SENATE AMENDED
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2168, 2445, 3269         PRINTER'S NO. 3308

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

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

        AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, JUNE 26, 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 IN AN ODD-    <--
    22  NUMBERED YEAR and until a successor is appointed and qualified.
    23  Appointments EXCEPT FOR INITIAL APPOINTMENTS, WHICH SHALL TAKE    <--
    24  EFFECT IMMEDIATELY, APPOINTMENTS to the task force shall take
    25  effect 31 days after the convening of the regular session of the  <--
    26  General Assembly. A vacancy in the membership shall be filled by
    27  the appointing power making the original appointment for the
    28  unexpired term.
    29     (d)  Organization.--The INITIAL task force shall organize as   <--
    30  soon as possible after THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT AT THE      <--
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     1  CALL OF THE GOVERNOR BY ELECTING FROM ITS MEMBERS A CHAIRMAN,
     2  VICE CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARY. THEREAFTER, THE TASK FORCE SHALL
     3  REORGANIZE 31 days after the convening of a EACH regular session  <--
     4  of the General Assembly, at the call of the Speaker of the House  <--
     5  of Representatives GOVERNOR, by electing FROM AMONG ITS MEMBERS   <--
     6  a chairman, vice chairman and a secretary. IN AN ODD-NUMBERED     <--
     7  YEAR. The secretary need not be a member of the committee.        <--
     8  Section 4.  Powers and duties.
     9     The powers and duties of the task force shall be to:
    10         (1)  Serve as a repository of data about rural issues and
    11     problems.
    12         (2)  Conduct research and encourage research by colleges
    13     and universities, other governmental units and private
    14     organizations.
    15         (3)  Identify and make recommendations concerning rural
    16     problems WHICH ARE OF AN INTERAGENCY OR INTERGOVERNMENTAL      <--
    17     NATURE including, but not limited to, agricultural,
    18     educational, medical, social, transportation, environmental,
    19     economic and land use, that affect the economy and people of
    20     rural areas.
    21         (4)  Identify deficiencies in governmental services AREAS  <--
    22     OF NEED IN RURAL REGIONS and identify the resources of
    23     various FEDERAL, State and local agencies to address the       <--
    24     deficiencies THESE NEEDS.                                      <--
    25         (5)  Develop recommendations on ways to improve
    26     governmental services in rural Pennsylvania, including
    27     drafting legislation when changes in law are recommended.
    28         (6)  Conduct public hearings to solicit testimony from
    29     public and private agencies, citizens and representatives of
    30     local government on the status of rural services in this
    19830H1698B3308                  - 3 -

     1     Commonwealth.
     2         (7)  Provide THE GOVERNOR AND the General Assembly with    <--
     3     an annual report on the findings, recommendations and
     4     accomplishments of the task force.
     5         (8)  Employ and fix the compensation of experts,           <--
     6     stenographers, typists and assistants as may be deemed
     7     necessary to carry out the work of the task force.
     8         (9) (8)  Enter into contracts and make grants in the
     9     execution of its powers and duties.
    10  Section 5.  Termination.                                          <--
    11     Five years from the effective date of this act, the task
    12  force shall cease to exist unless otherwise reestablished by the
    13  General Assembly.
    14  SECTION 5.  SUNSET.                                               <--
    15     THE TASK FORCE SHALL TERMINATE ALL ACTIVITIES AND SHALL GO
    16  OUT OF EXISTENCE DECEMBER 31, 1987, UNLESS OTHERWISE
    17  REESTABLISHED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS
    18  OF THE ACT OF DECEMBER 22, 1981 (P.L.508, NO.142), KNOWN AS THE
    19  SUNSET ACT.
    20  SECTION 6.  TRANSFER.
    21     AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED TO THE INTERAGENCY RURAL AFFAIRS TASK
    22  FORCE BY THE ACT OF JULY 21, 1983 (P.L.603, NO.7A), KNOWN AS THE
    23  SUPPLEMENTAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR
    24  1983-1984, SHALL BE DEEMED AN APPROPRIATION TO THE TASK FORCE
    25  ESTABLISHED BY THIS ACT. ALL PERSONNEL, ALLOCATIONS, EQUIPMENT,
    26  FILES, RECORDS, CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, OBLIGATIONS AND OTHER
    27  MATERIALS WHICH ARE USED, EMPLOYED OR EXPENDED IN CONNECTION
    28  WITH THE POWERS, DUTIES OR FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERAGENCY RURAL
    29  AFFAIRS TASK FORCE ARE HEREBY TRANSFERRED TO THE TASK FORCE
    30  ESTABLISHED BY THIS ACT WITH THE SAME FORCE AND EFFECT AS IF THE
    19830H1698B3308                  - 4 -

     1  APPROPRIATIONS HAD BEEN MADE TO AND SAID ITEMS HAD BEEN THE
     2  PROPERTY OF THE TASK FORCE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE AND IF SAID
     3  CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS HAD BEEN INCURRED OR
     4  ENTERED INTO BY SAID TASK FORCE.
     5  Section 6 7.  Effective date.                                     <--
     6     This act shall take effect immediately.
















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