HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1132 PRINTER'S NO. 2060
No. 976 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY EARLL, KUKOVICH, COSTA, BRIGHTBILL, WAGNER,
SALVATORE, BODACK, BOSCOLA, MELLOW, O'PAKE, RHOADES, LEMMOND,
SCHWARTZ AND SLOCUM, MAY 13, 1999
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 13, 2000
AN ACT
1 Requiring the Department of Community and Economic Development
2 to require a certification that a developer has no delinquent
3 municipal taxes within certain taxing districts or, <--
4 outstanding utility bills OR ANY FINES OR FEES OWED TO THE <--
5 MUNICIPALITY as part of a grant or loan from the department; <--
6 PROVIDING FOR THE CENSUS 2000 ENHANCED PARTICIPATION PROGRAM;
7 AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Certification required.
11 The Department of Community and Economic Development shall
12 require, in cases where a municipality, county, authority or
13 quasi-governmental agency accepts an award from the department
14 and passes this award on to a private developer, a certification
15 that the developer has no delinquent taxes to any of the taxing
16 districts where the development project is proposed to be
17 located or, any municipal utility bills OR ANY FINES OR FEES <--
18 OWED TO THE MUNICIPALITY that are more than one year
19 outstanding. This certification shall be in form and content
1 developed by the department and shall be executed by an
2 authorized officer of the developer. This certification shall be
3 included as part of any closing document of the grant or loan
4 from the department.
5 SECTION 2. CENSUS 2000 ENHANCED PARTICIPATION PROGRAM. <--
6 (A) ESTABLISHMENT.--THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED AS PART OF
7 THE CENTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
8 OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE CENSUS 2000 ENHANCED
9 PARTICIPATION PROGRAM.
10 (B) PURPOSE.--THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO ENHANCE THE
11 PARTICIPATION OF PENNSYLVANIANS IN THE 2000 CENSUS AND TO ENSURE
12 THE MOST ACCURATE COUNT POSSIBLE.
13 (C) PRIORITY.--THE DEPARTMENT SHALL GIVE PRIORITY TO AREAS
14 WITH LOW PARTICIPATION RATES, AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY
15 UNDERCOUNTED AND OTHER AREAS WHICH THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES
16 HAVE A LIKELIHOOD OF BEING UNDERCOUNTED.
17 (D) USE OF FUNDS.--THE DEPARTMENT MAY USE THE FUNDS
18 APPROPRIATED UNDER SECTION 4 FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
19 (1) HIRING OF AND GRANTS TO MUNICIPALITIES FOR HIRING OF
20 TEMPORARY WORKERS, AND RELATED EXPENSES OF VISITATION AND
21 ENCOURAGEMENT OF CITIZENS TO FILL OUT AND RETURN CENSUS
22 FORMS.
23 (2) ADVERTISEMENT AND PROMOTION AND GRANTS TO
24 MUNICIPALITIES FOR ADVERTISEMENT AND PROMOTION OF FILLING OUT
25 AND RETURNING CENSUS FORMS.
26 (3) OTHER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FULFILLMENT OF THE
27 PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION.
28 (E) EXPEDITED GRANT PROCESS.--DUE TO THE TIMELINESS AND
29 IMPORTANCE OF AN ACCURATE CENSUS COUNT, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
30 PROVIDE AN EXPEDITED PROCESS FOR AWARDING OF GRANTS. UNDER THIS
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1 PROCESS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE A DETERMINATION ON ANY GRANT
2 APPLICATION WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF AN APPLICATION BY A MUNICIPALITY
3 FOR A GRANT.
4 Section 2 3. Definitions. <--
5 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
6 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
7 context clearly indicates otherwise:
8 "Delinquent." Taxes shall be considered delinquent on
9 December 31 of each calendar year for all taxing districts.
10 "DEPARTMENT." THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC <--
11 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
12 "Municipal utility bills." Utility bills for services
13 provided by a utility which is wholly owned and operated by a
14 municipality or municipal authority. The term shall include, but
15 not be limited to, water, sewer and solid waste disposal utility
16 bills.
17 SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION. <--
18 THE SUM OF $2,000,000, OR AS MUCH THEREOF AS MAY BE
19 NECESSARY, IS HEREBY APPROPRIATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
20 AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
21 ACT.
22 SECTION 5. EXPIRATION.
23 SECTION 2 SHALL EXPIRE ON JUNE 10, 2001, UNLESS EXTENDED BY
24 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
25 Section 3 6. Effective date. <--
26 This act shall take effect in 60 days. <--
27 THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT AS FOLLOWS: <--
28 (1) SECTION 1 SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS.
29 (2) THE REMAINDER OF THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT
30 IMMEDIATELY.
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