AN ACT

 

1Amending Title 45 (Legal Notices) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, adding a definition of "community
3paper of mass dissemination"; and further providing for legal
4advertising.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Section 101(a) of Title 45 of the Pennsylvania
8Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a definition to read:

9§ 101. Definitions.

10(a) Definitions applicable to printing or newspaper
11advertising laws.--Subject to additional definitions contained
12in subsequent provisions of this title which are applicable to
13specific provisions of this title, the following words and
14phrases when used in:

15(1) this title; or

16(2) any other law relating to printing or newspaper
17advertising;

18shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the

1meanings given to them in this subsection:

2* * *

3"Community paper of mass dissemination."

4(1) A printed paper or publication, bearing a title or
5name, and conveying reading or pictorial intelligence of
6passing events, local or general happenings, printing
7regularly or irregularly editorial comment, announcements,
8miscellaneous reading matter, commercial advertising,
9classified advertising, legal advertising and other notices,
10and which has been issued in numbers of four or more pages at
11short intervals, either daily, twice or more often each week,
12or weekly, continuously during a period of at least six
13months, or as the successor of such a printed paper or
14publication issued during an immediate prior period of at
15least six months, and which has been circulated and
16distributed from an established place of business to the
17community at large.

18(2) For purposes of this definition, continuous
19publication shall not be deemed interrupted by any
20involuntary suspension of publication resulting from loss,
21destruction, failure or unavailability of operating
22facilities, equipment or personnel from whatever cause, and
23any community paper of mass distribution so affected shall
24not be disqualified to publish official and legal advertising
25in the event that publication is resumed within one week
26after it again becomes possible.

27(3) A community paper of mass dissemination shall do one
28of the following:

29(i) Distribute through the United States mail to
30entire local zip codes.

1(ii) Distribute by carriers to the majority of
2established addresses, or be widely available at
3numerous, widely visited public locations within the
4political subdivision effecting the advertising and have
5the distribution independently verified by an accredited
6auditor of circulations.

7* * *

8Section 2. Title 45 is amended by adding a section to read:

9§ 311. Use of community papers of mass dissemination.

10(a) General rule.--A government unit may, at its discretion,
11authorize publication in a community paper of mass dissemination
12in substitution of publication in a newspaper of general
13circulation.

14(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section alters or affects
15the obligation to publish a legal notice in a legal newspaper.

16Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.