PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1132, 2060 PRINTER'S NO. 2143
No. 976 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY EARLL, KUKOVICH, COSTA, BRIGHTBILL, WAGNER,
SALVATORE, BODACK, BOSCOLA, MELLOW, O'PAKE, RHOADES, LEMMOND,
SCHWARTZ AND SLOCUM, MAY 13, 1999
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS, SEPTEMBER 26, 2000
AN ACT
1 Requiring the Department of Community and Economic Development
2 to require a certification that a developer has no delinquent
3 municipal taxes within certain taxing districts, outstanding
4 utility bills or any fines or fees owed to the municipality
5 as part of a grant or loan from the department.; providing <--
6 for the Census 2000 Enhanced Participation Program; and
7 making an appropriation.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Certification required.
11 The Department of Community and Economic Development shall
12 require, in cases where a municipality, county, authority or
13 quasi-governmental agency accepts an award from the department
14 and passes this award on to a private developer, a certification
15 that the developer has no delinquent taxes to any of the taxing
16 districts where the development project is proposed to be
17 located, any municipal utility bills or any fines or fees owed
18 to the municipality that are more than one year outstanding.
19 This certification shall be in form and content developed by the
20 department and shall be executed by an authorized officer of the
1 developer. This certification shall be included as part of any
2 closing document of the grant or loan from the department.
3 Section 2. Census 2000 Enhanced Participation Program. <--
4 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established as part of
5 the Center for Local Government Services within the Department
6 of Community and Economic Development the Census 2000 Enhanced
7 Participation Program.
8 (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this program is to enhance the
9 participation of Pennsylvanians in the 2000 Census and to ensure
10 the most accurate count possible.
11 (c) Priority.--The department shall give priority to areas
12 with low participation rates, areas that have been historically
13 undercounted and other areas which the department determines
14 have a likelihood of being undercounted.
15 (d) Use of funds.--The department may use the funds
16 appropriated under section 4 for any of the following:
17 (1) Hiring of and grants to municipalities for hiring of
18 temporary workers, and related expenses of visitation and
19 encouragement of citizens to fill out and return census
20 forms.
21 (2) Advertisement and promotion and grants to
22 municipalities for advertisement and promotion of filling out
23 and returning census forms.
24 (3) Other costs associated with fulfillment of the
25 purpose of this section.
26 (e) Expedited grant process.--Due to the timeliness and
27 importance of an accurate census count, the department shall
28 provide an expedited process for awarding of grants. Under this
29 process, the department shall make a determination on any grant
30 application within two weeks of an application by a municipality
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1 for a grant.
2 Section 3 2. Definitions. <--
3 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
4 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
5 context clearly indicates otherwise:
6 "Delinquent." Taxes shall be considered delinquent on
7 December 31 of each calendar year for all taxing districts.
8 "Department." The Department of Community and Economic <--
9 Development of the Commonwealth.
10 "Municipal utility bills." Utility bills for services
11 provided by a utility which is wholly owned and operated by a
12 municipality or municipal authority. The term shall include, but
13 not be limited to, water, sewer and solid waste disposal utility
14 bills.
15 Section 4. Appropriation. <--
16 The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
17 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Community
18 and Economic Development to carry out the provisions of this
19 act.
20 Section 5. Expiration.
21 Section 2 shall expire on June 10, 2001, unless extended by
22 the General Assembly.
23 Section 6. Effective date.
24 This act shall take effect as follows:
25 (1) Section 1 shall take effect in 60 days.
26 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect
27 immediately.
28 SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. <--
29 THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT JANUARY 1, 2001.
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