THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY McCALL, MARCH 3, 2009

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 17, 2009   

AN ACT

Amending the act of July 2, 1984 (P.L.561, No.112), entitled "An

act establishing the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps; and

making an appropriation," further providing for supervisors 

and for expiration.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 8 of the act of July 2, 1984 (P.L.561,

No.112), known as the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps Act,

amended June 25, 1997 (P.L.339, No.38), is amended to read:

Section 8.  Supervisors.

(a)  Funding.--Funds available for this program may be

expended to pay the wages of crewleaders who shall supervise

corpsmembers as prescribed by the department.

(b)  Crewleader criteria.--Persons eligible to be hired as

crewleaders by the department shall be men and women who are:

(1)  Domiciled in the Commonwealth for at least six

months prior to employment in the programs.

(2)  Registered with the local Job Center for employment.

(3)  Physically and mentally capable of performing labor

intensive work and supervisory duties.

(4)  Not attending a postsecondary institution full time

and who provide assurance that they did not leave school for

the purpose of employment as a supervisor in the program.

(c)  Term of employment.--A crewleader shall be employed by

the department for a period of one year. At the option of the

department, a crewleader who has successfully completed a one-

year term of service may be extended for subsequent one-year

terms.

(d)  Hourly wage.--Crewleaders shall receive an hourly wage

that exceeds the hourly wage of corpsmembers by a minimum of

$5.00.

(e)  Benefits.--

(1)  Crewleaders shall not be entitled to any employee

benefits provided to existing employees of the department or

of other State agencies [or local agencies] except for paid

Commonwealth holidays [and workmen's], workers' compensation

coverage, health and supplemental benefits equivalent to the

benefits received by other full-time departmental employees,

and beginning July 1, 2008 2009, membership in the State

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Employees' Retirement System, which shall be provided through

the funds appropriated to carry out this act.

(2)  A crewleader who has served for one year shall be

entitled to five paid vacation days and five days of paid

sick leave during each subsequent year of service.

(f)  Veterans' preference.--In the hiring of crewleaders,

preference shall be given to honorably discharged veterans of

the armed forces of the United States.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009, or

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immediately, whichever is later.

Section 2.  Section 13.1 of the act, amended June 22, 2000

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(P.L.355, No.42), is amended to read:

Section 13.1.  Expiration.

This act and the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps shall expire

June 30, [2010] 2020. 

Section 3.  This act shall take as follows:

(1)  The amendment of section 8 of the act shall take

effect July 1, 2009, or immediately, whichever is later.

(2)  The remainder of this act shall take effect

immediately.