PRINTER'S NO. 1462
No. 1182 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY LENTZ, GERBER, SHAPIRO, SIPTROTH, PARKER, ADOLPH,
BARRAR, CIVERA, KILLION, KIRKLAND, MICOZZIE, RAYMOND, VITALI,
KULA, MAHONEY, CALTAGIRONE, JOSEPHS, PAYTON AND PYLE,
MAY 1, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MAY 1, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Airport
2 Authority to operate the Philadelphia International Airport
3 and Lehigh Valley International Airport; and making an
4 appropriation.
5 WHEREAS, Air travel is expected to increase dramatically in
6 the coming years, and Pennsylvania is the only state in the
7 northeastern United States without a regional authority
8 controlling its airports and airfields; and
9 WHEREAS, Boston and New York's airports are operated by port
10 authorities; and
11 WHEREAS, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware,
12 are under regional authorities; and
13 WHEREAS, The absence of a regional authority in Pennsylvania
14 prevents coordination of planning and operations and ensures
15 underuse of regional airports, as a result of which,
16 Philadelphia International Airport is overused and airports in
17 the Lehigh Valley, Wilmington, Delaware, and Atlantic City, New
18 Jersey, are dramatically underused.
1 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
2 hereby enacts as follows:
3 Section 1. Short title.
4 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Southeastern
5 Pennsylvania Regional Airport Authority Act.
6 Section 2. Declaration of purpose.
7 It is the purpose of this act to establish an airport
8 authority to operate airports in southeastern Pennsylvania.
9 Section 3. 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 "Account." The Aviation Restricted Revenue Account.
14 "Airports under the jurisdiction of the authority." The
15 Philadelphia International Airport and the Lehigh Valley
16 International Airport.
17 "Airport property." Everything used in the operation of the
18 airport. The term includes:
19 (1) Equipment, machinery, fixtures, files, records,
20 contracts, agreements, receivables, licenses, certificates,
21 permits and supplies.
22 (2) Legal or equitable interests in real and personal
23 property.
24 (3) Rights and obligations arising out of the operation
25 of the airport.
26 "Authority." The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Airport
27 Authority established in this act.
28 "Board." The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Airport
29 Authority Board established in this act.
30 "Secretary." The Secretary of Transportation of the
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1 Commonwealth.
2 Section 4. Authority.
3 (a) Establishment.--The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional
4 Airport Authority is established.
5 (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the authority is to operate
6 airports under the jurisdiction of the authority and to ensure a
7 regional approach to planning and operations among the area's
8 airports and airfields.
9 (c) Powers.--The authority has all powers necessary or
10 convenient for the carrying out of the purposes under subsection
11 (b), including:
12 (1) To have existence as a corporation.
13 (2) To sue and be sued.
14 (3) To adopt, use and alter a corporate seal.
15 (4) To acquire, purchase, hold, lease as lessee and use
16 any property and any property interest necessary or desirable
17 for carrying out the purpose of the authority. This paragraph
18 includes franchises and property which is real, personal or
19 mixed and which is tangible or intangible.
20 (5) To sell, lease as lessor, exchange, transfer and
21 dispose of property or any property interest.
22 (6) To make bylaws for the management and regulation of
23 its affairs.
24 (7) To appoint agents and employees, to prescribe their
25 duties and to fix their compensation.
26 (8) To make contracts, to assume obligations and
27 liabilities and to execute instruments necessary or
28 convenient for the carrying on of its business.
29 (9) To enter into cooperative agreements with the
30 military and airport authorities in New Jersey and Delaware
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1 to coordinate planning and distribution of air travel
2 throughout the regions served by their airports and by the
3 airports under the jurisdiction of the authority.
4 (10) To enter into cooperative agreements with
5 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
6 and Amtrak to ensure that rail, mass transit and traffic
7 planning and expansion are adequately coordinated.
8 (d) Management.--The authority shall be managed by the
9 board.
10 Section 5. Board.
11 (a) Establishment.--The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional
12 Airport Authority Board is established.
13 (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the board is to manage the
14 authority in accordance with this act.
15 (c) Membership.--The board shall consist of the following
16 members:
17 (1) Two members appointed by the governing body of each
18 of the following:
19 (i) Delaware County.
20 (ii) Lehigh County.
21 (iii) Northampton County.
22 (iv) Philadelphia County.
23 (2) One member appointed by the governing body of each
24 of the following:
25 (i) Bucks County.
26 (ii) Montgomery County.
27 (3) The secretary.
28 (4) One member appointed by each of the following:
29 (i) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
30 (ii) The Minority Leader of the Senate.
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1 (iii) The Majority Leader of the House of
2 Representatives.
3 (iv) The Minority Leader of the House of
4 Representatives.
5 (d) Terms.--
6 (1) A member under subsection (c)(1) or (2) shall serve
7 a term of two years.
8 (2) The secretary shall serve ex officio.
9 (3) A member under subsection (c)(4) shall serve a term
10 of two years.
11 (e) Quorum and voting.--
12 (1) Eight members constitute a quorum.
13 (2) Action by the board must be approved by a majority
14 vote of members who are present.
15 Section 19. Appropriation.
16 The sum of $ , or as much thereof as may be necessary,
17 is hereby appropriated to the Aviation Restricted Revenue
18 Account for the fiscal year July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, to
19 carry out the purposes of this act.
20 Section 20. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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