Regular Session 2015-2016 Senate Bill 1124 P.N. 1545

PRINTER'S NO. 1545

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

1124

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, FEBRUARY 8, 2016

REFERRED TO APPROPRIATIONS, FEBRUARY 8, 2016

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled

"An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the

executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the

Executive Department thereof and the administrative

departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,

including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or

Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or

authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative

departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and

duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative

officers, and of the several administrative departments,

boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive

and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of

certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and

other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,

and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the

number and compensation of the deputies and all other

assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and

commissions shall be determined," in Commonwealth budget

procedures, providing for General Assembly general

appropriation procedure and further providing for revenue

estimates.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known

as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a

section to read:

Section 613.1. General Assembly General Appropriation

Procedure.--(a) The following deadlines are imposed:

(1) In the first year after the effective date of this

section and each year thereafter, no later than six weeks after

the date of submission of the budget by the Governor to the

General Assembly under section 619(b), the legislation listed in

paragraph (2)(i) shall be introduced in each chamber of the

General Assembly.

(2) In the first year after the effective date of this

section and each year thereafter, no later than the first full

week in May, except in a fiscal year when the Governor is

inaugurated in which case no later than the second full week in

May, the General Assembly shall:

(i) Pass out of at least one chamber all of the following:

(A) A general appropriations bill.

(B) Any preferred appropriations bills required to fund the

various agencies of the Commonwealth.

appropriation of funds provided in the general appropriations

bill.

(D) Any nonpreferred appropriations bills necessary to fund

all institutions of higher education for which the Commonwealth

is required to provide funding.

(E) A bill providing sufficient revenue to fund the items

listed in clauses (A), (B), (C) and (D).

(ii) A final version of all of the legislation listed in

subparagraph (i) shall be passed by the General Assembly and

presented to the Governor for signature no later than June 1 of

the same fiscal year in which the legislation was introduced.

(3) If the Governor vetoes any of the legislation listed in

paragraph (2)(i) and the veto is not reconsidered pursuant to

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section 15 or 16 of Article IV of the Constitution of

Pennsylvania, any bill vetoed and required under paragraph (2)

(i) shall be reintroduced, passed by the General Assembly and

presented to the Governor within two weeks of the date of the

veto.

(b) Failure to enact legislation listed in subsection (a)(2)

(i) on or before June 30 of each year shall:

(1) result in the irrevocable forfeiture of pay by the

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, cabinet members, members of the

General Assembly and all senior staff of the executive and

legislative branches along with forfeiture of any per diem

allowances and expense reimbursements for lodging, meals and

mileage applicable to those officers and employees; and

(2) require the physical presence of all public officials

and employees listed under paragraph (1) in the Main Capitol

Building for the purposes of conducting negotiation sessions

under subsection (c) until the legislation listed in subsection

(a)(2)(i) has been enacted for the applicable fiscal year.

(relating to open meetings) to the contrary, meetings between

the Governor and representatives of the four legislative

caucuses of the General Assembly conducted for the purposes of

negotiating legislation listed in subsection (a)(2)(i) that

occur during a budget impasse shall comply with all of the

following:

(1) Be open to the public.

(2) Occur at a designated location within the Capitol

Complex.

(3) Provide notice one hour prior to any meeting under this

subsection as follows:

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(i) Notice to the supervisor of the newsroom of the State

Capitol Building in Harrisburg for distribution to the members

of the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association with

a minimum of 30 copies of the notice of the date, time and place

of each session, meeting or hearing.

(ii) Posting of the copy of the notice at public places

within the Main Capitol Building designated by the Secretary of

the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Section 2. Section 618 of the act is amended by adding a

subsection to read:

Section 618. Revenue Estimates.--* * *

(a.1) The Department of Revenue, in conjunction with the

Secretary of the Budget, shall make revenue estimates and

periodic revisions available for use by the General Assembly in

preparing a budget until the final estimate is signed by the

Governor, which shall occur no later than the date on which the

Governor signs the general appropriation bill. The initial

estimate shall be available by the second week of February each

year and at least one revised estimate shall be available no

later than May 1.

* * *

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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