PRINTER'S NO. 199
No. 217 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY RUDY, PHILLIPS, TIGUE, COY, BUNT, MILLER, CLARK, BAKER, TRELLO, HUTCHINSON, JADLOWIEC, SURRA, FAIRCHILD, WASHINGTON, RICHARDSON, FARGO, YOUNGBLOOD, BELFANTI AND EGOLF, JANUARY 24, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, JANUARY 24, 1995
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798, No.591), entitled 2 "An act providing a fixed charge, payable by the 3 Commonwealth, on lands acquired by the State and the Federal 4 Government for forest reserves, or for the purpose of 5 preserving and perpetuating a portion of the original forests 6 of Pennsylvania, and preserving and maintaining the same as 7 public places and parks; and the distribution of the same for 8 county, school, township, and road purposes in the counties, 9 school districts, and townships where such forests are 10 located; and making an appropriation," further providing for 11 the amount and division of the in-lieu-of-tax payments. 12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 13 hereby enacts as follows: 14 Section 1. Section 1 of the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798, 15 No.591), referred to as the Forest Reserves Municipal Financial 16 Relief Law, amended February 24, 1984 (P.L.101, No.20), is 17 amended to read: 18 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That (a) from and after the 19 passage of this act, all lands heretofore or hereafter acquired 20 by the Commonwealth, or by the Government of the United States, 21 for forest reserves or for the purpose of preserving and
1 perpetuating any portion of the original forests of Pennsylvania 2 and preserving and maintaining the same as public places and 3 parks, and which, by existing laws, are now exempt from 4 taxation, and all lands and property heretofore or hereafter 5 acquired for the purpose of conservation of water, or to prevent 6 flood conditions, upon which a tax is imposed by existing laws 7 payable by the Commonwealth, shall hereafter be subject to an 8 annual charge of [twenty cents] thirty-five cents per acre, for 9 the benefit of the county in which said lands are located, 10 [twenty cents] fifty cents per acre for the benefit of the 11 schools in the respective school districts in which such lands 12 are located, and [twenty cents] thirty-five cents per acre for 13 the benefit of the township where such lands are located, which 14 charge shall be payable by the Commonwealth. (b) Except as 15 hereinafter provided, the annual charge payable by the 16 Commonwealth on land acquired by the Government of the United 17 States for forest reserves is to continue only until the 18 receipts of money by treasurers and township supervisors of the 19 said counties and school districts and townships in which 20 national forest reserves are located, provided for in act of 21 April twenty-seventh, one thousand nine hundred twenty-five, 22 Pamphlet Laws, three hundred twenty-four, shall equal or exceed 23 the amount paid by the Commonwealth in lieu of taxes. This 24 subsection shall not apply to the annual charge per acre for the 25 benefit of the county in which the land acquired by the 26 Government of the United States for forest reserves is located 27 for the years one thousand nine hundred fifty-three, one 28 thousand nine hundred fifty-four, one thousand nine hundred 29 fifty-five, one thousand nine hundred fifty-six, and this 30 subsection shall not apply to two and one-half cents of the 19950H0217B0199 - 2 -
1 annual charge per acre for the benefit of the county in which 2 the land acquired by the Government of the United States for 3 forest reserves is located for any year thereafter. The charges 4 for the benefit of the county for these years shall be paid by 5 the Commonwealth. All charges payable by the Commonwealth under 6 the provisions of this act shall be paid on or before the first 7 day of September of each year. 8 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1995. L12L32SFG/19950H0217B0199 - 3 -