SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2168, 2445 PRINTER'S NO. 3269
No. 1698 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY D. R. WRIGHT, SHOWERS, MORRIS, MADIGAN, STEWART,
LLOYD, DeWEESE, GRUITZA, ZWIKL, BLAUM, TIGUE, CAWLEY,
LIVENGOOD, STUBAN, LUCYK, STEIGHNER, F. E. TAYLOR, OLASZ,
MANDERINO, CLARK, COLE, RUDY, GRIECO AND COY, NOVEMBER 15,
1983
SENATOR HELFRICK, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, IN SENATE,
AS AMENDED, JUNE 20, 1984
AN ACT
1 Creating a task force on rural affairs ISSUES; providing powers <--
2 and duties for the task force; and establishing a termination <--
3 SUNSET date. <--
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Rural ISSUES <--
8 Task Force Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Task force." The Interagency Task Force on Rural Affairs <--
14 ISSUES created by section 3. <--
15 Section 3. Task force.
16 (a) Creation.--A joint legislative task force, known as the <--
1 Interagency Task Force on Rural Affairs is created.
2 (b) Membership.--The task force shall consist of ten members
3 of the General Assembly. Five members shall be appointed by the
4 President pro tempore of the Senate, three members shall be from
5 the majority party and two members shall be from the minority
6 party. Five members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
7 House of Representatives, three members shall be from the
8 majority party and two members shall be from the minority party.
9 (A) CREATION.--THE TASK FORCE ON RURAL ISSUES IS CREATED <--
10 WITHIN THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR AS AN ADVISORY BOARD.
11 (B) MEMBERSHIP.--THE TASK FORCE SHALL CONSIST OF 12 MEMBERS.
12 SIX MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. THREE MEMBERS
13 SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE,
14 TWO MEMBERS SHALL BE FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY AND ONE MEMBER
15 SHALL BE FROM THE MINORITY PARTY. THREE MEMBERS SHALL BE
16 APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TWO
17 MEMBERS SHALL BE FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY AND ONE MEMBER SHALL BE
18 FROM THE MINORITY PARTY.
19 (c) Terms.--The term of a member of the task force shall run
20 from the date of appointment until 30 days after the convening
21 of the next regular session of the General Assembly and until a
22 successor is appointed and qualified. Appointments to the task
23 force shall take effect 31 days after the convening of the
24 regular session of the General Assembly. A vacancy in the
25 membership shall be filled by the appointing power making the
26 original appointment for the unexpired term.
27 (d) Organization.--The task force shall organize as soon as
28 possible after 31 days after the convening of a EACH regular <--
29 session of the General Assembly, at the call of the Speaker of <--
30 the House of Representatives GOVERNOR, by electing FROM AMONG <--
19830H1698B3269 - 2 -
1 ITS MEMBERS a chairman, vice chairman and a secretary. The <--
2 secretary need not be a member of the committee.
3 Section 4. Powers and duties.
4 The powers and duties of the task force shall be to:
5 (1) Serve as a repository of data about rural issues and
6 problems.
7 (2) Conduct research and encourage research by colleges
8 and universities, other governmental units and private
9 organizations.
10 (3) Identify and make recommendations concerning rural
11 problems WHICH ARE OF AN INTERAGENCY OR INTERGOVERNMENTAL <--
12 NATURE including, but not limited to, agricultural,
13 educational, medical, social, transportation, environmental,
14 economic and land use, that affect the economy and people of
15 rural areas.
16 (4) Identify deficiencies in governmental services AREAS <--
17 OF NEED IN RURAL REGIONS and identify the resources of
18 various FEDERAL, State and local agencies to address the <--
19 deficiencies THESE NEEDS. <--
20 (5) Develop recommendations on ways to improve
21 governmental services in rural Pennsylvania, including
22 drafting legislation when changes in law are recommended.
23 (6) Conduct public hearings to solicit testimony from
24 public and private agencies, citizens and representatives of
25 local government on the status of rural services in this
26 Commonwealth.
27 (7) Provide THE GOVERNOR AND the General Assembly with <--
28 an annual report on the findings, recommendations and
29 accomplishments of the task force.
30 (8) Employ and fix the compensation of experts, <--
19830H1698B3269 - 3 -
1 stenographers, typists and assistants as may be deemed
2 necessary to carry out the work of the task force.
3 (9) (8) Enter into contracts and make grants in the
4 execution of its powers and duties.
5 Section 5. Termination. <--
6 Five years from the effective date of this act, the task
7 force shall cease to exist unless otherwise reestablished by the
8 General Assembly.
9 SECTION 5. SUNSET. <--
10 THE TASK FORCE SHALL TERMINATE ALL ACTIVITIES AND SHALL GO
11 OUT OF EXISTENCE DECEMBER 31, 1987, UNLESS OTHERWISE
12 REESTABLISHED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS
13 OF THE ACT OF DECEMBER 22, 1981 (P.L.508, NO.142), KNOWN AS THE
14 SUNSET ACT.
15 SECTION 6. TRANSFER.
16 AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED TO THE INTERAGENCY RURAL AFFAIRS TASK
17 FORCE BY THE ACT OF JULY 21, 1983 (P.L.603, NO.7A), KNOWN AS THE
18 SUPPLEMENTAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR
19 1983-1984, SHALL BE DEEMED AN APPROPRIATION TO THE TASK FORCE
20 ESTABLISHED BY THIS ACT. ALL PERSONNEL, ALLOCATIONS, EQUIPMENT,
21 FILES, RECORDS, CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, OBLIGATIONS AND OTHER
22 MATERIALS WHICH ARE USED, EMPLOYED OR EXPENDED IN CONNECTION
23 WITH THE POWERS, DUTIES OR FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERAGENCY RURAL
24 AFFAIRS TASK FORCE ARE HEREBY TRANSFERRED TO THE TASK FORCE
25 ESTABLISHED BY THIS ACT WITH THE SAME FORCE AND EFFECT AS IF THE
26 APPROPRIATIONS HAD BEEN MADE TO AND SAID ITEMS HAD BEEN THE
27 PROPERTY OF THE TASK FORCE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE AND IF SAID
28 CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS HAD BEEN INCURRED OR
29 ENTERED INTO BY SAID TASK FORCE.
30 Section 6 7. Effective date. <--
19830H1698B3269 - 4 -
1 This act shall take effect immediately.
K14L71VDL/19830H1698B3269 - 5 -