PRINTER'S NO. 896
No. 776 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY FAIRCHILD, GRUCELA, SAYLOR, SOLOBAY, GOODMAN, BAKER, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CARROLL, COHEN, CONKLIN, COSTA, COX, CREIGHTON, CURRY, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GRELL, HARHART, HARPER, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, M. KELLER, KILLION, KOTIK, KULA, LEACH, MAJOR, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McILHATTAN, MENSCH, METCALFE, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER, MOUL, MOYER, MURT, MUSTIO, NAILOR, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PEIFER, PETRARCA, PETRONE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, RAPP, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, STERN, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, TANGRETTI, TRUE, WALKO, J. WHITE AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 19, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 19, 2007
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), entitled, 2 as amended, "An act relating to counties of the first, third, 3 fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth classes; amending, 4 revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating 5 thereto; relating to imposition of excise taxes by counties, 6 including authorizing imposition of an excise tax on the 7 rental of motor vehicles by counties of the first class; and 8 providing for regional renaissance initiatives," further 9 providing for flags and grave markers of certain deceased 10 service persons. 11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 12 hereby enacts as follows: 13 Section 1. Section 1913(a), (f) and (g) of the act of August 14 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code, amended 15 July 25, 1975 (P.L.95, No.48), are amended to read:
1 Section 1913. Markers for Graves; Headstones.--(a) The 2 county commissioners of each county shall, from time to time as 3 they consider expedient, procure appropriate markers for the 4 graves of deceased service persons and the graves of all other 5 deceased persons who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine 6 Corps, Coast Guard or Merchant Marine during World War II, or 7 any organization officially connected therewith and whose 8 separation from such service was honorable, whether by discharge 9 or otherwise. Such markers shall be of cast bronze but no board 10 of commissioners shall be required to discard any markers of 11 other materials already purchased, whether or not already 12 installed. No new markers shall, in the future, be purchased of 13 metal other than cast bronze. Suitable nonmetal substitutes may 14 be used during periods of national emergency, so proclaimed by 15 the President of the United States, when all available metals 16 are required for war materials. 17 * * * 18 (f) The county commissioners of each county are hereby 19 authorized and directed to place a marker upon the grave of each 20 deceased service person and the graves of all other deceased 21 persons who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, 22 Coast Guard or Merchant Marine during World War II, or any 23 organization officially connected therewith and whose separation 24 from such service was honorable, whether by discharge or 25 otherwise, who at the time of his or her death had his or her 26 legal residence in the county, whether or not he or she died in 27 the county, and whether or not he or she was buried in the 28 county, and upon the grave of each deceased service person 29 buried in the county, who at the time of his or her death did 30 not have a legal residence within this Commonwealth. When such 20070H0776B0896 - 2 -
1 deceased service person shall have been a veteran of any war or 2 campaign for which the Government of the United States issued 3 discharge buttons, the markers designated for their graves shall 4 include a facsimile of said discharge button. When such markers 5 are upright flag holders they shall consist of cast bronze or 6 any other weather resistant material. When such deceased service 7 person shall have been a veteran of the Korean Conflict, the 8 markers designated for their graves shall include a circular 9 emblem with the words "Korea, U.S., 1950-1953" in the border 10 thereof, and shall incorporate the insignia of the Army, Navy, 11 Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, in the form approved 12 by the State Veterans' Commission. 13 (g) It shall be the duty of the county commissioners of each 14 county, upon or at any time subsequent to the death of any 15 deceased service person and the graves of all other deceased 16 persons who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, 17 Coast Guard or Merchant Marine during World War II, or any 18 organization officially connected therewith and whose separation 19 from such service was honorable, whether by discharge or 20 otherwise, who at the time of his or her death had his or her 21 legal residence in the county, on application as hereinafter 22 provided, to cause a headstone or bronze memorial tablet to be 23 placed at the head of or on the grave of each such deceased 24 service person. 25 * * * 26 Section 2. Section 1922(a) of the act, amended June 12, 1986 27 (P.L.253, No.66), is amended to read: 28 Section 1922. Flags to Decorate Graves.--(a) It shall be 29 the duty of the county commissioners to provide flags on each 30 Memorial Day with which to decorate the graves of all deceased 20070H0776B0896 - 3 -
1 service persons and the graves of all other deceased persons who 2 served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard 3 or Merchant Marine during World War II, or any organization 4 officially connected therewith and whose separation from such 5 service was honorable, whether by discharge or otherwise, buried 6 within the county. The flags to be used for such purposes shall 7 be of one standard size, colorfast and American made, and shall 8 be purchased at the expense of the county from moneys in the 9 county treasury. 10 * * * 11 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. B8L16JLW/20070H0776B0896 - 4 -