See other bills
under the
same topic
                                 SENATE AMENDED
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1896, 2408               PRINTER'S NO. 3052

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1539 Session of 2005


        INTRODUCED BY NICKOL, CALTAGIRONE, CREIGHTON, DENLINGER, GEIST,
           GILLESPIE, HARRIS, JAMES, STERN, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS,
           McILHATTAN, R. STEVENSON, HARHART AND DALLY, MAY 9, 2005

        AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, NOVEMBER 2, 2005

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled,
     2     as amended, "An act relating to the finances of the State
     3     government; providing for the settlement, assessment,
     4     collection, and lien of taxes, bonus, and all other accounts
     5     due the Commonwealth, the collection and recovery of fees and
     6     other money or property due or belonging to the Commonwealth,
     7     or any agency thereof, including escheated property and the
     8     proceeds of its sale, the custody and disbursement or other
     9     disposition of funds and securities belonging to or in the
    10     possession of the Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims
    11     against the Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and
    12     appeals to the courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to
    13     the Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth
    14     and all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
    15     moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
    16     and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
    17     authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes
    18     to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of
    19     section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of
    20     Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of
    21     certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every
    22     department, board, commission, and officer of the State
    23     government, every political subdivision of the State, and
    24     certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,
    25     association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or
    26     collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws
    27     imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
    28     other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
    29     every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
    30     Commonwealth," PROVIDING FOR PUBLIC OFFICIAL COMPENSATION;     <--
    31     further providing for reports to the Secretary of Revenue;
    32     and establishing and providing for appropriation to the        <--


     1     Emergency Energy Assistance Fund; AND MAKING A REPEAL RELATED  <--
     2     TO PUBLIC OFFICIAL COMPENSATION.

     3     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     4  hereby enacts as follows:
     5     Section 1.  Section 901 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343,  <--
     6  No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, amended December 2, 1976
     7  (P.L.1274, No.283) and repealed in part April 28, 1978 (P.L.202,
     8  No.53), is amended to read:
     9     SECTION 1.  THE ACT OF APRIL 9, 1929 (P.L.343, NO.176), KNOWN  <--
    10  AS THE FISCAL CODE, IS AMENDED BY ADDING A SECTION TO READ:
    11     SECTION 311.  PUBLIC OFFICIAL COMPENSATION LIMITATIONS.--(A)
    12  THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO:
    13     (1)  MEMBERS, LEGISLATIVE OFFICERS AND LEADERS OF THE GENERAL
    14  ASSEMBLY.
    15     (2)  JUSTICES AND JUDGES OF THE COURTS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH.
    16     (3)  THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND CABINET MEMBERS.
    17     (4)  THE STATE TREASURER.
    18     (5)  THE AUDITOR GENERAL.
    19     (6)  THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
    20     (B)  EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION, FOR OFFICIALS LISTED
    21  IN SUBSECTION (A), THE STATE TREASURER SHALL PAY SALARIES,
    22  MILEAGE AND EXPENSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS IN EFFECT
    23  ON JULY 1, 2005.
    24     (C)  ON DECEMBER 1, 2006, AND EACH DECEMBER 1 THEREAFTER, THE
    25  SALARIES PAID TO OFFICIALS LISTED IN SUBSECTION (A) SHALL BE
    26  INCREASED BY THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
    27  FOR ALL URBAN CONSUMERS (CPI-U) FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA, NEW
    28  JERSEY, DELAWARE AND MARYLAND AREA FOR THE MOST RECENT TWELVE-
    29  MONTH PERIOD FOR WHICH FIGURES HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY REPORTED BY
    30  THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, BUREAU OF LABOR

    20050H1539B3052                  - 2 -     

     1  STATISTICS.
     2     (D)  THE ANNUAL SALARIES AS DETERMINED BY THE STATE TREASURER
     3  UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE PUBLISHED IN THE PENNSYLVANIA
     4  BULLETIN BY DECEMBER 1, 2006, AND BY EACH DECEMBER 1 THEREAFTER.
     5     (E)  THE STATE TREASURER SHALL PAY INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED AS
     6  DEPUTY WHIPS IN THE SENATE THE SAME SALARY AS POLICY CHAIRMEN OF
     7  THE SENATE.
     8     (F)  THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE SHALL BE ELECTED
     9  BY THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE.
    10     (G)  THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE ELECTED BY
    11  THE APPROPRIATE CAUCUS:
    12         (1)  MAJORITY LEADER.
    13         (2)  MINORITY LEADER.
    14         (3)  MAJORITY WHIP.
    15         (4)  MINORITY WHIP.
    16         (5)  MAJORITY CAUCUS CHAIRMAN.
    17         (6)  MINORITY CAUCUS CHAIRMAN.
    18         (7)  APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN.
    19         (8)  MINORITY APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN.
    20         (9)  MAJORITY CAUCUS SECRETARY.
    21         (10)  MINORITY CAUCUS SECRETARY.
    22         (11)  MINORITY POLICY CHAIRMAN.
    23     (H)  THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE APPOINTED
    24  BY THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE:
    25         (1)  MAJORITY POLICY CHAIRMAN.
    26         (2)  MAJORITY CAUCUS ADMINISTRATOR.
    27         (3)  MAJORITY DEPUTY WHIP.
    28     (I)  THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE APPOINTED
    29  BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE:
    30         (1)  MINORITY CAUCUS ADMINISTRATOR.
    20050H1539B3052                  - 3 -     

     1         (2)  MINORITY DEPUTY WHIP.
     2     (J)  THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SHALL BE
     3  ELECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
     4     (K)  THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
     5  SHALL BE ELECTED BY THE APPROPRIATE CAUCUS:
     6         (1)  MAJORITY LEADER.
     7         (2)  MINORITY LEADER.
     8         (3)  MAJORITY WHIP.
     9         (4)  MINORITY WHIP.
    10         (5)  MAJORITY CAUCUS CHAIRMAN.
    11         (6)  MINORITY CAUCUS CHAIRMAN.
    12         (7)  APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN.
    13         (8)  MINORITY APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN.
    14         (9)  MAJORITY CAUCUS SECRETARY.
    15         (10)  MINORITY CAUCUS SECRETARY.
    16         (11)  MAJORITY POLICY CHAIRMAN.
    17         (12)  MINORITY POLICY CHAIRMAN.
    18         (13)  MAJORITY CAUCUS ADMINISTRATOR.
    19         (14)  MINORITY CAUCUS ADMINISTRATOR.
    20     SECTION 2.  SECTION 901 OF THE ACT, AMENDED DECEMBER 2, 1976
    21  (P.L.1274, NO.283) AND REPEALED IN PART APRIL 28, 1978 (P.L.202,
    22  NO.53), IS AMENDED TO READ:
    23     Section 901.  Reports to the Secretary of Revenue.--On the
    24  fifth day of each month, [and] or at such times and with such
    25  frequency as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Revenue, it
    26  shall be the duty of each judicial officer of a court not of
    27  record, city officer and county officer to render to the
    28  Department of Revenue, under oath or affirmation, returns of all
    29  moneys or as much as may be prescribed by the Secretary of
    30  Revenue, received during the applicable period for the use of
    20050H1539B3052                  - 4 -     

     1  the Commonwealth, designating, under proper headings, the source
     2  from which such moneys were received, and to pay the same into
     3  the State Treasury, through the Department of Revenue, less any
     4  compensation and reimbursement for expenses allowable by law for
     5  having made the collections.
     6     Section 2 3.  Article XVII-A of the act is amended by adding   <--
     7  a subarticle to read:
     8                           SUBARTICLE D F                           <--
     9                  EMERGENCY ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUND
    10  Section 1731-A 1751-A.  Establishment of Emergency Energy         <--
    11                     Assistance Fund
    12     There is established a special fund to be known as the
    13  Emergency Energy Assistance Fund.
    14  Section 1732-A 1752-A.  Appropriation to Emergency Energy         <--
    15                     Assistance Fund.
    16     An amount equal to 1.0 mills of the utilities' gross receipts
    17  tax collected during each fiscal year under Article XI of the
    18  act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code
    19  of 1971, shall be appropriated annually from the General Fund to
    20  the Emergency Energy Assistance Fund, to be administered by the
    21  Department of Public Welfare for State-funded emergency energy
    22  assistance if the Governor declares that either weather
    23  conditions, natural or man-made disasters, or high energy prices
    24  or a combination thereof are a threat to public health within
    25  this Commonwealth and available Federal home energy assistance
    26  funds are not sufficient to meet this need. The Governor shall
    27  publish this emergency declaration in the Pennsylvania Bulletin
    28  along with the criteria and emergency regulations for this
    29  program.
    30     SECTION 4.  THE ACT OF JULY 7, 2005 (P.L.201, NO.44),          <--
    20050H1539B3052                  - 5 -     

     1  ENTITLED "AN ACT AMENDING TITLES 42 (JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL
     2  PROCEDURE), 46 (LEGISLATURE) AND 71 (STATE GOVERNMENT) OF THE
     3  PENNSYLVANIA CONSOLIDATED STATUTES, PROVIDING FOR COMPENSATION;
     4  AND MAKING AN INCONSISTENT REPEAL," IS REPEALED.
     5     Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.            <--
     6     SECTION 5.  THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT AS FOLLOWS:             <--
     7         (1)  THE AMENDMENT OR ADDITION OF SECTION 311 OF THE ACT
     8     SHALL TAKE EFFECT ON DECEMBER 1, 2005.
     9         (2)  SECTION 4 SHALL TAKE EFFECT ON DECEMBER 1, 2005.
    10         (3)  THE REMAINDER OF THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT
    11     IMMEDIATELY.













    C29L72JAM/20050H1539B3052        - 6 -