PRINTER'S NO.  904

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

866

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY AUMENT, BAKER, BEAR, BOBACK, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DAVIS, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HARRIS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, M.K. KELLER, KULA, MAJOR, MALONEY, MARSHALL, MILLER, PICKETT, PYLE, QUINN, REICHLEY, SCHRODER, STERN, TOEPEL AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 1, 2011

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MARCH 1, 2011  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Amending the act of December 15, 1955 (P.L.865, No.256),

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entitled "An act requiring rents and royalties from oil and

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gas leases of Commonwealth land to be placed in a special

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fund to be used for conservation, recreation, dams, and flood

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control; authorizing the Secretary of Forests and Waters to

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determine the need for and location of such projects and to

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acquire the necessary land," providing for annual report; and

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making editorial changes.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  The title of the act of December 15, 1955

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(P.L.865, No.256), entitled "An act requiring rents and

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royalties from oil and gas leases of Commonwealth land to be

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placed in a special fund to be used for conservation,

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recreation, dams, and flood control; authorizing the Secretary

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of Forests and Waters to determine the need for and location of

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such projects and to acquire the necessary land," is amended to

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read:

 


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AN ACT

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Requiring rents and royalties from oil and gas leases of

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Commonwealth land to be placed in a special fund to be used

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for conservation, recreation, dams, and flood control;

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authorizing the Secretary of [Forests and Waters]

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Conservation and Natural Resources to determine the need for

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and location of such projects and to acquire the necessary

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land.

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Section 2.  Section 1 of the act is repealed:

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[Section 1.  All rents and royalties from oil and gas leases

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of any land owned by the Commonwealth, except rents and

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royalties received from game and fish lands, shall be placed in

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a special fund to be known as the "Oil and Gas Lease Fund" which

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fund shall be exclusively used for conservation, recreation,

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dams, or flood control or to match any Federal grants which may

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be made for any of the aforementioned purposes.]

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Section 3.  The act is amended by adding sections to read:

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Section 1.1.  Short title.

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This act shall be known and may be cited as the Oil and Gas

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Lease Fund Act.

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Section 1.2.  Definitions.

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The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

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have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

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context clearly indicates otherwise:

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"Department."  The Department of Conservation and Natural

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Resources of the Commonwealth.

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"Fund."  The Oil and Gas Lease Fund.

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"Secretary."  The Secretary of Conservation and Natural

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Resources of the Commonwealth.

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Section 1.3.  Deposit of rents and royalties.

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All rents and royalties from oil and gas leases of any land

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owned by the Commonwealth, except rents and royalties received

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from game and fish lands, shall be placed in a special fund to

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be known as the Oil and Gas Lease Fund which fund shall be

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exclusively used for conservation, recreation, dams or flood

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control or to match any Federal grants which may be made for any

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of those purposes.

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Section 4.  Sections 2 and 3 of the act are amended to read:

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Section 2.  Powers and duties of secretary.

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It shall be within the discretion of the [Secretary of

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Forests and Waters] secretary to determine the need for and the

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location of any project authorized by this act. The [Secretary

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of Forests and Waters] secretary shall have the power to acquire

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in the name of the Commonwealth by purchase, condemnation or

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otherwise such lands as may be needed.

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Section 3.  Use of fund.

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All the moneys from time to time paid into the ["Oil and Gas

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Lease Fund"] fund are specifically appropriated to the

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[Department of Forests and Waters] department to carry out the

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purposes of this act.

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Section 5.  The act is amended by adding sections to read:

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Section 4.  Annual report.

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The department shall publish on its Internet website a

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detailed annual report of all moneys deposited into and

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expenditures made from the fund as authorized by section 1.3.

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The report shall include the total revenues collected as well as

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any expenditures made by the department during the prior fiscal

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year. The report shall also include a detailed description of

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each expenditure, including, but not limited to, agency

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transfers or related projects and the municipalities in which

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each expenditure occurred.

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Section 5.  Effective date.

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This act shall take effect immediately.

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Section 6.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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