THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY SMUCKER, VOGEL, ROBBINS, YAW, BROWNE, FOLMER, TOMLINSON, SCARNATI, RAFFERTY, BRUBAKER, ALLOWAY, COSTA, WAUGH, BAKER, EARLL AND MENSCH, JANUARY 21, 2011

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, JANUARY 21, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending Title 74 (Transportation) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the authority of

the department; and providing for logging of certain aircraft

flights.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Sections 5301(b) and 5302 of Title 74 of the

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

§ 5301.  Authority of department.

* * *

(b)  Specific powers.--The department is authorized to:

(1)  Provide for the examination, rating and licensing of

airports.

(2)  Operate and maintain airports which are owned or

leased by the Commonwealth and encourage and assist in the

establishment and construction of other airports.

(3)  Expend moneys appropriated to it for the purposes of

the administration of this part, including proceeds from

aviation fuel excise taxes and fines arising from violations

of Chapter 57 (relating to obstructions to aircraft

operation) from time to time in the Aviation Restricted

Account.

(4)  Accept and expend money, property or other things of

value received from the Federal Government or from any other

source for the making of surveys and plans and the purchase

of lands for and the construction of airports.

(5)  Expend Commonwealth funds for search and rescue

operations and organ transport by the civil air patrol, and

educational materials and equipment related thereto.

(6)  Encourage and assist in the establishment and

construction of airports.

(7)  Provide for the licensing of commercial operators.

If the department should fail to exercise this power, or if

it should discontinue its use, it shall publish notice

thereof in the Pennsylvania Bulletin at least 60 days prior

to its discontinuance.

(8)  Provide for education and training in crash fire

rescue operations.

(9)  Provide for placement of appropriate runway

markings, hazard markings and highway directional signing.

(10)  Oversee flight operations of all aircraft purchased

or leased and maintained by it for use by Commonwealth

agencies and the General Assembly. Such oversight shall

require the submission of preflight documentation to the

department prior to the approval of a flight request.

* * *

§ 5302.  Aircraft for official use.

(a)  General rule.--The department may purchase or lease and

maintain aircraft required for the proper conduct of the

business of the Commonwealth agencies and the General Assembly.

The total cost, including all ordinary and necessary expenses

for the use of such aircraft, shall be charged by the department

to the using agency or the General Assembly. The amount of such

charge shall be paid into the Aviation Restricted Account and be

credited to the amounts appropriated therefrom for the use of

the department. All amounts so credited are hereby appropriated

to the department for the same purposes as other appropriations

out of the Aviation Restricted Account for the use of the

department.

(b)  Flight log required.--The department shall establish and

maintain a log of executive and passenger flights using aircraft

authorized under this section. This log shall be publicly

accessible on the department's Internet website and shall be

updated monthly. At minimum, the information made available on

the department's Internet website shall include:

(1)  Flight date.

(2)  Flight identification number.

(3)  Agency name.

(4)  Aircraft.

(5)  Originating city.

(6)  Departure time.

(7)  Destination city. If a flight includes more than one

destination city, all destination cities shall be identified

for such a flight.

(8)  Arrival time at and departure time from destination

city.

(9)  All passengers, including first and last names, job

titles, State agency, organization, business or other entity

to which the passenger is affiliated or represents.

(10)  Public purpose of the trip.

(11)  Total hours.

(12)  Invoice amount.

(c)  Manner of posting.--All flight information required by

subsection (b) shall be in plain and easily understandable

language and posted in a way that allows the public to search

the information by the categories enumerated in subsection (b)

(1) through (12).

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