 925 (relating to acknowledgment of guilt 17 and receipts for payment), members of the commission may 18 exercise any of the powers conferred by this title on waterways 19 patrolmen. 20 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. E21L30BIL/20070S0926B1147 - 4 -