PRINTER'S NO. 4381
No. 2880 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY ROBERTS, BELFANTI, DALEY, DeWEESE, FRANKEL,
HARHAI, LAUGHLIN, MANN, MELIO, PISTELLA, SAINATO, SCHRODER,
SOLOBAY, THOMAS, WASHINGTON AND G. WRIGHT, OCTOBER 2, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
OCTOBER 2, 2002
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of October 6, 1998 (P.L.705, No.92), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act providing for the creation of keystone
3 opportunity zones and keystone opportunity expansion zones to
4 foster economic opportunities in this Commonwealth, to
5 facilitate economic development, stimulate industrial,
6 commercial and residential improvements and prevent physical
7 and infrastructure deterioration of geographic areas within
8 this Commonwealth; authorizing expenditures; providing tax
9 exemptions, tax deductions, tax abatements and tax credits;
10 creating additional obligations of the Commonwealth and local
11 governmental units; and prescribing powers and duties of
12 certain State and local departments, agencies and officials,"
13 further providing for keystone opportunity zones and for
14 review by the Department of Community and Economic
15 Development.
16 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
17 hereby enacts as follows:
18 Section 1. Section 301 of the act of October 6, 1998
19 (P.L.705, No.92), known as the Keystone Opportunity Zone and
20 Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone Act, is amended by adding a
21 subsection to read:
22 Section 301. Keystone opportunity zones.
23 * * *
1 (f) Authorization to alter boundaries of keystone
2 opportunity zone.--
3 (1) A qualified political subdivision having an approved
4 subzone within its jurisdiction may apply to the department
5 to alter the geographic boundaries of the keystone
6 opportunity zone within which the political subdivision is
7 located. If more than one political subdivision would be
8 affected by the boundary alteration, then the application
9 must be made jointly by the affected political subdivisions.
10 The application shall contain:
11 (i) The information required under section 302(a).
12 (ii) Evidence that each property owner within the
13 affected area approves of the boundary alteration.
14 (2) The department may approve the request for
15 alteration of the keystone opportunity zone boundaries if:
16 (i) The request meets the criteria for authorization
17 under section 304.
18 (ii) The total number of acres within the keystone
19 opportunity zone as it is proposed to be altered does not
20 differ from the total number of acres within that
21 keystone opportunity zone as originally approved.
22 (3) The department shall provide written notice of its
23 determination to the applicant or joint applicants.
24 (4) Upon approval of a request for alteration of
25 keystone opportunity zone boundaries, the exemptions,
26 deductions, abatements or credits shall be binding upon a
27 political subdivision as provided in subsection (d).
28 Section 2. Section 303(b) of the act, amended December 20,
29 2000 (P.L.841, No.119), is amended to read:
30 Section 303. Review.
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1 * * *
2 (b) Process.--The department shall authorize up to 12
3 keystone opportunity zones from applications meeting the
4 criteria in section 304 based upon need and likelihood of
5 success. The department shall authorize up to 12 keystone
6 opportunity expansion zones from applications meeting the
7 criteria in section 304 based upon need and likelihood of
8 success. Additionally, the department shall not alter the
9 geographic boundaries of a subzone or expansion subzone or the
10 duration of a subzone or expansion subzone described in an
11 application, except as provided in section 301(f).
12 * * *
13 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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