Pennsylvania Act 1996-62 — SECOND CLASS COUNTY CODE - OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS

Act text

Session of 1996

No. 1996-62

HB 294

AN ACT

Amending the act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), entitled, as amended, "An act relating to counties of the second class and second class A; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," further providing for expenses of county officers for attending certain meetings and for coroner's investigations; and providing for a referendum in cities of the second class relating to neighborhood schools.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 435(a) of the act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), known as the Second Class County Code, amended October 5, 1990 (P.L.519, No.125), is amended and the section is amended by adding subsections to read:

Section 435. Expenses of Attending; Members to be Paid by County; Time Limit on Meetings.--(a) The actual expenses of all authorized elected county officers attending the annual meetings of their associations shall be paid by the several counties out of the general county [funds] fund . Each of these officers, except the county commissioners, [may be allowed for his] shall be reimbursed for actual expenses [up to seventy-five dollars ($75)] not to exceed one hundred ten dollars ($110) per day for the number of days specified in subsection (b) of this section, together with mileage going to and returning from such meeting[. The expense allowance shall be paid] and the registration fee.

(a.1) The actual expenses of all authorized nonelected county officers and employes attending the annual meetings of their associations may be paid by the several counties out of the county general fund. Each of these officers may be reimbursed for actual expenses in an amount not to exceed one hundred ten dollars ($110) per day for the number of days specified in subsection (b) of this section, together with mileage going to and returning from such meetings and the registration fee.

(a.2) Every delegate attending the annual meeting shall submit to the county an itemized account of expenses incurred at the meeting. The county may authorize employes to be compensated at their regular employe rate during their attendance at the annual meeting. The actual expenses for elected officers shall, and for nonelected officers may, be paid for the number of days specified in subsection (b). In addition, elected county officers shall receive, and nonelected county officers and employes may receive, actual expenses not to exceed one hundred ten dollars ($110) per day for each day not in excess of two in going to and returning from such meeting.

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Section 2. Section 1236 of the act, amended December 22, 1993 (P.L.529, No.77), is amended to read:

Section 1236. Coroner's Investigations.--(a) The coroner having a view of the body shall investigate the facts and circumstances concerning deaths which appear to have happened within the county, [and in all cases where an individual sustains injuries in one county and is transported for medical treatment to a medical facility in another county where he dies or is pronounced dead, the coroner of the county where the injuries were sustained shall view the body and investigate the facts and circumstances concerning the death] regardless where the cause thereof may have occurred , for the purpose of determining whether or not an autopsy should be conducted or an inquest thereof shall be had, in the following cases:

(1) sudden deaths not caused by readily recognizable disease or wherein the case of death cannot be properly certified by a physician on the basis of prior (recent) medical attendance;

(2) deaths occurring under suspicious circumstances, including those where alcohol, drugs or other toxic substances may have had a direct bearing on the outcome;

(3) deaths occurring as a result of violence or trauma, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal or accidental (including, but not limited to, those due to mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical or radiational injury, drowning, cave-ins and subsidences);

(4) any death in which trauma, chemical injury, drug overdose or reaction to drugs or medication or medical treatment, was a primary or secondary, direct or indirect, contributory, aggravating or precipitating cause of death;

(5) operative and peri-operative deaths in which the death is not readily explainable on the basis of prior disease;

(6) any death wherein the body is unidentified or unclaimed;

(7) deaths known or suspected as due to contagious disease and constituting a public hazard;

(8) deaths occurring in prison, a penal institution or while in the custody of the police;

(9) deaths of persons whose bodies are to be cremated, buried at sea or otherwise disposed of so as to be thereafter unavailable for examination;

(10) sudden infant death syndrome; and

(11) stillbirths.

(b) The purpose of the investigation shall be to determine the cause of any such death and to determine whether or not there is sufficient reason for the coroner to believe that any such death may have resulted from criminal acts or criminal neglect of persons other than the deceased.

(c) As part of this investigation, the coroner shall determine the identity of the deceased and notify the next of kin of the deceased.

Section 3. (a) For the purpose of determining the opinion of the electors resident in a city of the second class situate in a county of the second class, the county board of elections shall arrange for a referendum to be placed upon the ballot in such city of the second class relating to neighborhood schools. This referendum shall be held at the primary election of 1997.

(b) The question shall be as follows:

Do you favor the neighborhood school concept as a necessary part of our public school system?

(c) The advertising of the referendum and the canvassing of the votes thereon shall be as provided in the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code.

(d) The results of the referendum shall be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation within the city described in subsection (a).

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 28th day of May, A. D. 1996.

THOMAS J. RIDGE