PRINTER'S NO. 1298
No. 1122 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ROBERTS, BELARDI, CALTAGIRONE, DeWEESE, CAPPELLI,
M. COHEN, CORRIGAN, GEORGE, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HUTCHINSON,
LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, McCALL, PETRARCA, PISTELLA, SCRIMENTI,
SHANER, SOLOBAY, STAIRS, TRAVAGLIO, TRELLO, WANSACZ,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG AND HARHAI, MARCH 21, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
MARCH 21, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798, No.591), entitled
2 "An act providing a fixed charge, payable by the
3 Commonwealth, on lands acquired by the State and the Federal
4 Government for forest reserves, or for the purpose of
5 preserving and perpetuating a portion of the original forests
6 of Pennsylvania, and preserving and maintaining the same as
7 public places and parks; and the distribution of the same for
8 county, school, township, and road purposes in the counties,
9 school districts, and townships where such forests are
10 located; and making an appropriation," further providing for
11 municipal charges.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. Section 1 of the act of May 17, 1929 (P.L.1798,
15 No.591), referred to as the Forest Reserves Municipal Financial
16 Relief Law, amended July 6, 1995 (P.L.320, No.49), is amended to
17 read:
18 Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That (a) from and after the
19 passage of this act, all lands heretofore or hereafter acquired
20 by the Commonwealth, or by the Government of the United States,
1 for forest reserves or for the purpose of preserving and
2 perpetuating any portion of the original forests of Pennsylvania
3 and preserving and maintaining the same as public places and
4 parks, and which, by existing laws, are now exempt from
5 taxation, and all lands and property heretofore or hereafter
6 acquired for the purpose of conservation of water, or to prevent
7 flood conditions, upon which a tax is imposed by existing laws
8 payable by the Commonwealth, shall hereafter be subject to an
9 annual charge of forty cents per acre, for the benefit of the
10 county in which said lands are located, forty cents per acre for
11 the benefit of the schools in the respective school districts in
12 which such lands are located, and forty cents per acre for land
13 classified as a State Forest and two dollars and forty cents per
14 acre for land classified as a State Park for the benefit of the
15 township where such lands are located, which charge shall be
16 payable by the Commonwealth. (b) Except as hereinafter provided,
17 the annual charge payable by the Commonwealth on land acquired
18 by the Government of the United States for forest reserves is to
19 continue only until the receipts of money by treasurers and
20 township supervisors of the said counties and school districts
21 and townships in which national forest reserves are located,
22 provided for in act of April twenty-seventh, one thousand nine
23 hundred twenty-five, Pamphlet Laws, three hundred twenty-four,
24 shall equal or exceed the amount paid by the Commonwealth in
25 lieu of taxes. This subsection shall not apply to the annual
26 charge per acre for the benefit of the county in which the land
27 acquired by the Government of the United States for forest
28 reserves is located for the years one thousand nine hundred
29 fifty-three, one thousand nine hundred fifty-four, one thousand
30 nine hundred fifty-five, one thousand nine hundred fifty-six,
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1 and this subsection shall not apply to two and one-half cents of
2 the annual charge per acre for the benefit of the county in
3 which the land acquired by the Government of the United States
4 for forest reserves is located for any year thereafter. The
5 charges for the benefit of the county for these years shall be
6 paid by the Commonwealth. All charges payable by the
7 Commonwealth under the provisions of this act shall be paid on
8 or before the first day of September of each year.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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