PRINTER'S NO. 3876
No. 2802 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY LLOYD, BAKER, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI,
BOSCOLA, CAWLEY, COLAIZZO, COY, DALEY, GEORGE, HENNESSEY,
LAUGHLIN, MARKOSEK, McCALL, OLASZ, PETRONE, RAMOS, READSHAW,
SCRIMENTI, STABACK, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO, WOJNAROSKI, MELIO,
MICHLOVIC, LUCYK AND PESCI, SEPTEMBER 29, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SEPTEMBER 29, 1998
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for temporary special aid
6 to school districts suffering loss of local revenue due to
7 natural disaster; and establishing a restricted receipt
8 account.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
12 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
13 section to read:
14 Section 2502.36. Temporary Special Aid to School Districts
15 Suffering Loss of Local Revenue Due to Natural Disaster.--(a)
16 Temporary special aid shall be paid for fiscal year 1997-1998
17 and each fiscal year thereafter to any school district that
18 experiences a severe reduction in local revenue for the support
19 of public schools due to a fire, flood, tornado or other natural
1 disaster. The allocation to a school district under this section
2 shall equal the difference between the total local revenue such
3 school district collects in the first fiscal year and each
4 subsequent fiscal year after the natural disaster and the total
5 local revenue collected by the school district in the fiscal
6 year preceding the natural disaster. For the purpose of this
7 section, the term "natural disaster" shall have the meaning
8 given to it under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7102 (relating to definitions).
9 (b) A school district that suffers the loss in local revenue
10 due to a natural disaster during the 1997-1998 fiscal year shall
11 be eligible to receive its first payment of temporary special
12 aid for the 1998-1999 fiscal year. A school district that
13 receives temporary special aid under this section shall qualify
14 for such aid for no more than four (4) consecutive fiscal years.
15 (c) Payments for temporary special aid made under subsection
16 (a) shall be paid from a restricted receipt account which is
17 hereby established for that purpose. The money in the restricted
18 receipt account is hereby appropriated from the account to
19 provide temporary special aid authorized under subsection (a).
20 The money in the restricted receipt account shall not lapse and
21 shall not be used for any purpose other than that authorized
22 under this section.
23 (d) For the 1998-1999 fiscal year, the Secretary of the
24 Budget shall transfer three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000)
25 from the fund established under Chapter 2 of the act of July 1,
26 1985 (P.L.120, No.32), known as the "Tax Stabilization Reserve
27 Fund Act," to the restricted receipt account established under
28 subsection (c). Additional funds shall be transferred by the
29 Secretary of the Budget from the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund
30 to the restricted receipt account only to the extent necessary
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1 to make payments authorized under this section.
2 (e) The Secretary of Education shall develop a written
3 policy to govern the method for making payments of temporary
4 special aid to school districts, including the date by which
5 such payments shall be made each fiscal year.
6 (f) This section shall apply to all natural disasters for
7 which a disaster emergency is declared by executive order or
8 proclamation issued by the Governor pursuant to 35 Pa.C.S. §
9 7301 (relating to general authority of governor) during the 1998
10 calendar year and each calendar year thereafter.
11 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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