THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GODSHALL, BOYD, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, DENLINGER, GOODMAN, GROVE, HALUSKA, HARPER, HENNESSEY, KORTZ, KOTIK, McILVAINE SMITH, MENSCH, MILLER, MURT, MYERS, PETRI, PICKETT, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH, SWANGER AND J. TAYLOR, MARCH 10, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 10, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," providing for State reimbursement for

mobile classroom facilities; and making editorial changes.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 2574(a) of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,

amended September 29, 1959 (P.L.992, No.407), is amended to

read:

Section 2574.  Approved Reimbursable Rental for Leases

Hereafter Approved and Approved Reimbursable Sinking Fund

Charges on Indebtedness.--(a)  For school building projects for

which the general construction contract is awarded subsequent to

March 22, 1956, and for approved school building projects for

which the general construction contract was awarded but for

which a lease was not approved by the Department of [Public

Instruction] Education prior to March 22, 1956, the Department

of [Public Instruction] Education shall calculate an approved

reimbursable rental or approved reimbursable sinking fund

charges. Reimbursable sinking fund charges may include charges

for temporary indebtedness within constitutional limitations, if

the indebtedness is incurred for approved permanent improvements

to the school plant including the cost of acquiring a suitable

site for a school building, the cost of constructing a new

school building, or the cost of providing needed additions or

alterations to existing buildings for which no bond issue is

provided and for which an approved obligation or obligations

other than bonds have been issued and the obligation or

obligations are payable within five (5) years from the date of

issue of the obligation in equal annual installments. Nothing in

this section or in the Department of Education guidelines shall

prohibit a school district from receiving reimbursement for

approved building improvements, including the cost of acquiring

a suitable site for a school building, the cost of constructing

a new school building or the cost of providing needed additions

or alterations to existing buildings, if a school district

elects not to remove any relocatable or modular classroom

utilized after the completion of a building project. The term

"relocatable or modular classroom" shall mean a classroom not of

a permanent nature which meets the criteria and specifications

of the Department of Education.

Approved reimbursable rental or sinking fund charge shall

consist of that part of the annual rental or sinking fund charge

attributable to--

(1)  The cost of acquiring the land upon which the school

buildings are situate, the cost of necessary rough grading to

permit proper placement of the building upon said land and the

cost of sewage treatment plants, as required by the Department

of Health, to the extent that such costs are deemed reasonable

by the Department of [Public Instruction] Education and the

interest on such costs of acquisition, grading and sewage

treatment plants earned subsequent to date the construction

contract is awarded, and

(2)  The approved building construction cost and the interest

on such construction cost.

* * *

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.