Pennsylvania Act 1949-297 — ACCEPTING THE BENEFITS OF THE FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL FINANCE ACT

Act text

ACCEPTING THE BENEFITS OF THE FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL FINANCE ACT
                  Act of May 9, 1949, P.L. 1023, No. 297              Cl. 24
                                  AN ACT

     Accepting the grants, requirements and benefits of an act of the
        eighty-first Congress of the United States approved
                            , one thousand nine hundred forty-nine,
        known as the Educational Finance Act of 1949, bearing public
        act No.           , entitled "To authorize the appropriation
        of funds to assist the States and Territories in financing a
        minimum foundation education program of public elementary and
        secondary schools, and in reducing the inequalities of
        educational opportunities through public elementary and
        secondary schools, for the general welfare, and for other
        purposes.

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

        Section 1.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby accepts
     the provisions of the act of Congress approved
     , one thousand nine hundred forty-nine, entitled "To authorize
     the appropriation of funds to assist the States and Territories
     in financing a minimum foundation education program of public
     elementary and secondary schools, and in reducing the
     inequalities of educational opportunities through public
     elementary and secondary schools, for the general welfare, and
     for other purposes," and cited as the "Educational Finance Act
     of 1949."
        The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania formally accepts the
     provisions of said act of Congress with respect to the
     qualifications for the receipt of funds appropriated thereunder,
     as therein provided.
        Section 2.  The State Treasurer is hereby designated as the
     custodian of the Federal funds apportioned to the Commonwealth
     of Pennsylvania and shall receive money paid to the State from
     the United States Treasury under the provisions of said act of
     Congress and shall pay out the same upon the warrant of the
     Auditor General when the same is certified by the Superintendent
     of Public Instruction; and further, the State Treasurer shall
     submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and to the
     United States Commissioner of Education on or before the first
     day of November of each year, for transmission to the Congress,
     a detailed statement of the amount so received for the preceding
     fiscal year and of its disbursement.
        Section 3.  The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is
     hereby designated the "State Educational Authority" to carry out
     the provisions of said act so far as the same relates to the
     cooperation of the State and Federal governments and shall
     represent the State in the administration of funds received and
     shall have full power to take all necessary steps in the
     formulation of plans for the effective administration of said
     fund and further shall--
        (1)  Provide for an annual audit, and for the submission of a
     copy thereof to the United States Commissioner of Education, of
     the expenditure of funds received under said act, and for a
     system of reports from local public-school jurisdictions and
     other State public-education agencies to the Superintendent of
     Public Instruction;
        (2)  Make such reports in such form and containing such
     information concerning the administration of said act as the
     Commissioner may reasonably require and give him upon request
     access to the records on which such reports are based;
        (3)  Formulate and effectuate, for each fiscal year beginning
     after June 30, 1953, a plan for the apportionment of amounts
     paid to the State from funds appropriated pursuant to section
     three of said act for such fiscal year under which there will be
     available from all sources to each local public-school
     jurisdiction or other State public-education agency, for current
     expenditures for public elementary-school and public secondary-
     school education, an amount per pupil in average daily
     attendance at public elementary and secondary schools within
     such local public-school jurisdiction, or under the jurisdiction
     of such State public-education agency, not less than fifty-five
     ($55) dollars or, in any fiscal year for which the amount to be
     paid to the State is less by reason of the provision of
     paragraph (F) of section four of said act than the amount of the
     Federal allotment to the State, an amount which bears the same
     ratio to fifty-five ($55) dollars as ninety-seven (97%) per
     centum of the funds appropriated for such fiscal year pursuant
     to section three of said act bears to the sum of all Federal
     allotments under section four of said act;
        (4)  Provide for the administration of funds to be received
     by performing any and all acts deemed necessary to administer
     properly said funds.
        Section 4.  The Superintendent of Public Instruction is
     hereby granted power and authority to promulgate and to issue
     such rules and regulations as he shall deem necessary in order
     to administer effectively the funds received under said act of
     Congress, the provisions of said act of Congress, and the
     provisions of this act.
        Section 5.  The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall
     transmit to the United States Commissioner of Education
     certified copies of this act and the regulations that may be
     issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in connection
     with such funds. Any amendment of this act and revision of
     regulations shall in like manner be transmitted to said
     Commissioner.
        Section 6.  The provisions of this act shall become effective
     one day after the final enactment of the Federal Act known as
     the Educational Finance Act of 1949.