PRINTER'S NO. 1566
No. 1355 Session of 1987
INTRODUCED BY PRESTON, CESSAR, OLASZ, COWELL, PISTELLA, DeLUCA,
TRELLO, ITKIN, MICHLOVIC, VAN HORNE, PETRONE AND MURPHY,
MAY 12, 1987
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MAY 12, 1987
AN ACT
1 Providing for financial assistance to zoological gardens;
2 providing further duties for the Department of Community
3 Affairs; and making an appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Zoological
8 Gardens Assistance Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Department." The Department of Community Affairs of the
14 Commonwealth.
15 "Zoological garden." An installation for the public display
16 of living animals which is owned, operated or financially
17 assisted by a political subdivision provided that the financial
18 assistance annually is not less than $500,000 or not less than
1 25% of its annual operating costs.
2 Section 3. Grants.
3 (a) Purpose.--The Department of Community Affairs is hereby
4 authorized to make grants for the operation, maintenance and
5 improvement of zoological gardens.
6 (b) Amount.--The amount of the grant to any zoological
7 garden shall be determined by multiplying the number of visitors
8 to the zoological garden during the prior calendar year by 35¢.
9 For a zoological garden located in a city of the first class,
10 the amount granted pursuant to this act shall not exceed
11 $400,000. For a zoological garden located in a city of the
12 second class, the amount shall not exceed $300,000. For all
13 other municipalities, the amount shall not exceed $200,000 in
14 the aggregate. In the event the amount herein appropriated shall
15 be insufficient to pay the full amount of the grants authorized
16 in subsection (a), the grant to each zoological garden shall be
17 proportionately reduced.
18 (c) Certification of visitors.--The principal administrative
19 officer of a zoological garden shall annually certify to the
20 department the number of visitors to the garden during the last
21 year.
22 Section 4. Rules and regulations.
23 The department may, in the manner provided by law, promulgate
24 the rules and regulations reasonably necessary for the
25 administration of this act.
26 Section 5. Appropriation.
27 The sum of $900,000 is hereby appropriated to the Department
28 of Community Affairs for the purpose of making grants authorized
29 in this act for the fiscal year July 1, 1987, to June 30, 1988.
30 Section 6. Effective date.
19870H1355B1566 - 2 -
1 This act shall take effect immediately.
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