THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY BREWSTER, STACK, WASHINGTON, FONTANA, COSTA AND FERLO, JUNE 30, 2011

REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, JUNE 30, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending Titles 53 (Municipalities Generally) and 75 (Vehicles)

of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for the

Municipal Police Recruitment and Retention Program and for

law enforcement enhancement surcharge.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Title 53 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 2172.  Municipal Police Recruitment and Retention Program.

(a)  Establishment.--There is hereby established in the State

Treasury the Municipal Police Recruitment and Retention Program

Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund. Moneys in the fund shall be

expended for the purposes set forth in this section.

(b)  Administration.--The commission shall administer the

fund and make grants from the fund for recruitment and retention

of a municipality's part-time police force in accordance with

this section.

(c)  Purpose of grants.--Grants shall be for the purpose of

hiring and retaining part-time police officers in a municipality

and shall be used to pay a portion of the salary of a part-time

police officer. Grants shall not exceed $5,000 per police

officer position and shall be used to supplement the part-time

police officer's salary paid by the municipality up to a maximum

of $15 per hour of pay, not to exceed 85% of a full-time base

salary for a police officer in the municipality. The rate shall

be calculated based on average salaries for 2011 as adjusted

annually by the Consumer Price Index for the metropolitan area

in which the municipality is located.

(d)  Other funds.--In addition to the moneys available in the

fund, any appropriation for municipal police officer training

that remains as part of the Municipal Police Officers' Training

Commission prior to lapsing, shall be deposited in the fund

beginning with the current fiscal year, for the purposes

contained in this section.

(e)  Regulations.--The commission shall promulgate rules and

regulations to implement and administer the provisions of this

section within 90 days of the effective date of this section.

(f)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

words and phrases shall have the meaning given to them in this

subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Fund."  The Municipal Police Recruitment and Retention

Program Fund established under 75 Pa.C.S. § 6508 (relating to

law enforcement enhancement surcharge).

"Municipality."  A city of the third class, borough, township

of the first class or township of the second class that provides

local police services through a municipal police department,

participation in a regional police department or contracts with

other municipal or regional police.

Section 2. Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 6508.  Law enforcement enhancement surcharge.

(a)  Levy and imposition.--In addition to any fines, fees or

penalties levied or imposed as provided by law under this title

or any other statute, a surcharge shall be levied for

disposition in accordance with subsection (b). Upon conviction

for any violation of the provisions of this title or other

statute of this Commonwealth, or regulations promulgated under

this title, which is a traffic violation, exclusive of parking

offenses, a surcharge of $10 shall be levied.

(b)  Disposition.--Notwithstanding the provisions of 42

Pa.C.S. §§ 3571 (relating to Commonwealth portion of fines,

etc.) and 3573 (relating to municipal corporation portion of

fines, etc.) all surcharges levied and collected under

subsection (a) by any division of the unified judicial system

existing under section 1 of Article V of the Constitution of

Pennsylvania and 42 Pa.C.S. § 301 (relating to unified judicial

system) shall be remitted to the Commonwealth for deposit in the

Municipal Police Recruitment and Retention Program Fund,

established under 53 Pa.C.S. § 2172 (relating to Municipal

Police Recruitment and Retention Program), for the purpose of

recruiting and retaining municipal police officers.

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