Title 53, MUNICIPALITIES GENERALLY

(a) Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) It is the public policy of the Commonwealth to ensure that all victims of abuse and crime and individuals in an emergency are able to contact police or emergency assistance without penalty. (2) Th…

(a) Preemption.--The provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. § 3505 (relating to unlawful use of unmanned aircraft) shall preempt and supersede any ordinance, resolution, rule or other enactment of a municipality regulating the ownership or operation of unmanned aircraft. As of the effective da…

(a) Restrictions on business licenses and permits.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law: (1) a municipality or an agency of a municipality may not require a business license for a business that is: (i) operated on an occasional basis by a minor; and (ii) located a sufficie…

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Applicant." As defined under 4 Pa.C.S. § 3102 (relating to definitions). "Board." The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board…

(a) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding 4 Pa.C.S. § 3514 (relating to establishment licenses), the following shall apply: (1) A municipality may, by delivering a resolution of the municipality's governing body to the board no later than 60 days after the effective date of this subsecti…

This subchapter relates to municipal boundary changes and adjustments to municipal indebtedness and property rights following boundary change.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Abutting municipal corporations." Municipal corporations that share contiguous territory. "Boundary ascertainment." …

(a) Certain actions unaffected.--Nothing in this title shall preclude, restrict or limit successive changes in boundaries and territorial limits of any municipality. (b) County boundaries unaffected.--When a boundary change is made under the provisions of this title which results…

(a) General rule.--If a municipal corporation is bounded by the nearest margin of a navigable stream and the opposite municipal corporation is also bounded by the nearest margin of the same stream, the middle of the stream shall be the boundary between the municipal corporations.…

(a) General rule.--Two or more abutting municipal corporations may, by the adoption of an ordinance memorializing an agreement under this subchapter: (1) Transfer or exchange territory between municipal corporations. (2) Establish a territorial boundary between municipal corporat…

(a) Judicial ascertainment.--A court of common pleas may, upon presentation of a petition, ascertain and establish disputed boundaries of two or more municipal corporations. (b) Bond required.--If a petition is presented, the court under subsection (a) may require the petitioners…

(a) Appointment.--Upon application by petition under section 716 (relating to petition and establishment of disputed boundaries by judicial ascertainment), the court shall appoint three impartial individuals as commissioners, one of whom must be a surveyor or registered engineer.…

(a) Change by ordinance.--The change in boundaries under an ordinance shall take effect on January 1 of the year following the date on which all of the documents under section 715(e)(2) (relating to boundary change agreement by abutting municipalities) have been filed, unless: (1…

(a) General rule.--Within 15 days after a change in boundaries has taken effect, the governing body of a municipality shall file a final report of the boundary change containing the following information with the County Board of Elections, the Department of Community and Economic…

The impacted municipalities shall provide for the placement of monuments, no more than 1,500 feet apart, along the newly established boundary line, other than where a natural line can be described, in a manner adequate that the entire territory in question can be depicted and rep…

(a) Increased municipal territory.--If a municipal corporation gaining territory is divided among wards, the governing body shall, within 30 days after the change in boundaries is effective, provide for the distribution of the gained territory among the wards of the municipal cor…

(a) Taxes.--All taxes assessed and levied against property in an impacted territory prior to the effective date of the boundary change shall be paid to the municipality which levied the tax, and the collection and enforcement of taxes under this subsection shall be as though the …

All election districts in the impacted territory shall remain as constituted prior to the boundary change and shall become election districts of the municipality gaining territory on the change in designation in accordance with the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as…

(a) General rule.--Prior to the effective date of a boundary change, an impacted municipality may execute an agreement fully resolving: (1) Transfers of any funds and indebtedness related to property within the impacted territory. (2) The sharing of costs associated with the terr…

(a) Property.--The following shall apply: (1) Following a boundary change under this subchapter or any other provision of law, the governing bodies of the impacted municipalities shall make an equitable adjustment and apportionment of all the public real and personal property imp…

(a) Notice.--The commissioners appointed under section 725(e) (relating to adjustment of indebtedness) shall give the impacted municipalities at least five days' notice of the filing of the report under section 725(f). (b) Exceptions.--If exceptions are filed to the report made u…

The commissioners appointed under section 725(e) (relating to adjustment of indebtedness) shall receive compensation and expenses for their services as provided by the court. The costs of the proceedings, including the compensation and expenses of the commissioners, shall be appo…

If the impacted territory is located in two or more counties, Commonwealth Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the proceedings to adjust and apportion the property and indebtedness between the municipalities. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 725(e) (relating to …

In a proceeding to adjust and apportion indebtedness, a municipality shall have power to issue and deliver interest-bearing bonds in liquidation of the indebtedness ascertained, to be its proportionate share payable, if the bonds are acceptable to the municipality entitled to rec…

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal Consolidation or Merger Act.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Commission." A board of members elected under the provisions of section 735.1 (relating to initiative of electors se…

(a) General rule.--Two or more municipalities may be consolidated or merged into a single municipality, whether within the same or different counties, if each of the municipalities is contiguous to at least one of the other consolidating or merging municipalities and if together …

(a) General rule.--The governing body of each municipality proposed to be consolidated or merged shall enter into a joint agreement under the official seal of each municipality to consolidate or merge into one municipality. (b) Elements.--The joint agreement shall include, but no…

(a) General rule.--In order for consolidation or merger proceedings to be initiated by petition of electors, petitions containing signatures of at least 5% of the number of electors voting for the office of Governor in the last gubernatorial general election in each municipality …

(a) General rule.--In order for a commission and consolidation or merger proceedings to be initiated by petition of electors, petitions containing signatures of at least 5% of the number of electors voting for the office of Governor in the last gubernatorial general election in e…

(a) Duty to place on ballot.--Following initiation of proceedings for consolidation or merger by the procedures set forth either in section 734 (relating to joint agreement of governing bodies) or 735 (relating to initiative of electors seeking consolidation or merger without new…

(a) Form.--Upon favorable action by the electorate on consolidation or merger, in cases where consolidation or merger was initiated by petition of electors under section 735 (relating to initiative of electors seeking consolidation or merger without new home rule charter), the go…

Municipalities consolidated or merged shall continue to be governed as before consolidation or merger until the date stipulated in the transitional plan and schedule provided for in sections 734 (relating to joint agreement of governing bodies) and 737 (relating to consolidation …

(a) Transition.--As of the date when a consolidated or merged municipality shall begin to function, except for those officers and employees which are protected by any tenure of office, civil service provisions or collective bargaining agreement, all appointive offices and positio…

(a) Ordinance book.--After consolidation becomes effective, a new ordinance book shall be used by the municipality, and, except for a municipality consolidated or merged under section 735.1 (relating to initiative of electors seeking consolidation or merger with new home rule cha…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), after the approval of a referendum pursuant to section 736 (relating to conduct of referenda), any person who is a resident of a municipality to be consolidated or merged may petition the court of common pleas to order the …

(a) Short title of chapter.--This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal Reapportionment Act. (b) Scope of chapter.--This chapter applies to the following entities: (1) Municipalities. (2) Units of government created and existing under Subpart E of Part III (rel…

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "District." Includes a ward whenever wards are used as a subdivision for the election of members of the governing body. …

(a) General rule.--Within the year following that in which the Federal census, decennial or special, is officially and finally reported and at such other times as the governing body deems necessary, each entity having a governing body not entirely elected at large shall be reappo…

(a) Petition.--If there has not been a reapportionment by the governing body within the year following that in which the Federal census, decennial or special, is officially and finally reported, a petition signed by one or more electors who are residents of the entity may be subm…

(a) Compensation of commissioners.--The commissioners appointed by the court shall each receive compensation for their services as the court shall fix. (b) Payment of costs and expenses.--All cost and expenses incurred in the proceedings to reapportion shall be paid by the entity…

(a) General rule.--In the event there has been a reapportionment by the governing body pursuant to section 903(a) (relating to reapportionment by governing body) or 904 (relating to reapportionment by court upon petition), the reapportionment may be contested as not being in comp…

(a) General rule.--All cost and expenses incurred in a proceeding described in section 906 (relating to contest of reapportionment by governing body) challenging a reapportionment shall be paid by the entity or the petitioners as the court directs, but, if the court reapportions …

(a) Retention of existing members in office.--The members of the governing body in office at the time of the reapportionment shall retain their offices until the end of their respective terms. (b) Election of members following reapportionment.--The election of members of the gove…

This subchapter applies to all political subdivisions.

Whenever, due to an emergency resulting from the effects of enemy attack or the anticipated effects of a threatened enemy attack, it becomes imprudent, inexpedient or impossible to conduct the affairs of local government at the regular or usual place, the governing body of each p…