Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 2258 P.N. 2618

PRINTER'S NO. 2618

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2258

Session of

2022

INTRODUCED BY WARNER, R. BROWN, KEEFER, M. MACKENZIE, MILLARD

AND RYAN, JANUARY 20, 2022

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 20, 2022

AN ACT

Amending the act of February 22, 1855 (P.L.46, No.50), entitled

"An act to incorporate the Farmers' High School of

Pennsylvania," further providing for management by board of

trustees, for membership of board of trustees, name and style

of board and power of board to take and dispose of property

and for first meeting of trustees, term of office and

election to choose successors.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Sections 2, 3 and 5 of the act of February 22,

1855 (P.L.46, No.50), entitled "An act to incorporate the

Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania," are amended to read:

Section 2. Management by board of trustees

The said institution shall be under the management and

government of a board of trustees[, of whom there shall be

thirteen, and seven of whom shall be a quorum, competent to

perform the duties hereinafter authorized and required.]. The

following apply:

(1) The board of trustees shall be composed of thirty-seven

trustees, which shall include thirty-four voting trustees and

three nonvoting trustees who serve ex officio. The composition

of the board of trustees shall be as follows:

(i) The Governor, the Secretary of Education and the

Secretary of Agriculture shall serve as the ex officio members

of the board of trustees.

(ii) Twelve of the trustees shall be designated Commonwealth

trustees and appointed as follows:

(A) Four of the trustees shall be appointed by the Governor,

with the advice and consent of two-thirds of all of the members

of the Senate.

(B) Four of the trustees shall be appointed by the President

pro tempore of the Senate.

of the House of Representatives.

(D) Within six months after the effective date of this

clause, for each of the appointing authorities under this

subparagraph, one appointment shall be made for a term of four

years, one appointment shall be made for a term of three years,

one appointment shall be made for a term of two years and one

appointment shall be made for a term of one year. Annually

thereafter, for each of the appointing authorities under this

subparagraph, one appointment shall be made for a term of four

years.

(iii) Twenty-two trustees shall be elected annually under

the terms and conditions as provided by the by-laws of the

institution.

(2) The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor

General, State Treasurer and the President of The Pennsylvania

State University shall be prohibited from serving on the board

of trustees during their terms of office.

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(3) A simple majority of the voting members of the board of

trustees shall constitute a quorum and shall be required prior

to any official action to be taken by the board of trustees.

Section 3. [Membership of board of trustees; name] Name and

style of board of trustees; power of board to take and dispose

of property

The [Governor, Secretary of the Commonwealth, the President

of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society, and the

principal of the institution, shall each be ex officio a member

of the board of trustees, which said trustees, and their

successors in office, are hereby elected and declared to be]

board of trustees shall be a body politic and corporate in law,

with perpetual succession, by the name, style and title of the

Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, by which name and title

the said trustees, and their successors, shall be able and

capable in law to take by gift, grant, sale or conveyance, by

bequest, devise or otherwise, any estate in any lands, tenements

and hereditaments, goods, chattels or effects, and at pleasure

to alien or otherwise dispose of the same to and for the uses

and purposes of the said institution: provided, however, that

the annual income of the said State, so held, shall at no time

exceed twenty-five thousand dollars; and the said corporation

shall by the same name have power to sue and be sued, and

generally to do and transact all and every business touching or

concerning the premises, or which shall be necessarily

incidental thereto, and to hold, enjoy and exercise all such

powers, authorities and jurisdiction as are customary in the

colleges within this Commonwealth.

[Section 5. First meeting of trustees; term of office;

election to choose successors

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At the first meeting of the board of trustees, the nine names

who are not ex officio members, shall by themselves and by lot

be divided into three classes, of three each, numbered one, two,

and three; the appointment hereby made of class number one shall

terminate on the first Monday of October, 1856, number two on

the first Monday of October, 1857, and number three on the first

Monday of October, 1858; and upon the termination of the office

of such directors, to-wit: on the first Monday of October in

every year, an election shall be held at the institution to

supply their place, and such election shall be determined by the

votes of the members of the executive committee of the

Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society, and the votes of three

representatives duly chosen by each county agricultural society

in this Commonwealth, which shall have been organized at least

three months preceding the time of election, and it shall be the

duty of the said board of trustees to appoint two of their

number as judges to hold the said election, to receive and count

the votes, and return the same to the board of trustees, with

their certificate of the number of votes cast, and for whom,

whereupon the said board shall determine who have received the

highest number of votes, and who are thereby elected.]

Section 2. All acts or parts of acts are repealed to the

extent that they are inconsistent with this act.

Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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