PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 771 PRINTER'S NO. 870
No. 720 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY STAPLETON, AMMERMAN, DWYER, HOLL, MANBECK,
STAUFFER, LENTZ, ORLANDO, MOORE AND TILGHMAN, JUNE 3, 1975
SENATOR STAPLETON, AGRICULTURE, AS AMENDED, JUNE 10, 1975
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 22, 1959 (P.L.1978, No.728),
2 entitled, as amended, "An act providing for and regulating
3 harness racing with pari-mutuel wagering on the results
4 thereof; creating the State Harness Racing Commission as a
5 departmental administrative commission within the Department
6 of Agriculture and defining its powers and duties; providing
7 for the establishment and operation of harness racing plants
8 subject to local option; imposing taxes on revenues of such
9 plants; disposing of all moneys received by the commission
10 and all moneys collected from the taxes; authorizing
11 penalties; and making appropriations," further providing for
12 an appointment by the Secretary of Agriculture to a committee
13 for the determination of certain agricultural research
14 projects.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. Subsection (e) of section 16, act of December 22,
18 1959 (P.L.1978, No.728), referred to as the State Harness Racing
19 Law, amended December 30, 1974 (No.364), is amended to read:
20 Section 16. Disposition and Appropriation of Funds Accruing
21 under the Provisions of this Act.--* * *
22 (e) In the event there is in the Pennsylvania Fair Fund an
23 excess over the amount required to make payments specified in
24 subsection (d) above, such excess shall be distributed as
1 follows: no more than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000),
2 to be used by the Department of Agriculture for marketing and
3 consumer service programs; no more than four hundred thousand
4 dollars ($400,000), for agricultural research projects, as
5 determined by a committee to include in its membership, the
6 Secretary of Agriculture, the chairman or his designate and a <--
7 minority member of the Agriculture Committee of the Senate, the
8 chairman or his designate and a minority member of the <--
9 Agriculture Committee of the House of Representatives, [six
10 persons designated by the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm
11 Organizations,] the chairman of the State Harness Racing
12 Commission or his designate, [one person designated by the
13 Pennsylvania Canners and Fruit Processors Association, one
14 person designated by the Pennsylvania Association of County
15 Fairs] and [three persons] one person designated by the
16 Secretary of Agriculture from his staff. THE MEMBERS OF THE <--
17 SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE
18 COMMITTEE CREATED IN THIS SECTION MAY DESIGNATE ANY MEMBER OF
19 THE SENATE OR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, RESPECTIVELY, TO ACT
20 IN THEIR STEAD TO SERVE AT THEIR DISCRETION ON THE COMMITTEE. A
21 QUORUM TO CONDUCT ANY BUSINESS OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL CONSIST OF
22 A MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
23 THE COMMITTEE SHALL ANNUALLY ELECT A CHAIRMAN AT THE FIRST
24 MEETING OF EACH YEAR. WHENEVER THE CHAIRMAN IS NOT PRESENT FOR
25 ANY MEETING, THE MEMBERS SHALL ELECT A TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN FOR
26 PURPOSES OF CONDUCTING THE MEETING.
27 IF THE CHAIRMAN SHOULD REFUSE TO CALL A MEETING, A MAJORITY
28 OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MAY CALL A MEETING UPON GIVING
29 SEVENTY-TWO HOURS NOTIFICATION OF THE TIME AND PLACE OF THE
30 MEETING TO EACH MEMBER.
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1 There are hereby created subcommittees, the members of which
2 shall consist of the Secretary of Agriculture or his designate,
3 the chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Senate or his
4 designate, the chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the
5 House of Representatives or his designate, and a member
6 designated by the group representing the producers involved in
7 the research project which shall meet annually in the month of
8 September to evaluate research projects and report their
9 findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and
10 the members of the committee.
11 In the event the amount of money in the Pennsylvania Fair
12 Fund is less than is required to make payments specified in
13 subsection (d) above, the amount granted to each recipient shall
14 be reduced proportionately.
15 * * *
16 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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