PRINTER'S NO. 1385
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1294
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY MASSER, MATZIE, HILL-EVANS, RIGBY, JAMES, MERSKI,
SCHLOSSBERG, WHEELAND AND SAINATO, APRIL 27, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, APRIL 27, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 10, 1987 (P.L.246, No.47), entitled "An
act empowering the Department of Community and Economic
Development to assist municipalities in avoiding financial
distress; declare certain municipalities as financially
distressed; providing for the restructuring of debt of
financially distressed municipalities; limiting the ability
of financially distressed municipalities to obtain government
funding; authorizing municipalities to participate in Federal
debt adjustment actions and bankruptcy actions under certain
circumstances; authorizing certain taxes; and providing for
the disincorporation of municipalities and the establishment
of unincorporated service districts," in municipal financial
distress, providing for municipal assistance.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 2 of the act of July 10, 1987 (P.L.246,
No.47), known as the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, is
amended by adding a subchapter to read:
SUBCHAPTER F
MUNICIPAL ASSISTANCE
Section 291. Municipal redevelopment assistance.
The coordinator appointed for a municipality shall, as part
of the plan under Subchapter C, provide for the hiring of an
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additional code enforcement officer for the municipality and for
the hiring of either a Main Street Program coordinator or Elm
Street Program coordinator. The positions shall be funded by the
department in accordance with section 295.
Section 292. Code enforcement officer.
The code enforcement officer hired under this subchapter
shall assist the municipality in processing building and zoning
applications and give priority to approving applications that
will curb blight and promote economic development.
Section 293. Prohibition.
A code enforcement officer hired under this subchapter must
be an individual, not a third-party agency.
Section 294. Main Street Program and Elm Street Program.
The coordinator shall hire the Main Street Program
coordinator or Elm Street Program coordinator according to the
guidelines for the Keystone Communities Program to assist the
coordinator and the municipality in revitalization efforts
within the community.
Section 295. Funding.
The department shall reimburse the municipality for which a
coordinator has been appointed for the salaries of the
additional code enforcement officer and the Main Street Program
coordinator or Elm Street Program Coordinator at the following
rates for eight years:
(1) Years one and two - 100%
(2) Years three through five - 80%
(3) Years six through eight - 50%
Section 296. Notice of funding.
Upon the initial appropriation of sufficient funds to carry
out the provisions of this act or a determination by the
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department that sufficient funds are available from within the
Municipalities Financial Recovery Revolving Aid Fund or another
existing source to carry out the provisions of this subchapter,
the department shall transmit notice to the Legislative
Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Section 297. Municipalities exiting distressed level.
If the secretary terminates the distressed status of a
municipality before eight years have elapsed since the adoption
of the exit plan, the municipality shall continue to receive
funding in accordance with section 295, until the eight years
have expired.
Section 2. This act shall take effect as follows:
(1) The addition of section 296 of the act shall take
effect immediately.
(2) This section shall take effect immediately.
(3) The remainder of this act shall take effect upon
publication of the notice under section 296 of the act.
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