PRINTER'S NO. 2903
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1988
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY GROVE, O'NEAL, KEEFER, LEWIS, OWLETT, RYAN, JONES,
GLEIM, DUSH, BERNSTINE, MILLARD, BARRAR, B. MILLER, MOUL,
STAATS, THOMAS, KAUFFMAN, TOOHIL, WALSH, GILLEN, ECKER,
DIAMOND AND NELSON, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
AN ACT
Providing for the transfer of certain funds and accounts of the
Commonwealth to the General Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the General Fund
Stabilization Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) The General Assembly has adopted a number of special
funds which are funded by State revenue sources or General
Fund tax revenue.
(2) The diversion of General Fund revenue into these
restricted or special funds have a financial impact on the
General Fund.
(3) In order to maintain the cash flow of the General
Fund throughout the fiscal year, the General Assembly has
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borrowed money from these funds, which has to be paid back
with interest in order to prevent an impact on program
funding.
(4) The General Assembly can improve the cash flow of
the General Fund and prevent unnecessary borrowing by moving
these special funds back into the General Fund.
(5) The reduction in borrowing from special funds will
reduce the Commonwealth's overall debt payments.
(6) The transfer of these funds will not impact program
funding established under these special funds.
Section 3. Definitions.
As used in this act, the following words and phrases shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commonwealth agency." An agency or commission of the
executive branch under the policy direction or supervision of
the Governor.
"Restricted account." An account within the General Fund for
designated purposes or programs created by the General Assembly.
Section 4. Transfer of certain special funds into the General
Fund.
(a) Transfers.--Money in the following special funds and
accounts within the State Treasury shall be transferred by the
State Treasurer into restricted accounts under the same name
within the General Fund:
(1) Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Fund.
(2) Conservation District Fund.
(3) Environmental Education Fund.
(4) Environmental Stewardship Fund.
(5) Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund.
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(6) Historical Preservation Fund.
(7) Industrial Sites Cleanup Fund.
(8) Industrial Sites Environmental Assessment Fund.
(9) Job Training Fund.
(10) Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.
(11) Minority Business Development Fund.
(12) Property Tax Relief Fund.
(13) Recycling Fund.
(14) Small Business First Fund.
(15) Solid Waste - Resource Recovery Development Fund.
(16) State Treasury Armory Fund.
(17) Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction
Fund.
(b) Construction.--Nothing in this act shall be construed
to:
(1) Impact or prevent current disbursements from the
funds enumerated in subsection (a) by a Commonwealth agency
as enacted currently into law.
(2) Impact or prevent disbursements contractually agreed
to by a Commonwealth agency under a program created through
the funds enumerated in subsection (a).
(c) Reference.--A reference to a fund enumerated in
subsection (a) under prior law shall be deemed a reference to
the corresponding restricted account established by this
section.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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