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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY DALLY, BRENNAN, CARROLL, D. COSTA, EVERETT, FLECK, FREEMAN, GINGRICH, GRUCELA, HENNESSEY, M. KELLER, MAJOR, MILLARD, MILLER, MURT, PICKETT, RAPP, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SWANGER AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 16, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, APRIL 16, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania |
2 | Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for basic |
3 | education and continuing education programs for municipal |
4 | secretaries. |
5 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
6 | hereby enacts as follows: |
7 | Section 1. Chapter 21 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania |
8 | Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read: |
9 | SUBCHAPTER F |
10 | BASIC AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
11 | FOR MUNICIPAL SECRETARIES |
12 | Sec. |
13 | 2191. Short title of subchapter. |
14 | 2192. Nonapplicability. |
15 | 2193. Definitions. |
16 | 2194. Basic and continuing education programs for municipal |
17 | secretaries. |
18 | 2195. Construction. |
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1 | § 2191. Short title of subchapter. |
2 | This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the |
3 | Municipal Secretary Education Act. |
4 | § 2192. Nonapplicability. |
5 | This subchapter does not apply to cities of the first class, |
6 | second class or second class A. |
7 | § 2193. Definitions. |
8 | The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter |
9 | shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
10 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
11 | "Association." The Pennsylvania Local Governmental |
12 | Secretaries Association. |
13 | "Department." The Department of Community and Economic |
14 | Development of the Commonwealth. |
15 | "IIMC." The International Institute of Municipal Clerks. |
16 | "Municipal secretary." Any of the following: |
17 | (1) The appointed municipal secretary of a borough, |
18 | incorporated town, township of the first class or township of |
19 | the second class, including any municipal corporation as |
20 | described in this paragraph which has adopted a home rule |
21 | charter or optional plan. |
22 | (2) The appointed city clerk in a city of the third |
23 | class, including any city of the third class which has |
24 | adopted a home rule charter, optional plan or optional |
25 | charter. |
26 | § 2194. Basic and continuing education programs for municipal |
27 | secretaries. |
28 | (a) Establishment and implementation.--The department, in |
29 | consultation with the association, shall establish and implement |
30 | programs of basic training, examination and qualification of |
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1 | municipal secretaries and of continuing education to be met by |
2 | persons qualified as municipal secretaries as condition for |
3 | renewal. The department may contract with a third party to |
4 | provide the basic training, examination, qualification and |
5 | continuing education. |
6 | (b) Contents of basic training program.-- |
7 | (1) The basic training program shall include, but not be |
8 | limited to, the following courses: |
9 | (i) Structure and function of Pennsylvania local |
10 | government. |
11 | (ii) Municipal administration/personnel management. |
12 | (iii) Basic budgeting. |
13 | (iv) Accounting and financial control. |
14 | (v) Community development/municipal services. |
15 | (vi) Meeting management. |
16 | (vii) Bidding and contracting. |
17 | (viii) Records management. |
18 | (ix) Management theory and practice. |
19 | (x) Intergovernmental cooperation. |
20 | (xi) Public relations. |
21 | (xii) Working with emergency service organizations. |
22 | (xiii) Municipal minutes and records and the act of |
23 | February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to- |
24 | Know Law. |
25 | (xiv) Public notice and advertising requirements and |
26 | 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings). |
27 | (xv) Other laws and recent court decisions affecting |
28 | the duties of municipal secretaries. |
29 | (xvi) Ethics. |
30 | (xvii) Computers and technology. |
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1 | (2) As a prerequisite to taking the qualification |
2 | examination, a person shall complete the basic training |
3 | program authorized by the department. |
4 | (3) (i) A person shall have the option to sit for the |
5 | qualification examination relating to the basic education |
6 | program. |
7 | (ii) No person may obtain qualification unless that |
8 | person has passed the basic qualification examination. |
9 | (iii) A person who passes the basic qualification |
10 | examination shall be known as a qualified municipal |
11 | secretary. |
12 | (c) Duties of department.--The department shall: |
13 | (1) Make certain a qualified municipal secretary |
14 | certificate is issued to a person who passes the basic |
15 | qualification examination. The certificate shall expire one |
16 | year from the date of issuance, but may be renewed. |
17 | (2) Maintain a register that lists all qualified |
18 | municipal secretaries. The register shall be open to public |
19 | inspection and copying upon payment of a nominal fee. |
20 | (3) Publish, once each year, a list of all qualified |
21 | municipal secretaries on the department's Internet website. |
22 | (4) Determine and approve reasonable fees for the |
23 | training program and for testing and qualification. The |
24 | municipal secretary shall be personally liable for the cost |
25 | of the program, testing and qualification unless the |
26 | governing body that appointed the municipal secretary agrees |
27 | to pay for the cost in whole or in part. |
28 | (d) Prohibition.--It shall be unlawful on or after the |
29 | effective date of this subchapter for any individual to hold |
30 | himself out as being qualified in training under this section |
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1 | unless the person holds a current, valid certificate. |
2 | (e) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be |
3 | construed to prevent a person from participating in the |
4 | department's basic training program and obtaining qualification. |
5 | (f) Hours required.--Each qualified municipal secretary |
6 | shall be required to obtain eight hours of mandatory continuing |
7 | education during each year. |
8 | (g) Updates.--The department, in consultation with the |
9 | association, shall devise the continuing education program to |
10 | include, but not be limited to, updates for basic training |
11 | course topics and other contemporary issues. |
12 | (h) Notification of requirements.--The department shall |
13 | inform qualified municipal secretaries of the continuing |
14 | education requirement when it issues the certificates. |
15 | (i) Renewals.--Renewal of qualification shall be on an |
16 | annual basis upon completion of continuing education |
17 | requirements as provided in this subchapter. The municipal |
18 | secretary shall be personally liable for the cost of the program |
19 | and qualification unless the governing body that appointed the |
20 | municipal secretary agrees to pay for the cost in whole or in |
21 | part. |
22 | (j) Criteria for existing education.--The department, in |
23 | consultation with the association, shall adopt criteria to |
24 | provide municipal secretaries with existing education the right |
25 | to receive credit toward the qualified municipal secretary |
26 | program, including, but not limited to: |
27 | (1) Completion of the IIMC programs of Certified |
28 | Municipal Clerk designation or Advanced Academy for |
29 | Education. |
30 | (2) A bachelor of science degree in public |
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1 | administration or a bachelor of arts degree in political |
2 | science. |
3 | (3) IIMC certification programs for municipal |
4 | secretaries not currently holding the Certified Municipal |
5 | Clerk or Advanced Academy for Education designation. |
6 | § 2195. Construction. |
7 | Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to require a |
8 | municipal secretary to become a qualified municipal secretary or |
9 | maintain that qualification unless required by the municipal |
10 | governing body that appointed the secretary. |
11 | Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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