PRINTER'S NO. 1573
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1452
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY CUTLER, MAY 20, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 20, 2021
AN ACT
Amending Titles 44 (Law and Justice) and 45 (Legal Notices) of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for
flexibility in emergency publication of the Pennsylvania
Bulletin: in Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act, further
providing for definitions; and, in codification and
publication of documents, further providing for preliminary
publication in Pennsylvania Bulletin.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The General Assembly finds and declares as
follows:
(1) Situations like the COVID-19 disaster emergency
jeopardize the weekly publication of the Pennsylvania
Bulletin.
(2) It is necessary to provide a procedure for the
electronic publication of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and to
provide flexibility on the date of publication when emergency
circumstances dictate.
Section 2. The definitions of "legal material" and "official
publisher" in section 702 of Title 44 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
§ 702. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Legal material." Whether or not in effect, any of the
following:
(1) The Constitution of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
(2) The Laws of Pennsylvania under 1 Pa.C.S. § 1103
(relating to preparation of statutes for printing).
(3) The Pennsylvania Code and the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(4) A Commonwealth agency regulation that has or had the
effect of law.
(5) (Reserved).
(6) Reported decisions of:
(i) the Supreme Court;
(ii) Superior Court; or
(iii) Commonwealth Court.
(7) Rules of court under 42 Pa.C.S. § 1722 (relating to
adoption of administrative and procedural rules).
"Official publisher." As follows:
(1) For the Constitution of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, the bureau.
(2) For the Laws of Pennsylvania under 1 Pa.C.S. § 1105
(relating to editing statutes for printing), the bureau.
(3) For the Pennsylvania Code[, the bureau] and the
Pennsylvania Bulletin, the Joint Committee on Documents.
(4) For a regulation published in the Pennsylvania Code,
the bureau.
20210HB1452PN1573 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(5) (Reserved).
(6) (Reserved).
(7) For a State court decision included under paragraph
(6) of the definition of "legal material," the prothonotary
of the applicable court.
(8) For rules of court under 42 Pa.C.S. § 1722, the
Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
(9) (Reserved).
* * *
Section 3. Section 724(b) of Title 45 is amended to read:
§ 724. Preliminary publication in Pennsylvania Bulletin.
* * *
(b) Frequency and format of bulletin.--The following shall
apply:
(1) The bulletin shall be published at least once each
week and shall contain all previously unpublished documents
duly filed prior to the closing date and hour of the issue,
which date and hour shall appear upon the first page of such
issue. All issues of the bulletin shall contain a table of
contents. A cumulative index shall be published at least once
each three months. [The]
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the joint committee
may provide for [more frequent] different publication of the
bulletin and indices as circumstances may require.
(3) There shall be published with each document under
this section a notation of the date of filing thereof.
* * *
Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
20210HB1452PN1573 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28