PRINTER'S NO. 1517
No. 1214 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY BELL, STAPLETON, KUKOVICH, WOZNIAK AND HART,
DECEMBER 3, 1997
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, DECEMBER 3, 1997
AN ACT
1 Providing for the assumption by the Department of Transportation
2 of the operation, maintenance, construction and
3 reconstruction functions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
4 Commission and for the assumption by the Commonwealth of the
5 financing functions of the commission; providing for transfer
6 to the Department of Transportation and the Governor of land,
7 buildings, personal property and employees of the commission;
8 providing for the abolition of the commission and the offices
9 of Turnpike Commissioner; and making repeals.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Short title.
13 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Turnpike
14 Transfer Act.
15 Section 2. Assumption of powers and duties by Department of
16 Transportation.
17 (a) General rule.--The Department of Transportation shall
18 assume all powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
19 Commission which relate to operation, maintenance, construction
20 and reconstruction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and related
21 highways and shall receive all tolls and other money otherwise
1 payable to the commission.
2 (b) Bureau of Toll Roads.--The Bureau of Toll Roads is
3 hereby established in the department to manage the functions
4 assumed by the department under this section. The executive
5 director of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission shall be the
6 acting director of the bureau.
7 (c) Labor agreements.--The Department of Transportation
8 shall honor any collective bargaining agreement in existence
9 between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and any employee
10 organization.
11 Section 3. Assumption of powers and duties by Commonwealth.
12 The Governor, State Treasurer and Auditor General shall
13 assume all powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
14 Commission which relate to issuance and payment of bonds for
15 construction, reconstruction and maintenance of the turnpike.
16 Section 4. Land, buildings, property and employees.
17 (a) Transfer to Department of Transportation.--All land,
18 buildings, personal property and employees of the commission are
19 transferred to the Department of Transportation.
20 (b) Other transportation.--Employees and personal property
21 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission utilized in the bonding
22 process are transferred to the Governor, subject to retransfer
23 as the Governor deems appropriate, to the State Treasurer and
24 Auditor General.
25 Section 5. Assumption of debt.
26 The Commonwealth shall assume the debt evidenced by
27 outstanding bonds of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and
28 may draw upon the tolls received by the Department of
29 Transportation under section 2 for repayment of this debt.
30 Section 6. Commission and commissioners.
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1 The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the offices of
2 Turnpike Commissioner are abolished.
3 Section 7. Statutory reference.
4 On and after the effective date of this act, a reference in
5 any statute to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission shall be
6 deemed to be a reference to the Department of Transportation.
7 Section 8. Repeals.
8 (a) Inconsistent.--The following acts and parts of acts are
9 repealed insofar as they are inconsistent with this act:
10 Act of May 21, 1937 (P.L.774, No.211), referred to as the
11 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Act.
12 Act of May 16, 1940 (Sp.Sess., 1941 P.L.949, No.11), known as
13 the Pennsylvania Turnpike Philadelphia Extension Act.
14 Act of June 11, 1941 (P.L.101, No.53), known as the Western
15 Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension Act.
16 Act of June 21, 1947 (P.L.877, No.367), to authorize and
17 empower the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to combine the
18 Turnpike, the Eastern Extension, and the Western Extension, or
19 any two thereof, for financing purposes under the provisions of
20 this act; authorizing the issuance of Turnpike revenue bonds of
21 the Commonwealth payable solely from tolls; to pay the cost of
22 the Eastern Extension and the Western Extension; paying the cost
23 of the Eastern Extension, or the cost of the Western Extension,
24 or the cost of both; and refunding any Turnpike revenue bonds or
25 Turnpike refunding bonds which have heretofore been issued by
26 the Commission under the provisions of any act heretofore
27 approved, or under the provisions of this act, and which shall
28 then be outstanding, including the payment of any redemption
29 premiums thereon; refunding any revenue bonds or revenue
30 refunding bonds heretofore issued under the provisions of this
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1 act, including the payment of and redemption premiums thereon;
2 authorizing the Commission to fix tolls from time to time for
3 use of the projects so combined; providing for the use of a
4 facsimile of the signature of the Governor, and of the Chairman
5 of the Commission in lieu of their manual signatures, and a
6 facsimile of the official seal of the Commission upon any bonds
7 issued under the provisions of this act, or any other act;
8 authorizing the issuance of bonds for the payment of the
9 construction of any turnpike, and giving certain definitions.
10 Act of May 23, 1951 (P.L.335, No.74), known as the
11 Pennsylvania Turnpike Delaware River Extension Act.
12 Act of August 14, 1951 (P.L.1232, No.282), referred to as the
13 Pennsylvania Turnpike System Financing Act.
14 Act of September 27, 1951 (P.L.1430, No.348), known as the
15 Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeastern Extension Act.
16 Act of January 14, 1952 (1951 P.L.1947, No.547), known as the
17 Pennsylvania Turnpike Gettysburg Extension Act.
18 Act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.706, No.229), known as the
19 Pennsylvania Turnpike Northwestern Extension Act.
20 Act of June 10, 1955 (P.L.157, No.50), known as the
21 Pennsylvania Turnpike Keystone Shortway Act.
22 Act of June 14, 1955 (P.L.174, No.52), known as the
23 Pennsylvania Turnpike Southwestern Extension Act.
24 Act of May 15, 1956 (1955 P.L.1589, No.534), known as the
25 Pennsylvania Turnpike Philadelphia Loop Extension Act.
26 Act of May 17, 1957 (P.L.160, No.73),requiring all tunnels on
27 the Pennsylvania Turnpike to be painted white or lined with a
28 light colored material and be equipped with continuous lighting.
29 Act of September 8, 1959 (P.L.828, No.322),requiring the
30 erection and maintenance of medial barriers or guards on the
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1 Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Donegal and Bedford
2 interchanges.
3 Act of September 15, 1961 (P.L.1305, No.573), authorizing the
4 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to finance and construct
5 certain additional projects on the Pennsylvania Turnpike System.
6 requiring the erection and maintenance of medial barriers or
7 guards on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
8 Act of September 30, 1985 (P.L.240, No.61), known as the
9 Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act.
10 (b) General.--All other acts and parts of acts are repealed
11 insofar as they are inconsistent with this act.
12 Section 9. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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