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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY KAUFFMAN, BAKER, BOBACK, FAIRCHILD, GOODMAN, HORNAMAN, KORTZ, SIPTROTH, SONNEY AND STERN, MAY 29, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, MAY 29, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Imposing a moratorium on the closure of the Scotland School for |
2 | Veterans' Children; and requiring the Legislative Budget and |
3 | Finance Committee to study the operations and cost of the |
4 | Scotland School for Veterans' Children and to report the |
5 | findings to the General Assembly. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Short title. |
9 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Scotland |
10 | School for Veterans' Children Closure Moratorium Act. |
11 | Section 2. Definitions. |
12 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
13 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
14 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
15 | "Closure." The closing, selling, leasing, transfer of |
16 | ownership or operational control of the Scotland School for |
17 | Veterans' Children or a drastic reduction in educational |
18 | services or staff or any other act or omission that renders the |
19 | school inoperable. |
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1 | "Committee." The Legislative Budget and Finance Commitee. |
2 | "Department." The Department of Military and Veterans |
3 | Affairs of the Commonwealth. |
4 | "School." The Scotland School for Veterans' Children. |
5 | Section 3. Moratorium. |
6 | Notwithstanding any other provision of law and pending |
7 | submission to the General Assembly of the study required under |
8 | section 4, if a closure of the school is not made before June |
9 | 30, 2009, a moratorium is established during which the school |
10 | may not undergo closure. |
11 | Section 4. Study of operation and costs. |
12 | (a) Study.--The committee shall conduct a study, in |
13 | consultation with school officials, experts and specialists in |
14 | the field of education, as well as with representatives of the |
15 | department, to do all of the following: |
16 | (1) Identify all existing Federal, State and county |
17 | funding streams that fund the school. |
18 | (2) Identify the fiscal impact to the Commonwealth if |
19 | the school remains open and operated by the Commonwealth. |
20 | (3) Examine the efficiency of the school's operations. |
21 | (4) Determine specific methods to produce a more cost- |
22 | effective operation of the school. |
23 | (5) Examine the issues articulated in support of and in |
24 | opposition to the proposal to close the school. |
25 | (6) Identify what cost savings would be realized by the |
26 | Commonwealth by implementing the department's proposal to |
27 | close the school. |
28 | (7) Identify if the proposed funding to implement the |
29 | department's proposal is efficient and adequate to be |
30 | utilized to keep the school operational for the duration of |
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1 | the moratorium established under section 3. |
2 | (8) Identify methods on how the Commonwealth can best |
3 | continue providing fiscal support to the school. |
4 | (9) Identify any other issues the committee deems |
5 | appropriate. |
6 | (b) Final report.--The committee shall submit a final report |
7 | with recommendations to the President pro tempore of the Senate, |
8 | the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of |
9 | the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the |
10 | Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the |
11 | House of Representatives no later than April 30, 2010, for |
12 | review and any appropriate legislative action. |
13 | Section 5. Action. |
14 | Any student that would be affected by the closure of the |
15 | school shall have the right to institute an action in equity to |
16 | enjoin any person from closing the school. |
17 | Section 20. Effective date. |
18 | This act shall take effect immediately. |
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