PRINTER'S NO. 490

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No. 470 Session of 1999

        INTRODUCED BY ZUG, BAKER, BUNT, GEIST, HALUSKA, NICKOL, PESCI,
           ROBERTS, SATHER, TRELLO AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 9, 1999

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
           FEBRUARY 9, 1999

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), entitled "An
     2     act creating the Department of Conservation and Natural
     3     Resources consisting of certain functions of the Department
     4     of Environmental Resources and the Department of Community
     5     Affairs; renaming the Department of Environmental Resources
     6     as the Department of Environmental Protection; defining the
     7     role of the Environmental Quality Board in the Department of
     8     Environmental Protection; making changes to responsibilities
     9     of the State Conservation Commission and the Department of
    10     Agriculture; transferring certain powers and duties to the
    11     Department of Health; and repealing inconsistent acts,"
    12     requiring the Department of Conservation and Natural
    13     Resources to make payments in lieu of taxes for State parks.

    14     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    15  hereby enacts as follows:
    16     Section 1.  Section 303(a) of the act of June 28, 1995
    17  (P.L.89, No.18), known as the Conservation and Natural Resources
    18  Act, is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
    19  Section 303.  Parks.
    20     (a)  Powers and duties enumerated.--The department shall have
    21  the following powers and duties with respect to parks:
    22         * * *
    23         (12)  To make payments in lieu of taxes to any county,

     1     school district or township which has a State park situated
     2     within the boundaries of that taxing authority and which does
     3     not currently receive payments in lieu of taxes for that
     4     State park under the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798, No.591),
     5     referred to as the Forest Reserves Municipal Financial Relief
     6     Law, or the act of June 22, 1964 (Sp.Sess., P.L.131, No.8),
     7     known as the Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act.
     8     The State park land so situated shall be subject to an annual
     9     charge of 40¢ per acre for the benefit of the county in which
    10     it is located, 40¢ per acre for the benefit of the schools in
    11     the respective school districts in which it is located and
    12     40¢ per acre for the benefit of the township in which it is
    13     located. The charge shall be payable by the Commonwealth.
    14     * * *
    15     Section 2.  This act shall be retroactive to January 1, 1999.
    16     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.










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