THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GROVE, GILLESPIE, BOYD, BROOKS, CUTLER, GABLER, GODSHALL, HAHN, HARRIS, KAUFFMAN AND SWANGER, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010  

AN ACT

Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the composition

of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 7312(a) of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 7312.  Organization.

This agency shall consist of and be organized substantially

as follows:

(a)  Council.--Primary responsibility for overall policy and

direction of a Statewide civil defense and disaster program and

response capability of the type hereinafter prescribed shall be

vested in a body legally known as the Pennsylvania Emergency

Management Council, which shall be composed of: the Governor,

[Lieutenant Governor,] Adjutant General, Secretary of Health,

Attorney General, General Counsel, Secretary of Community

Affairs, Secretary of Environmental Protection, Secretary of

Transportation, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Public

Welfare, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, Chairman

of the Public Utility Commission, State Fire Commissioner,

Speaker of the House of Representatives, President pro tempore

of the Senate, Minority Leader of the Senate and Minority Leader

of the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House of

Representatives, President pro tempore of the Senate, Minority

Leader of the Senate and Minority Leader of the House of

Representatives may authorize a member of their respective

Houses of the General Assembly to serve in their stead. The

Governor may authorize up to two representatives of business and

industry, up to two representatives of labor, up to two public

members at large and one representative respectively of the

Pennsylvania State Association of County Commissioners, the

Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners, the

Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the

Pennsylvania League of Cities and the Pennsylvania State

Association of Boroughs to be nonvoting members of the council.

The Governor may designate a member to serve as chairman. Five

members shall constitute a quorum.

* * *

Section 2.  Upon the ratification of the amendment to the

Constitution of Pennsylvania abolishing the office of Lieutenant

Governor, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall cause the date

of ratification to be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Section 3.  This act shall take effect as follows:

(1)  Section 1 of this act shall take effect upon

publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin of the ratification

date of the amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania

that abolishes the office of Lieutenant Governor.

(2)  Section 2 of this act and this section shall take

effect immediately.