PRINTER'S NO. 1530
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1262
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY HARKINS, READSHAW, SONNEY, FREEMAN, CONKLIN,
D. COSTA, FARRY AND PASHINSKI, APRIL 24, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 24, 2017
AN ACT
Amending the act of May 31, 1893 (P.L.188, No.138), entitled "An
act designating the days and half days to be observed as
legal holidays, and for the payment, acceptance and
protesting of bills, notes, drafts, checks and other
negotiable paper on such days," further providing that
September 11 shall be known as Patriot Day and observed as a
holiday.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Patriot Day is observed as the National Day of
Service and Remembrance on September 11 of each year.
(2) September 11, also commonly known as "Nine-Eleven,"
is remembered globally as the anniversary of the catastrophic
terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
(3) The events of September 11, 2001, are embedded in
the memories of everyone who lived through that day, in which
four jet airplanes were hijacked and used as weapons against
the United States.
(4) Three of the four hijacked airplanes crashed into
the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in
Arlington, Virginia, causing the deaths of 2,977 people.
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(5) The fourth hijacked airplane, United Airlines Flight
93, was directed at Washington, D.C., but its passengers
bravely attempted to take back control of the airplane, which
then crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
(6) In the wake of the World Trade Center attacks, many
brave men and women from the emergency services risked their
lives in helping to rescue victims and 411 of those personnel
lost their lives in the attempts to fight fires and rescue
people.
(7) Each year on September 11, American flags are flown
at half staff to honor and commemorate those lives lost
during the terrorist attacks, and Americans are asked to
observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. eastern daylight
time, which is the time that the first airplane crashed into
the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
(8) While the events of September 11, 2001, occurred
within the United States, the shock and grief experienced in
response to the attacks were shared around the globe and for
this reason Patriot Day is observed not only in the United
States but worldwide.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1 of the act of May 31, 1893 (P.L.188,
No.138), referred to as the Legal Holiday Law, is amended to
read:
Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That the following days and
half days, namely: the first day of January, commonly called New
Year's Day, the third Monday of January, known as Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday of February, known as
Presidents' Day, Good Friday, the last Monday in May, known as
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Memorial Day, the fourteenth day of June, known as Flag Day, the
fourth of July, called Independence Day, the first Monday of
September, known as Labor Day, September 11, known as Patriot
Day, the second Monday in October, known as Columbus Day, the
first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, Election Day,
the eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' Day, the fourth
Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day, the twenty-
fifth day of December, known as Christmas Day; and every
Saturday, after twelve o'clock noon until twelve o'clock
midnight, each of which Saturdays is hereby designated a half
holiday; and any day appointed or recommended by the Governor of
this State or the President of the United States as a day of
thanksgiving or fastings and prayer, or other religious
observance; and in the event of a financial crisis in the State
or Nation, any day or days appointed by the Governor of this
State or the President of the United States as a bank holiday;
and in the event of public calamity in any part of the State
through fire, flood, famine, violence, riot, insurrection, or
enemy action, any day or days appointed by the Governor of this
State as a bank holiday for banking institutions affected by
such public calamity shall, for all purposes whatever as regards
the presenting for payment or acceptance, and as regards the
protesting and giving notice of the dishonor of bills of
exchange, checks, drafts, and promissory notes, made after the
passage of this act, be treated and considered as the first day
of the week, commonly called Sunday, and as public holidays and
half holidays; and all such bills, checks, drafts, and notes
otherwise presentable for acceptance or payment on any of the
said days, shall be deemed to be payable and be presentable for
acceptance or payment on the secular or business day next
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succeeding such holiday or half holiday; except checks, drafts,
bills of exchange, and promissory notes, payable at sight or on
demand, which would otherwise be payable on any half holiday
Saturday, shall be deemed to be payable at or before twelve
o'clock noon of such half holiday: Provided, however, That for
the purpose of protesting or otherwise holding liable any party
to any bill of exchange, check, draft, or promissory note, and
which shall not have been paid before twelve o'clock noon of any
Saturday designated a half holiday as aforesaid, a demand for
acceptance or payment thereof shall not be made, and notice of
protest or dishonor thereof shall not be given, until the next
succeeding secular or business day: And provided further, That
when any person, firm, corporation or company shall, on any
Saturday designated a half holiday, receive for collection any
check, bill of exchange, draft, or promissory note, such person,
firm, corporation, or company shall not be deemed guilty of any
neglect or omission of duty, nor incur any liability, in not
presenting for payment or acceptance or collection such check,
bill of exchange, draft or promissory note, on that day: And
provided further, That, in construing this section, every
Saturday designated a half holiday shall, until twelve o'clock
noon, be deemed a secular or business day; and the days and half
days aforesaid, so designated as holidays and half holidays,
shall be considered as public holidays and half holidays for all
purposes whatsoever as regards the transaction of business,
except that any day or days appointed as a bank holiday shall be
regarded as secular or business days for all other purposes than
those mentioned in this act: And provided further, That nothing
herein contained shall be construed to prevent or invalidate the
entry, issuance, service, or execution of any writ, summons,
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confession of judgment, or other legal process whatever, on any
of the holidays or half holidays herein designated as holidays;
nor to prevent any banking institution from keeping its doors
open or transacting its business, on any Saturday afternoon, if
by a vote of its directors it shall elect to do so, unless such
Saturday is appointed as a bank holiday under the provisions of
this act: And provided further, That any banking institution
may, by a vote of its directors, or in the case of a private
bank by action of the private banker or bankers, notice of which
shall have been posted in its banking house for not less than
fifteen days before the taking effect thereof, observe any
Saturday throughout the year as a full holiday with like effect
hereunder as though such day had been designated as a full
holiday by the provisions of this act, and may in the same
manner, observe as a full holiday any Monday next following the
first day of January, the fourth day of July or the twenty-fifth
day of December whenever any of such holidays shall occur on a
Saturday with like effect hereunder as though such day had been
designated as a full holiday by the provisions of this act.
Section 2. The Governor shall designate Patriot Day as a
legal holiday so that Patriot Day may be classified as a fixed
holiday for purposes of section 113(a)(ix) of the act of
November 30, 1965 (P.L.847, No.356), known as the Banking Code
of 1965.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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