See other bills
under the
same topic
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1308                      PRINTER'S NO. 2462

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1155 Session of 1999


        INTRODUCED BY HERMAN, BARD, ROSS, LESCOVITZ AND COY,
           APRIL 7, 1999

        AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
           OCTOBER 18, 1999

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581),
     2     entitled "An act concerning boroughs, and revising, amending
     3     and consolidating the law relating to boroughs," providing     <--
     4     RENAMING SPECIAL SCHOOL POLICE AS SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS;      <--
     5     PROVIDING FOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS' POWERS AND DUTIES, for
     6     filing of budget and for uniform forms; and making editorial
     7     changes.

     8     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     9  hereby enacts as follows:
    10     Section 1.  Sections 1310, 1311 and 1314 of the act of         <--
    11  February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581), known as The Borough
    12  Code, amended October 9, 1967 (P.L.399, No.181), are amended to
    13  read:
    14     SECTION 1.  SECTION 1127 OF THE ACT OF FEBRUARY 1, 1966 (1965  <--
    15  P.L.1656, NO.581), KNOWN AS THE BOROUGH CODE, IS AMENDED TO
    16  READ:
    17     SECTION 1127.  [SPECIAL SCHOOL POLICE.--] SCHOOL CROSSING
    18  GUARDS.--(A)  UPON REQUEST OF THE BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS OF
    19  THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH A BOROUGH IS LOCATED, THE BOROUGH


     1  COUNCIL MAY APPOINT [SPECIAL SCHOOL POLICE] SCHOOL CROSSING
     2  GUARDS WHO SHALL HAVE THE DUTY OF CONTROLLING AND DIRECTING
     3  TRAFFIC AT OR NEAR SCHOOLS AND WHO SHALL BE IN SUITABLE AND
     4  DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM. [AND SHALL DISPLAY A BADGE OR OTHER SIGN OF
     5  AUTHORITY. SUCH POLICE SHALL BE VESTED WITH ALL THE POWER OF
     6  LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS AND WHILE] WHILE ON DUTY, THESE CROSSING
     7  GUARDS SHALL BE UNDER AND SUBJECT TO THE DIRECTION OF THE MAYOR.
     8  THEY SHALL SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE BOROUGH COUNCIL, EXCEPT
     9  AS NOTED IN SUBSECTION (B), AND SHALL NOT COME WITHIN THE CIVIL
    10  SERVICE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT AND SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO
    11  PARTICIPATE IN ANY POLICE PENSION PLAN OR PLANS NOW IN EFFECT OR
    12  HEREAFTER EFFECTIVE. THE COMPENSATION OF THE SCHOOL [POLICE]
    13  CROSSING GUARDS, IF ANY, SHALL BE FIXED BY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL
    14  AND SHALL BE JOINTLY PAID BY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE BOARD
    15  OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS, IN A RATIO TO BE DETERMINED BY THE BOROUGH
    16  COUNCIL AND BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS. IF THE BOROUGH COUNCIL
    17  AND BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE RATIO
    18  OF COMPENSATION OF THE [POLICE] CROSSING GUARDS TO BE PAID BY
    19  THE COUNCIL AND THE BOARD, EACH SHALL PAY ONE-HALF OF THE
    20  COMPENSATION OF SUCH [POLICE] CROSSING GUARDS. AUXILIARY
    21  POLICEMEN, APPOINTED AS PRESCRIBED BY GENERAL LAW, MAY BE
    22  DESIGNATED TO SERVE AS [SPECIAL SCHOOL POLICE.] CROSSING GUARDS.
    23     (B)  THE BOROUGH COUNCIL MAY APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING A
    24  BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS TO ASSUME HIRING AND OVERSIGHT OF
    25  SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. BEFORE THE BOROUGH COUNCIL MAY APPROVE
    26  SUCH AN ORDINANCE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
    27  SHALL APPROVE A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUTHORITY TO ASSUME
    28  THE HIRING AND OVERSIGHT OF SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. THE
    29  ORDINANCE SHALL OUTLINE HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE
    30  ANY NECESSARY TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE OF THE SCHOOL CROSSING
    19990H1155B2462                  - 2 -

     1  GUARDS WHILE ON DUTY. SUCH SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS SHALL BE
     2  AUTHORIZED ONLY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS IN
     3  AND AROUND AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE
     4  SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEES. THE
     5  SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS SHALL NOT COME WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE
     6  PROVISION OF THIS ACT, NOR SHALL THEY FALL UNDER THE BARGAINING
     7  UNIT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOR AS AN EMPLOYE AS DEFINED UNDER
     8  SECTION 1101-A OF THE ACT OF MARCH 10, 1949 (P.L.30, NO.14),
     9  KNOWN AS THE "PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949," OR UNDER ANY PLANS
    10  HEREAFTER EFFECTIVE. ONCE THE ORDINANCE RECEIVES APPROVAL BY THE
    11  BOROUGH COUNCIL, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL ASSUME THE COST OF
    12  COMPENSATION, INCLUDING FIXING SUCH COMPENSATION, IF ANY, OF THE
    13  SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. AUXILIARY POLICEMEN, APPOINTED AS
    14  PRESCRIBED BY GENERAL LAW, MAY BE HIRED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
    15  TO SERVE AS SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. THE BOARD OF SCHOOL
    16  DIRECTORS SHALL NOTIFY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL OF THOSE HIRED TO
    17  SERVE AS SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS AND REQUEST THE NECESSARY
    18  TRAINING OR ASSISTANCE BE PROVIDED AS OUTLINED BY THE ORDINANCE.
    19     SECTION 2.  SECTIONS 1310, 1311 AND 1314 OF THE ACT, AMENDED
    20  OCTOBER 9, 1967 (P.L.399, NO.181), ARE AMENDED TO READ:
    21     Section 1310.  Adoption of Budget; Tax Ordinance.--Upon
    22  completion of the budget, containing the estimated receipts and
    23  expenditures, and its adoption by motion in council, which shall
    24  not be later than December thirty-first, it shall be the duty of
    25  the council to adopt an ordinance levying the taxes referred to
    26  in this act for the fiscal year for approval of the mayor or
    27  passage over his veto.
    28     [Copy of the budget, together with the tax ordinance, shall
    29  be filed with the Department of Community Affairs by the
    30  secretary of the borough, within fifteen days after the adoption
    19990H1155B2462                  - 3 -

     1  of the tax ordinance.]
     2     Section 1311.  Amending Budget; Notice.--During the month of
     3  January next following any municipal election the council of any
     4  borough may amend the budget and the levy and tax rate to
     5  conform with its amended budget. A period of ten days' public
     6  inspection at the office of the borough secretary of the
     7  proposed amended budget after notice by the borough secretary to
     8  that effect is published once in a newspaper as provided in
     9  section 109 of this act, shall intervene between the proposed
    10  amended budget and the adoption thereof. Any amended budget must
    11  be adopted by council on or before the fifteenth day of
    12  February.
    13     [Within fifteen days after the adoption of an amended budget
    14  the borough secretary shall file a copy thereof in the office of
    15  the Department of Community Affairs.]
    16     Section 1314.  Uniform [Budget and] Financial Report;
    17  Forms.--The uniform forms for [the annual budget, the annual
    18  auditors' report and] the annual financial statement required to
    19  be made by the auditors or the controller shall be prepared by a
    20  committee consisting of four representatives from the
    21  Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, and the Secretary of
    22  Community [Affairs,] and Economic Development or his agent.
    23     Such representatives of boroughs shall be appointed by the
    24  president of the organization. Such representatives shall be
    25  chosen from among the finance officers or other officers of the
    26  borough who have knowledge of their fiscal procedures. As far as
    27  possible, they shall be chosen to represent boroughs in the
    28  various population groups. The president of the organization
    29  shall supply to the Department of Community [Affairs] and
    30  Economic Development the names and addresses of such
    19990H1155B2462                  - 4 -

     1  representatives immediately upon their appointment.
     2     Such representatives shall serve without compensation, but
     3  shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth for all necessary
     4  expenses incurred in attending meetings of the committee. The
     5  committee shall meet at the call of Secretary of Community
     6  [Affairs] and Economic Development, or his agent, who shall
     7  serve as chairman of the committee.
     8     [In preparing such uniform forms, the committee shall give
     9  careful consideration to the fiscal needs and procedures of
    10  boroughs of the various population groups, producing separate
    11  forms if necessary, to the end that such forms shall not be
    12  inconsistent with the general administrative practices of
    13  boroughs of various types and sizes.]
    14     It shall be the duty of the Secretary of Community [Affairs]
    15  and Economic Development, or his agent, to see to it that the
    16  forms required by this article are prepared in cooperation with
    17  such committee. In the event that the committee should for any
    18  reason fail to furnish such cooperation, the Secretary of
    19  Community [Affairs] and Economic Development, or his agent,
    20  shall prepare the forms. After their preparation, he shall issue
    21  such forms and distribute them annually, as needed to the proper
    22  officers of each borough.
    23     Section 2 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.           <--





    A26L08MRD/19990H1155B2462        - 5 -