PRINTER'S NO. 426
No. 383 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. LINCOLN, DiCARLO, MILLIRON, ZELLER,
TAYLOR, SHUMAN, McCALL, DAVIS, GREEN, COLE, ZORD, SCHWEDER,
DOMBROWSKI, BELLOMINI, MORRIS, McLANE, WANSACZ AND REED,
FEBRUARY 11, 1975
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, FEBRUARY 11, 1975
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 11, 1971 (P.L.104, No.3), entitled, as
2 amended, "An act providing property tax or rent assistance to
3 certain senior citizens, widows, widowers and permanently
4 disabled persons with limited incomes; establishing uniform
5 standards and qualifications for eligibility to receive
6 assistance; and imposing duties upon the Department of
7 Revenue," providing food stamps to certain persons.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. The title and section 2, act of March 11, 1971
11 (P.L.104, No.3), known as the "Senior Citizens Property Tax
12 Assistance Act," amended December 5, 1973 (No.136), are amended
13 to read:
14 AN ACT
15 Providing property tax, [or] rent and food assistance to certain
16 senior citizens, widows, widowers and permanently disabled
17 persons with limited incomes; establishing uniform standards
18 and qualifications for eligibility to receive assistance; and
19 imposing duties upon the Department of Revenue.
1 Section 2. Declaration of Policy.--In recognition of the
2 severe economic plight of certain senior citizens, widows,
3 widowers and permanently disabled persons who are real property
4 owners or renters with fixed and limited incomes who are faced
5 with rising living costs and constantly increasing tax burdens
6 upon their homesteads, the General Assembly, pursuant to the
7 mandates of the Constitutional Convention of 1968, considers it
8 to be a matter of sound public policy to make special provisions
9 for property tax assistance, [or] rent assistance in lieu of
10 property taxes and food assistance to that class of senior
11 citizens, widows, widowers and permanently disabled persons who
12 are real property taxpayers or renters who are without adequate
13 means of support to enable them to remain in peaceable
14 possession of their homes and relieving their economic burden.
15 Section 2. The act is amended by adding sections to read:
16 Section 4.1. Food Assistance.--(a) Each claimant shall be
17 eligible for food assistance in the form of food stamps.
18 (b) The food stamps shall be mailed to the claimants with
19 the property tax or rent assistance checks and monthly
20 thereafter in accordance with the following schedule:
21 Household Income Monthly Food Assistance
22 $ 0 - $3,499 $25
23 $3,500 - $5,499 $20
24 $5,500 - $7,499 $15
25 Penalty.--Any person who uses or attempts to use the
26 aforementioned food stamps who is not entitled to receive them
27 by virtue of this act shall be guilty of a summary offense and,
28 upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine of not less than one
29 hundred dollars ($100), nor more than one thousand dollars
30 ($1,000) for each separate offense, and, in default of the
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1 payment of such fine, the person shall be imprisoned in the
2 county jail for a period of sixty days.
3 Section 8.1. Funds for Food Assistance.--Claims for food
4 assistance shall be paid fully from the funds derived pursuant
5 to the act of June 15, 1961 (P.L.373, No.207), known as the
6 "Inheritance and Estate Tax Act of 1961."
7 Any salaries and other costs incurred above those salaries
8 and costs presently funded under section 8 of this act shall
9 also be funded from the moneys derived pursuant to the act of
10 June 15, 1961 (P.L.373, No.207), known as the "Inheritance and
11 Estate Tax Act of 1961."
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