PRINTER'S NO. 2767

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2178 Session of 1980


        INTRODUCED BY VROON, CORNELL, PITTS AND E. Z. TAYLOR,
           JANUARY 23, 1980

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 23, 1980

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of July 12, 1972 (P.L.781, No.185), entitled,
     2     as amended, "An act providing debt limits for local
     3     government units, including municipalities and school
     4     districts; providing the methods of incurring, evidencing,
     5     securing and collecting debt; defining the powers and duties
     6     of the Department of Community Affairs and certain other
     7     public officers and agencies with respect thereto; exercising
     8     the inherent legislative authority of the General Assembly by
     9     providing additional over-all limitations on the incurring of
    10     lease rental and other obligations for the acquisition of
    11     capital assets to be repaid from the general tax revenues of
    12     such local government units; imposing penalties for filing
    13     false or untrue statements or refusing to give information
    14     with respect to proceedings for the incurring of debt; and
    15     conferring jurisdiction on the Commonwealth Court with
    16     respect to certain proceedings relating to the incurring of
    17     debt," requiring that certain bonds or notes be sold only at
    18     public sale.

    19     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    20  hereby enacts as follows:
    21     Section 1.  Sections 403(2)(v), 407, 701 and 703, act of July
    22  12, 1972 (P.L.781, No.185), known as the "Local Government Unit
    23  Debt Act," reenacted and amended April 28, 1978 (P.L.124,
    24  No.52), are amended to read:
    25     Section 403.  Contents of Ordinance Authorizing Issuance of


     1  Bonds or Notes or Instruments Evidencing Lease Rental Debt;
     2  Fixing the Date of Incurring Nonelectoral and Lease Rental Debt;
     3  Changes in Purpose of Nonelectoral General Obligation Bonds.--
     4  The ordinance or ordinances or, in the case of notes issued
     5  under section 409, the resolution, authorizing the issuance of
     6  bonds or notes or the execution of a lease, guaranty, subsidy
     7  contract or other agreement evidencing lease rental debt by a
     8  local government unit shall contain, in substance:
     9     * * *
    10     (2)  In every case except that of lease rental debt, the
    11  following:
    12     * * *
    13     (v)  A statement of the manner in which the bonds or notes
    14  are to be [or have been sold and if to be] sold at public
    15  sale[,] and the matters required or permitted by Article VII of
    16  this act [or if to be sold at negotiated sale, there may be
    17  included the matters required or permitted by section 407];
    18     * * *
    19     Section 407.  Award of Bonds or Notes.--When an acceptable
    20  proposal for the purchase of the bonds or notes, or any parcel
    21  thereof offered separately, has been received and is in
    22  conformity with the terms of the official invitation for
    23  proposals [or is an acceptable proposal at negotiated or invited
    24  sale,] and is in compliance with the provisions of this act, it
    25  may be accepted by resolution or by ordinance. If the acceptance
    26  shall be made by resolution, the acceptance shall be conditional
    27  upon compliance with section 403. If the acceptance shall be by
    28  ordinance, the ordinance shall also fix any details of the
    29  series of bonds or notes being sold not fixed by prior
    30  ordinance, and award the bonds or notes, or such of them as have
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     1  been sold, to specified purchasers at prices specified in such
     2  ordinance. Such provisions may be included in the ordinance
     3  adopted pursuant to section 403. Notwithstanding any other
     4  provision of this act or of any other law, as between the local
     5  government unit and the purchasers, an awarding resolution or
     6  ordinance shall be effective upon its final adoption or
     7  enactment by the governing body. The advertisement of the
     8  ordinance prior to enactment shall be sufficient if it describes
     9  the items to be completed from the proposal.
    10     Section 701.  Manner of Sale of Bonds or Notes.--(a)  Except
    11  as otherwise specifically provided in this act and subject to
    12  the following subsection, bonds or notes may be sold only at
    13  public sale [or private sale by negotiation or upon invitation]
    14  and at such price all as the governing body of the issuing local
    15  government unit shall determine. [Bonds or notes may be
    16  conditionally sold before the final details of the series are
    17  fixed.]
    18     (b)  Bonds or notes[, if] sold at public sale, shall be sold
    19  to the highest responsible bidder or bidders after one public
    20  notice by advertisement of either the official notice of sale,
    21  or of the availability of the official notice of sale, in at
    22  least one and not more than two newspapers of general
    23  circulation in the county in which the local government unit is
    24  located. The advertisement may also be published in a financial
    25  journal circulating among the underwriters of securities.
    26  Advertisements shall be published not less than ten nor more
    27  than thirty days prior to the date fixed for opening proposals,
    28  and need not appear on the same date nor successively in each
    29  newspaper journal.
    30     Section 703.  Proposals for Purchase.--Every bid or proposal
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     1  for the public sale of bonds or notes shall be in writing, shall
     2  be properly executed, and[, in] the [case of public sale,] bids
     3  shall be placed in a sealed envelope sufficiently labeled to
     4  indicate that it is a bid or proposal for the bonds or notes
     5  being sold, before being delivered to the officer designated to
     6  receive the same, or to his or her authorized delegate.
     7     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days and shall
     8  apply to all bonds or notes authorized on or after the effective
     9  date of this act.














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