PRINTER'S NO. 1131
No. 994 Session of 1985
INTRODUCED BY PRESTON, TRELLO, PISTELLA, IRVIS, POTT, MARKOSEK,
ITKIN, MICHLOVIC, COWELL AND LEVDANSKY, APRIL 22, 1985
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, APRIL 22, 1985
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265), entitled, as
2 amended, "An act to promote public health, safety, morals,
3 and welfare by declaring the necessity of creating public
4 bodies, corporate and politic, to be known as housing
5 authorities to engage in slum clearance, and to undertake
6 projects, to provide dwelling accommodations for persons of
7 low income; providing for the organization of such housing
8 authorities; defining their powers and duties; providing for
9 the exercise of such powers, including the acquisition of
10 property by purchase, gift or eminent domain, the renting and
11 selling of property, and including borrowing money, issuing
12 bonds, and other obligations, and giving security therefor;
13 prescribing the remedies of obligees of housing authorities;
14 authorizing housing authorities to enter into agreements,
15 including agreements with the United States, the
16 Commonwealth, and political subdivisions and municipalities
17 thereof; defining the application of zoning, sanitary, and
18 building laws and regulations to projects built or maintained
19 by such housing authorities; exempting the property and
20 securities of such housing authorities from taxation; and
21 imposing duties and conferring powers upon the State Planning
22 Board, and certain other State officers and departments,"
23 providing certain additional powers to housing authorities to
24 contract for police services.
25 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26 hereby enacts as follows:
27 Section 1. Section 10 of the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955,
28 No.265), known as the Housing Authorities Law, is amended by
1 adding clauses to read:
2 Section 10. Powers of an Authority.--An Authority shall
3 constitute a public body, corporate and politic, exercising
4 public powers of the Commonwealth as an agency thereof, which
5 powers shall include all powers necessary or appropriate to
6 carry out and effectuate the purpose and provisions of this act,
7 including the following powers, in addition to others herein
8 granted:
9 * * *
10 (gg) In a county of the second class, to appoint police
11 officers who shall have the same rights, powers and duties as
12 other peace officers in the Commonwealth with respect to the
13 property and enforcing order on and adjacent to the grounds and
14 buildings of the Authority: Provided, That said police officers
15 complete the same course of instruction as is required for
16 municipal police officers by the Municipal Police Education and
17 Training Law.
18 (hh) In a county of the second class, to appoint security
19 officers who shall have the same rights, powers and duties as
20 police officers in the Commonwealth in and upon the grounds and
21 buildings of the Authority and in instances of hot pursuit
22 within the boundaries of the county of the second class and who
23 shall be authorized to arrest persons for the commission of any
24 offense and the keepers of the jails and other places of
25 detention in the county of the second class shall receive all
26 persons arrested by such security officers for purposes of
27 detention until they are dealt with according to law: Provided,
28 however, That such security officers successfully complete the
29 course of instruction provided under the Municipal Police
30 Education and Training Law, where applicable. The Authority
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1 shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give reference in
2 hiring security officers first to any person living in public
3 housing and receiving any form of State or Federal public
4 assistance, and second, to any other person living in public
5 housing.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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