Pennsylvania SB 222: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in organization and jurisdiction of courts of common pleas, further providing for courts of common pleas; and, in Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, providing for senior judge operational support grant program.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 171
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 222
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, PENNYCUICK, J. WARD AND DUSH,
FEBRUARY 3, 2025
REFERRED TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, FEBRUARY 3, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled
"An act relating to the finances of the State government;
providing for cancer control, prevention and research, for
ambulatory surgical center data collection, for the Joint
Underwriting Association, for entertainment business
financial management firms, for private dam financial
assurance and for reinstatement of item vetoes; providing for
the settlement, assessment, collection, and lien of taxes,
bonus, and all other accounts due the Commonwealth, the
collection and recovery of fees and other money or property
due or belonging to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
including escheated property and the proceeds of its sale,
the custody and disbursement or other disposition of funds
and securities belonging to or in the possession of the
Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims against the
Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and appeals to the
courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to the
Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth and
all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes
to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of
section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of
certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every
department, board, commission, and officer of the State
government, every political subdivision of the State, and
certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,
association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or
collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws
imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
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Commonwealth," providing for grant oversight.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known
as The Fiscal Code, is amended by adding an article to read:
ARTICLE XVIII-B
GRANT OVERSIGHT
SUBARTICLE A
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
Section 1801-B. Scope of article.
This article relates to grant oversight.
Section 1802-B. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commonwealth agency." Any of the following:
(1) The Governor's Office.
(2) A department, board, commission, authority or other
agency of the Commonwealth that is subject to the policy
supervision and control of the Governor.
(3) The Office of Lieutenant Governor.
(4) An independent department.
(5) An independent agency.
"Grant." As follows:
(1) A commitment of money and programmatic authority by
a Commonwealth agency serving as the grantor to an outside
entity for the purpose of carrying out public policy or
implementing program service delivery.
(2) The term does not include a procurement in which the
grantor receives specific goods or services for the grantor's
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direct benefit or use.
"Grantee." An outside entity that contracts with a
Commonwealth agency to receive grant funding.
"Grantor." A Commonwealth agency administering a grant.
"Independent agency." As follows:
(1) A board, commission, authority or other agency of
the Commonwealth that is not subject to the policy
supervision and control of the Governor.
(2) The term does not include:
(i) A court or agency of the unified judicial
system.
(ii) The General Assembly or an agency of the
General Assembly.
"Independent department." Any of the following:
(1) The Department of the Auditor General.
(2) The Treasury Department.
(3) The Office of Attorney General.
(4) A board or commission of an entity under paragraph
(1), (2) or (3).
"Municipality." A county, city, borough, incorporated town
or township.
"Outside entity." As follows:
(1) A person that is not a Commonwealth agency.
(2) The term includes the following:
(i) An individual.
(ii) A municipality.
(iii) A school district.
(iv) A nonprofit organization.
(v) A service provider.
"Project." An activity, program or task that is funded
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through a grant.
SUBARTICLE B
REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS
Section 1811-B. Applicability.
This subarticle is subject to Subarticle C.
Section 1812-B. Discl