PRINTER'S NO. 2430
No. 1870 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY J. WILLIAMS, BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, CALTAGIRONE,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, GRUCELA, HORSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, PALLONE,
ROEBUCK, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRICH, WALKO, WANSACZ, WASHINGTON,
WATSON, C. WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, JULY 23, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JULY 23, 2001
AN ACT
1 Requiring community notification of certain prison projects.
2 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
3 hereby enacts as follows:
4 Section 1. Short title.
5 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Community
6 Notification of Prison Facilities Act.
7 Section 2. Definitions.
8 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
9 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
10 context clearly indicates otherwise:
11 "Prison." A detention center, prison or similar correctional
12 facility owned or operated by a county or privately owned or
13 operated. The term does not include facilities certified,
14 licensed or operated by the Department of Public Welfare or the
15 Department of Health, nor prerelease centers under the act of
16 July 16, 1968 (P.L.351, No.173), referred to as the Prisoner
1 Pre-release Plan Law.
2 Section 3. Public hearing required.
3 (a) General rule.--No prison may be considered at any time
4 for zoning, planning, housing or similar local code approval in
5 a city of the first class unless the applicant has certified
6 that the applicant has met the requirements of subsection (b).
7 (b) Notice and hearing.--
8 (1) The applicant shall hold two public meetings for the
9 purpose of soliciting from members of the public,
10 suggestions, comments and objections about the proposed
11 prison. At least 15 days prior to the holding of any public
12 meeting pursuant to this subsection, the applicant shall give
13 public notice of the meeting in a newspaper of general
14 circulation in a city of the first class.
15 (2) Notice of the proposed prison shall be provided to a
16 city of the first class, the State Senator of the senatorial
17 district in which the project is proposed to be located and
18 the member of the House of Representatives of the legislative
19 district in which the project is proposed to be located.
20 Section 4. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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