THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GABLER, RAPP, ADOLPH, BAKER, BARRAR, BEAR, BENNINGHOFF, BOBACK, BOYD, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, D. COSTA, COX, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALEY, DAVIS, DAY, DEASY, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, GIBBONS, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HARHART, HARKINS, HEFFLEY, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KAVULICH, M.K. KELLER, KILLION, KNOWLES, KORTZ, LAWRENCE, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MARSHALL, METZGAR, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILLER, MILNE, MOUL, MURT, OBERLANDER, O'NEILL, PEIFER, PERRY, PICKETT, PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROCK, SAINATO, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, K. SMITH, STERN, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TOEPEL, VULAKOVICH, WATSON, WHITE AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 17, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 17, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), entitled,

as amended, "An act relating to counties of the first, third,

fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth classes; amending,

revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating

thereto; relating to imposition of excise taxes by counties,

including authorizing imposition of an excise tax on the

rental of motor vehicles by counties of the first class; and

providing for regional renaissance initiatives," further

providing for other meeting expenses paid by counties and for

the office of district attorney in certain counties.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 444 of the act of August 9, 1955

(P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code, amended April 2,

2002 (P.L.209, No.18), is amended to read:

Section 444.  Other Meeting Expenses Paid by Counties.--(a)  

In addition to the expenses hereinbefore authorized, the

necessary expenses of the annual meetings of the associations

hereinafter named, including annual association dues, printing,

committee expenses and stenographical expense, shall be paid in

equal parts by the several counties whose officers are members

of the respective associations.

(b)  In the case of county commissioners, county solicitor

and county clerk, county controllers, county auditors, sheriffs,

register of wills, clerks of orphans' courts, county treasurers,

recorders of deeds, prothonotaries, clerks of courts, public

defenders, district attorneys, jury commissioners and coroners,

the portion of the annual expenses charged to each county of the

third and fourth class shall not exceed six hundred dollars

($600), to each county of the fifth and sixth class, five

hundred dollars ($500), to each county of the seventh and eighth

class, four hundred dollars ($400), and in the case of the

directors of veterans' affairs the portion charged to each

county shall not exceed [one hundred dollars ($100)] four

hundred dollars ($400), and in the case of the probation

officers an annual membership subscription not exceeding ten

dollars ($10) per member shall be paid by the county, and shall

be in lieu of the expenses hereinbefore in this section provided

for other county officers.

Section 2.  Section 1401(i) and (m) of the act, amended July

14, 2005 (P.L.312, No.57), are amended and the section is

amended by adding a subsection to read:

Section 1401.  District Attorney; Qualifications;

Eligibility; Compensation.--* * *

(g.1)  In counties of the eighth class, a full-time district

attorney shall notify the commissioners of the county in writing

of his intention to seek reelection no later than ninety days

prior to the first day for the circulation of nominating

petitions for the office of district attorney. If the full-time

district attorney does not notify the commissioners of the

county that he intends to seek reelection ninety days prior to

the circulation of nominating petitions, the commissioners of

the county may by ordinance fix the services of the district

attorney as part time. An ordinance under this subsection may be

made no later than thirty days prior to the first day for the

circulation of nominating petitions for the office of district

attorney. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g)(2),

if the commissioners of a county elect to fix the services of

the district attorney as part time under this subsection, the

president judge of the court of common pleas shall not have the

authority to order that the office of district attorney shall be

full time.

* * *

(i)  [Once] Except as provided for in subsection (g.1), once 

the office of district attorney becomes full time, it shall not

thereafter be changed.

* * *

(m)  Except as provided in [subsection (g)] subsections (g)

and (g.1), any office of district attorney that is part time on

January 2, 2012, shall become full time as of that date.

* * *

Section  3.  This act shall take effect as follows:

(1)  The amendment of section 444 of the act shall take

effect in 60 days.

(2)  The remainder of this act shall take effect

immediately.