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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 6, 2015 03:48 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Michael K. Hanna |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Increasing Payment In Lieu of Taxes for Taxing Bodies that Host State-Owned Forest Lands. |
| In the near future I intend to introduce legislation that would amend the Forest Reserves Municipal Financial Relief Law of 1929 to increase the payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) to counties, school districts and townships that host forest lands owned by the Commonwealth. The Forest Reserves Municipal Financial Relief Law currently mandates that the Commonwealth pay a specific amount per acre to each county, township, and school district for acreage acquired for forest reserves, perpetuating original forests, preserving and maintaining public places and parks, and for water conservation or flood prevention. In 1995, I prime sponsored legislation that became law to double the total PILT from 60¢ per acre to $1.20 per acre, or more specifically, from 20¢ per acre to 40¢ per acre for each of the three taxing bodies. In 2006, legislation passed to increase the 1995 PILT from a total of $1.20 per acre to $3.60 per acre. As many of you are aware, the PILT has not been increased since then. This legislation would update the almost decade-old PILT by increasing it to a total of $7.20 per acre, which would be divided equally among the taxing bodies for a total of $2.40 per acre for each. My bill is important to many counties, municipalities and school districts that depend on the real estate tax for the bulk of their necessary operating revenue but are increasingly stressed by the high proportion of real estate that is owned by the Commonwealth and is thus tax-exempt. Please join me by cosponsoring this much needed change to our law. Thank you in advance for your consideration. If you have any questions, please contact Lynette Perkins via e-mail at LMPerkins@pahouse.net or via phone at 717-772-2283. |
Introduced as HB1224