Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 1, 2021 12:32 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Marty Flynn |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Blighted Cemeteries |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that provides a mechanism for neglected burial grounds to be rehabilitated and maintained in communities across Pennsylvania. Unkept burial grounds are not only an eyesore to the community, but also are an affront to the dignity of those laid to rest therein. Current law governing neglected burial grounds was enacted in 1923 and is woefully outdated and inadequate. My legislation updates the language with a clear path to address and restore blighted, unsightly burial grounds. The legislation clarifies the process by which residents may bring forward concerns about a community cemetery, including that petitioners must reside in the municipality in which the respective burial ground is located. The Court of Common Pleas in the county in which the burial ground sits will then order the local governing body of the municipality to remove any overgrowth and blight to return the grounds to good condition. The clean up of the burial grounds is to occur twice annually. Finally, the legislation removes an outdated provision capping expenditures at $30 per burial ground. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to clean up and restore dignity to burial grounds across the Commonwealth. |