PRINTER'S NO. 357
No. 329 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY PISTELLA, PIPPY, LEDERER, GEIST, GIGLIOTTI,
FAIRCHILD, PESCI, SHANER, HERSHEY, ROBINSON, YOUNGBLOOD,
TRELLO AND E. Z. TAYLOR, FEBRUARY 6, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 6, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act relating to counties of the second class
3 and second class A; amending, revising, consolidating and
4 changing the laws relating thereto," further providing for
5 the membership of boards of managers for monuments and
6 memorials to war veterans.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Sections 2565 and 2566 of the act of July 28,
10 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), known as the Second Class County Code,
11 amended June 19, 1961 (P.L.463, No.232), are amended to read:
12 Section 2565. Personnel.--The board of managers shall
13 consist of:
14 (a) Ex-officio members (five): the president judge of the
15 court of common pleas of such county; the judge of said court
16 next oldest in commission; the county commissioners of the
17 county.
18 (b) Elective members [(fifteen): the present elective
19 members representing the Veterans of the Civil War shall be and
1 continue as members of such board until removed by death,
2 resignation, or otherwise. The remaining members of the elective
3 (fifteen) shall be filled by the following organizations out of
4 their membership: (three) by the county organization of the
5 United Spanish War Veterans; (three)] (twenty-three): the
6 elective members shall be filled by the following veterans'
7 organizations out of their membership: (four) by the county
8 organization of the American Legion; [(three)] (four) by the
9 county organization of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; [(three)]
10 (four) by the county organizations of the Italian American War
11 Veterans of the United States, Incorporated; (two) by the county
12 organization of the Disabled American Veterans; (nine: one,
13 each) by the county organizations of Vietnam Veterans,
14 Incorporated, the American Veterans of World War II, the Jewish
15 War Veterans, the Catholic War Veterans, the Military Order of
16 the Purple Heart, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Korean
17 War Veterans Association, the WAVES National Organization and
18 the Military Order of World Wars; within thirty days from the
19 date when this act becomes effective; and they shall certify
20 such election to the secretary of the existing board, whereupon
21 the persons so elected shall be members of the board.
22 (c) Additional members: the board may extend its membership
23 by adding one member for each group approved under section 2566.
24 Section 2566. Vacancies.--Vacancies occurring among the
25 elective members of the board shall be filled by the
26 organization which chose the members whose place it is desired
27 to fill: Provided, however, That whenever it may appear that it
28 is impossible to fill any vacancy in the board caused by the
29 death or resignation of a member thereof [who represented the
30 Veterans of the Civil War] because no organization survives to
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1 choose such members or no person survives who can qualify for
2 such membership, vacancies so created and existing shall, upon
3 notice from the secretary, be filled by the county organizations
4 of the [United Spanish War Veterans and the] American Legion and
5 the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Italian American War
6 Veterans of the United States, Incorporated. That is to say, the
7 first vacancy so caused shall be filled by the county
8 organization of the [United Spanish War Veterans, the second by
9 the county organization of the] American Legion, and the [third]
10 second by the county organization of the Veterans of Foreign
11 Wars, and the third by the Italian American War Veterans of the
12 United States, Incorporated, and so on in rotation. [That is to
13 say, that when no member representing the Veterans of the Civil
14 War shall remain on said board, the elective personnel of the
15 board shall be as follows: Elective members sixteen; United
16 Spanish War Veterans (four); American Legion (four); Veterans of
17 Foreign Wars (four); Italian American War Veterans of the United
18 States, Incorporated (four).] If there is a loss of membership
19 on the board or if an additional veterans' group seeks
20 membership on the board, the General Assembly shall consider any
21 veterans' group which applies in writing for membership. The
22 General Assembly shall admit a group to membership if all of the
23 following apply:
24 (1) The group is a chartered non-profit veterans'
25 organization whose goals are relevant to the representation of
26 veterans' organizations and whose membership consists solely of
27 honorably discharged veterans of the armed forces of the United
28 States and all components of the armed forces, including reserve
29 and Pennsylvania National Guard forces.
30 (2) The group supports and promotes the Constitution of the
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1 United States and policies and laws of the United States and
2 this Commonwealth.
3 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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