PRINTER'S NO. 1399
No. 1151 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY GIBBONS, BAKER, CAPPELLI, COHEN, CREIGHTON,
FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HENNESSEY,
KORTZ, MURT, PICKETT, PYLE, RAMALEY, SOLOBAY, THOMAS AND
YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 23, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 23, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274),
2 entitled "An act establishing the Pennsylvania Commission on
3 Crime and Delinquency, providing for its powers and duties
4 establishing several advisory committees within the
5 commission and providing for their powers and duties,"
6 defining "small county"; providing for the Small County
7 Prosecution Support Grant Program; and making an
8 appropriation.
9 The General Assembly finds that the financial costs
10 associated with prosecuting capital murder cases severely impact
11 the budgets of smaller counties, often depleting or greatly
12 reducing the budgets for murder prosecutions of those counties,
13 and State financial assistance would help alleviate the
14 financial burdens in such cases.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. Section 1 of the act of November 22, 1978
18 (P.L.1166, No.274), referred to as the Pennsylvania Commission
19 on Crime and Delinquency Law, is amended by adding a definition
20 to read:
1 Section 1. Definitions.
2 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
3 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
4 meanings given to them in this section:
5 * * *
6 "Small county." A county of the fourth, fifth, sixth,
7 seventh or eighth class.
8 * * *
9 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
10 Section 8.1. Small County Prosecution Support Grant Program.
11 (a) Establishment.--The Small County Prosecution Support
12 Grant Program is established and shall be administered by the
13 commission. The program shall produce grants to small counties
14 for reimbursement of costs associated with conducting capital
15 murder cases.
16 (b) Timing of grants.--A small county shall be eligible to
17 apply for grants from the commission biennially in February and
18 August in accordance with the grant schedule developed by the
19 commission.
20 (c) Administration.--Grant requests shall be submitted on
21 forms developed by the commission. The commission shall
22 promulgate regulations relating to the review process,
23 administration of the review process, the criteria for grant
24 awards, small county capital prosecution support expenditure
25 requirements and reimbursement guidelines.
26 (d) Amount of grants.--A small county's grant shall be
27 limited to the amount of $50,000 or less per biennial request,
28 and the total grants awarded to any individual small county
29 shall not exceed $100,000 in any 12-month period.
30 Section 3. The sum of $3,500,000 is hereby appropriated to
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1 the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for
2 implementation of the Small County Prosecution Support Grant
3 Program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007.
4 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007, or
5 immediately, whichever is later.
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