THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS, GEORGE, SIPTROTH, GEIST, GINGRICH, HARRIS, HESS, KORTZ, SCAVELLO, STABACK, SWANGER AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 19, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MARCH 19, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), entitled "An

act creating the Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources consisting of certain functions of the Department

of Environmental Resources and the Department of Community

Affairs; renaming the Department of Environmental Resources

as the Department of Environmental Protection; defining the

role of the Environmental Quality Board in the Department of

Environmental Protection; making changes to responsibilities

of the State Conservation Commission and the Department of

Agriculture; transferring certain powers and duties to the

Department of Health; and repealing inconsistent acts," in

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, further

providing for fees and charges.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 314 of the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89,

No.18), known as the Conservation and Natural Resources Act, is

amended to read:

Section 314.  Fees and charges.

(a)  General rule.--Whenever the department imposes fees or

charges for activities, admissions, uses or privileges,

including charges for concessions, at or relating to State

parks, such charges or fees shall be used solely for the

acquisition, maintenance, operation or administration of the

State park system and are hereby appropriated for such purposes. 

(b)  Parking at and general admission to State parks.--

(1)  The department shall not adopt or impose any charges

or fees for parking or general admission to State parks

unless the charges were imposed prior to January 1, 1995.

(2)  The department may continue to impose and modify

parking charges and fees applicable to specific services or

units within the State park system which were imposed prior

to January 1, 1995, and may impose charges or fees for

admission to and for use of specific services and facilities

in State parks.

(c)  Trailer sites at State parks.--The department shall not

adopt or impose any charges or fees for use of trailer sites in

State parks by persons who are at least 80 years of age.

(d)  Previous powers of Environmental Quality Board.--The

department shall continue to exercise the powers previously

vested in the Environmental Quality Board regarding the

imposition of fees and charges for State parks and State

forests.

Section 2.  Any regulation is abrogated to the extent of any

inconsistency with this act.

Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.