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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1147

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

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,
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     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),
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     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.







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