PRINTER'S NO. 259
No. 226 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY DAWIDA, POTT, PRESTON, MARMION, ITKIN, COWELL, DUFFY, GAMBLE, VAN HORNE, OLASZ, MICHLOVIC, MRKONIC, PETRONE, TRELLO AND PISTELLA, FEBRUARY 16, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 16, 1983
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of August 24, 1951 (P.L.1304, No.315), 2 entitled, as amended, "An act to improve local health 3 administration throughout the Commonwealth by authorizing the 4 creation, establishment and administration of single-county 5 or joint-county departments of health in all counties; 6 exempting certain municipalities from the jurisdiction of 7 single-county or joint-county departments of health; 8 permitting the dissolution of departments or boards of health 9 in certain municipalities; authorizing State grants to 10 counties which establish departments of health and to certain 11 municipalities if they meet prescribed requirements; 12 conferring powers and duties upon the State Department of 13 Health in connection with the creation, establishment and 14 administration of single-county or joint-county departments 15 of health and administration of the health laws in parts of 16 certain municipalities not subject to the jurisdiction of 17 single-county or joint-county departments of health, and the 18 administration of State grants; and repealing an act which 19 confers health powers upon counties of the first class," 20 further providing for State grants to county departments of 21 health and to certain municipalities. 22 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 23 hereby enacts as follows: 24 Section 1. Section 25 of the act of August 24, 1951 25 (P.L.1304, No.315), known as the Local Health Administration 26 Law, amended July 9, 1976 (P.L.533, No.129) and subsection (d) 27 added February 26, 1976 (P.L.26, No.12), is amended to read:
1 Section 25. State Grants to County Departments of Health and
2 to Certain Municipalities.--County departments of health created
3 under this act and municipalities eligible for State grants
4 under the provisions of section 15 of this act shall receive
5 State grants in accordance with the procedure outlined in
6 subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section. [, if sufficient
7 funds have been appropriated to pay the full amount of the
8 grants to which county departments of health and certain
9 municipalities may be entitled under subsections (a), (b) and
10 (c) of this section.
11 In the event that sufficient funds to pay the full amount of
12 the grants to which county departments of health and certain
13 municipalities may be entitled under subsections (a), (b) and
14 (c) of this section have not been appropriated, the State
15 Secretary of Health, with the advice of the Advisory Health
16 Board, shall distribute such funds as are available among county
17 departments of health and municipalities eligible for State
18 grants under section 15 of this act on an equitable basis,
19 without reference to the procedure outlined in subsections (a),
20 (b) and (c) of this section; except that no county department of
21 health or municipality shall receive a grant which exceeds three
22 dollars ($3.00) per year for every person within the
23 jurisdiction of the county department of health or the
24 department or board of health of the municipality.]
25 This section shall not be construed to preclude the State
26 Department of Health from making special grants to county
27 departments of health or to municipalities for emergencies or
28 for other special purposes.
29 (a) Initial Grants. Every county department of health
30 created under this act shall receive an initial grant as
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1 provided in this section [if sufficient funds have been 2 appropriated to pay the full amount of such grant]. 3 The county commissioners or, in the case of a joint-county 4 department of health the joint-county health commission, shall 5 submit to the State Secretary of Health, on forms prescribed by 6 him, an initial estimate of expenditures to cover the operation 7 of the county department of health from the date of its 8 establishment to the end of the calendar year in which it is 9 established. The initial estimate of expenditures shall state 10 the names of the exempt municipalities which have not decided to 11 become subject to the jurisdiction of the county department of 12 health in accordance with section 15 of this act. The estimate 13 shall be submitted within thirty (30) days prior to the date of 14 establishment. 15 The State Secretary of Health shall examine each initial 16 estimate of expenditures and shall deduct therefrom all items 17 which do not represent expenditures within the lawful scope of 18 the powers of the particular county department of health. Upon 19 the total amount of the remaining expenditures, the State 20 Secretary of Health shall compute the initial grant. 21 The initial grant shall equal fifty per cent (50%) of the 22 total of the remaining expenditures, but no initial grant shall 23 exceed the product obtained by multiplying the population of the 24 area within the jurisdiction of the county department of health 25 times the number of months covered by the initial estimate of 26 expenditures times twenty-five cents (25¢). For the purpose of 27 computation, any fraction of a month shall be counted as one 28 month. 29 Thirty (30) days after he has received the initial estimate 30 of expenditures, the State Secretary of Health shall draw a 19830H0226B0259 - 3 -
1 requisition upon the State Auditor General in favor of the 2 particular county department of health for the amount of the 3 initial grant. 4 In the event that a municipality or part of a municipality 5 becomes subject to the jurisdiction of a county department of 6 health in accordance with section 15 of this act after the date 7 of establishment but prior to the first day of October of the 8 same year, the county commissioners or, in the case of a joint- 9 county department of health the joint-county health commission, 10 may submit to the State Secretary of Health, on forms prescribed 11 by him, an estimate of additional expenditures to cover the 12 operation of the county department of health for the balance of 13 the calendar year. The estimate shall state the name of the 14 municipality and the date on which it became subject to the 15 jurisdiction of the county department of health. The State 16 Secretary of Health shall examine the estimate of additional 17 expenditures and shall deduct therefrom all items which do not 18 represent expenditures within the lawful scope of the powers of 19 the particular county department of health. Upon the total 20 amount of the remaining expenditures, the State Secretary of 21 Health shall compute the additional grant. The additional grant 22 shall equal fifty percent (50%) of the total of the remaining 23 expenditures, but no additional grant shall exceed the product 24 obtained by multiplying the population of the municipality or 25 the part of a municipality times the number of months remaining 26 in the calendar year from the date the municipality or the part 27 of a municipality became subject to the jurisdiction of the 28 county department of health times twenty-five cents (25¢). For 29 the purpose of computation, any fraction of a month shall be 30 counted as one month. 19830H0226B0259 - 4 -
1 Fifteen (15) days after he has received the estimate of 2 additional expenditures, the State Secretary of Health shall 3 draw a requisition upon the State Auditor General in favor of 4 the particular county department of health for the amount of the 5 additional grant. 6 (b) Annual Grants. Every county department of health created 7 under this act and every municipality eligible for State grants 8 under section 15 of this act shall receive annual grants from 9 the State as provided in this section[, if sufficient funds have 10 been appropriated to pay the full amount of such grants]. No 11 county department of health shall begin to receive annual grants 12 until the calendar year following the one in which it was 13 established. No municipality shall begin to receive annual 14 grants until the calendar year following the one in which this 15 act takes effect. 16 After the beginning of each calendar year, the county 17 commissioners or, in the case of a joint-county department of 18 health the joint-county health commission, or the executive or 19 executive body of any municipality eligible for State grants 20 under section 15 of this act, shall submit to the State 21 Secretary of Health, at such time as he shall require and on 22 forms prescribed by him, an annual estimate of expenditures of 23 the county department of health or the department or board of 24 health of the municipality. In the case of a county department 25 of health, the annual estimate of expenditures shall state the 26 names of the exempt municipalities which have not decided to 27 become subject to its jurisdiction in accordance with section 15 28 of this act. 29 The State Secretary of Health shall examine each annual 30 estimate of expenditures and shall deduct therefrom all items 19830H0226B0259 - 5 -
1 which do not represent expenditures within the lawful scope of 2 the powers of the particular county department of health or the 3 department or board of health of the municipality. Upon the 4 total amount of the remaining expenditures, the State Secretary 5 of Health shall compute the annual grant. The annual grant shall 6 equal fifty per cent (50%) of the total of the remaining 7 expenditures, but no annual grant shall exceed the product 8 obtained by multiplying the population of the area within the 9 jurisdiction of the county department of health or within the 10 jurisdiction of the department or board of health of the 11 municipality times [three dollars ($3.00)] four dollars fifty 12 cents ($4.50). 13 The annual grant shall be paid in four quarterly 14 installments, but the moneys received in any quarter may be used 15 any time during the year. 16 The first installment shall be for the quarter beginning 17 January first and ending March thirty-first; the second 18 installment shall be for the quarter beginning April first and 19 ending June thirtieth; the third installment shall be for the 20 quarter beginning July first and ending September thirtieth; and 21 the fourth installment shall be for the quarter beginning 22 October first and ending December thirty-first. Each installment 23 shall be paid only if it is approved by the State Secretary of 24 Health. The State Secretary of Health shall approve the payment 25 of any quarterly installment of an annual grant to a county 26 department of health or to a municipality eligible under section 27 15 of this act only if he finds: 28 (1) that such county department of health or municipality is 29 complying with any and all regulations of the State Department 30 of Health prescribing minimum public health activities, minimum 19830H0226B0259 - 6 -
1 standards of performance of health services, and standards of 2 personnel administration on a merit basis; and 3 (2) that such county department of health or municipality is 4 accomplishing the purposes described in section 2 of this act. 5 If the State Secretary of Health approves the payment of the 6 first quarterly installment of an annual grant to a county 7 department of health or to a municipality eligible under section 8 15 of this act, he shall draw a requisition for such installment 9 upon the State Auditor General in favor of the county department 10 of health or municipality within fifteen (15) days after he has 11 received the annual estimate of expenditures. If the State 12 Secretary of Health approves the payment of any subsequent 13 quarterly installment of an annual grant to a county department 14 of health or to a municipality eligible under section 15 of this 15 act, he shall draw a requisition for such installment upon the 16 State Auditor General in favor of the county department of 17 health or municipality at least fifteen (15) days before the 18 first day of the quarter for which the payment is to be made. 19 In the event that a municipality or part of a municipality 20 becomes subject to the jurisdiction of a county department of 21 health in accordance with section 15 of this act prior to the 22 first day of September, the county commissioners or, in the case 23 of a joint-county department of health the joint-county health 24 commission, may submit to the State Secretary of Health, on 25 forms prescribed by him, an estimate of additional expenditures 26 to cover the operation of the county department of health for 27 the balance of the calendar year. The estimate shall state the 28 name of the municipality and the date on which it became subject 29 to the jurisdiction of the county department of health. The 30 estimate shall be submitted at least thirty (30) days before the 19830H0226B0259 - 7 -
1 first day of any quarter following the one in which the 2 municipality or the part of a municipality became subject to the 3 jurisdiction of the county department of health. 4 The State Secretary of Health shall examine the estimate of 5 additional expenditures and shall deduct therefrom all items 6 which do not represent expenditures within the lawful scope of 7 the powers of the particular county department of health. Upon 8 the total amount of the remaining expenditures, the State 9 Secretary of Health shall compute the additional grant. The 10 additional grant shall equal fifty percent (50%) of the 11 remaining expenditures, but no additional grant shall exceed the 12 product obtained by multiplying the population of the 13 municipality or the part of a municipality times the number of 14 months remaining in the calendar year from the date the 15 municipality or the part of a municipality became subject to the 16 jurisdiction of the county department of health times twenty- 17 five cents (25¢). For the purpose of computation, any fraction 18 of a month shall be counted as one month. The additional grant 19 shall be added to and become part of the balance of the annual 20 grant remaining to be paid. 21 (c) Adjustment of Initial and Annual Grants. After the end 22 of every calendar year in which a county department of health or 23 a municipality received an initial grant or all or part of an 24 annual grant, there shall be an adjustment of such initial or 25 annual grant on the basis of the actual expenditures of the 26 county department of health or the department or board of health 27 of the municipality during the year. Any additional grants to 28 which a county department of health or a municipality may be 29 entitled under the provisions of this subsection shall be paid[, 30 if sufficient funds have been appropriated to pay the full 19830H0226B0259 - 8 -
1 amount of such grants]. Within fifteen (15) days after the end 2 of the calendar year, the county commissioners or, in the case 3 of a joint-county department of health the joint-county health 4 commission, or the executive or executive body of the 5 municipality, shall submit to the State Secretary of Health, on 6 forms prescribed by him, a sworn, itemized statement of all the 7 expenditures made by the county department of health or the 8 department or board of health of the municipality during the 9 previous year. The statement shall show the dates on which the 10 expenditures were made and shall indicate which of the 11 expenditures were made out of any special grants received from 12 the State or out of any grants received directly from the 13 Federal Government. In the case of a county department of 14 health, the statement shall indicate the name of any 15 municipality which became subject to its jurisdiction in 16 accordance with section 15 of this act and the date on which the 17 municipality became subject to its jurisdiction. 18 The State Secretary of Health shall examine each statement 19 and shall deduct therefrom all the expenditures made during any 20 quarter or quarters of the calendar year for which no 21 installments of an annual grant were paid to the county 22 department of health or municipality because of its failure to 23 comply with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section. 24 He shall then deduct from the remaining expenditures: (1) those 25 items paid for out of any special grants received from the 26 State; (2) those items paid for out of any grants received 27 directly from the Federal Government; and (3) those items which 28 do not represent expenditures made within the lawful scope of 29 the powers of the county department of health or the department 30 or board of health of the municipality. Upon the total amount of 19830H0226B0259 - 9 -
1 the remaining expenditures, the State Secretary of Health shall 2 compute the adjusted initial or annual grant. 3 The adjusted initial grant shall equal either (1) fifty per 4 cent (50%) of the total of the remaining expenditures, or (2) 5 the product obtained by multiplying the population of the area 6 within the jurisdiction of the county department of health at 7 the time of its establishment times the number of months for 8 which the initial grant was paid as determined in subsection (a) 9 of this section times twenty-five cents (25¢), whichever figure 10 is the lower. In the event that a municipality or part of a 11 municipality became subject to the jurisdiction of the county 12 department of health during the year in accordance with section 13 15 of this act, there shall be added to the amount arrived at by 14 applying the formula set out in clause (2) of this paragraph the 15 product obtained by multiplying the population of the 16 municipality or the part of a municipality times the number of 17 months it was subject to the jurisdiction of the county 18 department of health times twenty-five cents (25¢). For the 19 purpose of computation, any fraction of a month shall be counted 20 as one month. 21 In the case of a county department of health, the adjusted 22 annual grant shall equal either (1) fifty per cent (50%) of the 23 total of the remaining expenditures, or (2) the product obtained 24 by multiplying the population of the area within the 25 jurisdiction of the county department of health at the beginning 26 of the calendar year times the number of quarters for which 27 installments of the annual grant were paid times seventy-five 28 cents (75¢), whichever figure is the lower. In the event that a 29 municipality or part of a municipality became subject to the 30 jurisdiction of the county department of health during the year 19830H0226B0259 - 10 -
1 in accordance with section 15 of this act, there shall be added 2 to the amount arrived at by applying the formula set out in 3 clause (2) of this paragraph the product obtained by multiplying 4 the population of the municipality or the part of a municipality 5 times the number of months during which it was subject to the 6 jurisdiction of the county department of health times twenty- 7 five cents (25¢); except that any month which fell in a quarter 8 for which no installment of the annual grant was paid to the 9 county department of health shall not be counted. For the 10 purpose of computation any fraction of a month shall be counted 11 as one month. 12 In the case of a municipality, the adjusted annual grant 13 shall equal either (1) fifty percent (50%) of the total of the 14 remaining expenditures, or (2) the product obtained by 15 multiplying the population of the area within the jurisdiction 16 of the department or board of health of the municipality times 17 the number of months during which it was not subject to the 18 jurisdiction of a county department of health times twenty-five 19 cents (25¢), whichever figure is the lower. In applying the 20 formula set out in clause (2) of this paragraph, any month which 21 fell in a quarter for which no installment of the annual grant 22 was paid to the municipality shall not be counted. For the 23 purpose of computation any fraction of a month shall be counted 24 as one month. 25 If the adjusted initial or annual grant exceeds the initial 26 or annual grant actually received by a county department of 27 health or a municipality, the State Secretary of Health shall, 28 within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the statement of 29 expenditures, draw a requisition upon the State Auditor General 30 in favor of such county department of health or municipality for 19830H0226B0259 - 11 -
1 the amount by which the adjusted initial or annual grant exceeds 2 the initial or annual grant actually received. 3 If the adjusted initial or annual grant is less than the 4 initial or annual grant actually received by a county department 5 of health or a municipality, the State Secretary of Health shall 6 charge the amount by which the initial or annual grant actually 7 received exceeds the adjusted initial or annual grant against 8 one or more installments of the next annual grant. If any 9 subsequent installment of the annual grant is not paid to the 10 particular county department of health or municipality because 11 of the failure of the county department of health or 12 municipality to comply with the requirements of subsection (b) 13 of this section, or because the municipality has decided to 14 become subject to the jurisdiction of a county department of 15 health in accordance with section 15 of this act, the State 16 Secretary of Health may require a refund of such amount to the 17 State. 18 (d) Environmental Health Services.--The Commonwealth shall 19 pay an additional annual grant of [not more than] seventy-five 20 cents (75¢) per capita resident to each county department of 21 health or department or board of health of a municipality 22 eligible for grants under this act for environmental health 23 services provided by the county or municipality. 24 As used in this subsection "environmental health services" 25 means services such as but not limited to air and noise 26 pollution control, restaurant and wholesale food inspection, 27 rodent and vector control, water and sewage inspection, housing 28 code enforcement and other similar services in addition to other 29 local health grants for public health services. 30 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A21L35WMB/19830H0226B0259 - 12 -