PRINTER'S NO. 4379
No. 3159 Session of 1994
INTRODUCED BY RUDY, CLARK, FAIRCHILD, GORDNER, EGOLF, FARGO,
TRELLO, CESSAR, HUTCHINSON, BAKER, HANNA, MIHALICH, TIGUE,
YOUNGBLOOD AND MERRY, NOVEMBER 14, 1994
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NOVEMBER 14, 1994
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798, No.591), entitled
2 "An act providing a fixed charge, payable by the
3 Commonwealth, on lands acquired by the State and the Federal
4 Government for forest reserves, or for the purpose of
5 preserving and perpetuating a portion of the original forests
6 of Pennsylvania, and preserving and maintaining the same as
7 public places and parks; and the distribution of the same for
8 county, school, township, and road purposes in the counties,
9 school districts, and townships where such forests are
10 located; and making an appropriation," further providing for
11 the amount and division of the in-lieu-of-tax payments.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. Section 1 of the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798,
15 No.591), referred to as the Forest Reserves Municipal Financial
16 Relief Law, amended February 24, 1984 (P.L.101, No.20), is
17 amended to read:
18 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That (a) from and after the
19 passage of this act, all lands heretofore or hereafter acquired
20 by the Commonwealth, or by the Government of the United States,
21 for forest reserves or for the purpose of preserving and
22 perpetuating any portion of the original forests of Pennsylvania
1 and preserving and maintaining the same as public places and
2 parks, and which, by existing laws, are now exempt from
3 taxation, and all lands and property heretofore or hereafter
4 acquired for the purpose of conservation of water, or to prevent
5 flood conditions, upon which a tax is imposed by existing laws
6 payable by the Commonwealth, shall hereafter be subject to an
7 annual charge of thirty-five cents per acre, for the benefit of
8 the county in which said lands are located, fifty cents per acre
9 for the benefit of the schools in the respective school
10 districts in which such lands are located, and thirty-five cents
11 per acre for the benefit of the township where such lands are
12 located, which charge shall be payable by the Commonwealth. (b)
13 Except as hereinafter provided, the annual charge payable by the
14 Commonwealth on land acquired by the Government of the United
15 States for forest reserves is to continue only until the
16 receipts of money by treasurers and township supervisors of the
17 said counties and school districts and townships in which
18 national forest reserves are located, provided for in act of
19 April twenty-seventh, one thousand nine hundred twenty-five,
20 Pamphlet Laws, three hundred twenty-four, shall equal or exceed
21 the amount paid by the Commonwealth in lieu of taxes. This
22 subsection shall not apply to the annual charge per acre for the
23 benefit of the county in which the land acquired by the
24 Government of the United States for forest reserves is located
25 for the years one thousand nine hundred fifty-three, one
26 thousand nine hundred fifty-four, one thousand nine hundred
27 fifty-five, one thousand nine hundred fifty-six, and this
28 subsection shall not apply to two and one-half cents of the
29 annual charge per acre for the benefit of the county in which
30 the land acquired by the Government of the United States for
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1 forest reserves is located for any year thereafter. The charges
2 for the benefit of the county for these years shall be paid by
3 the Commonwealth. All charges payable by the Commonwealth under
4 the provisions of this act shall be paid on or before the first
5 day of September of each year.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1994.
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