HR 153 — A Resolution designating the week of November 16 through 22, 2025, as "County Row Office Employee Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   1161

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 153
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY SANCHEZ, MUNROE, VENKAT, MALAGARI, MAYES, GREINER,
        FREEMAN, NEILSON, GIRAL, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, GUENST, RIVERA,
        O'MARA, MENTZER AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MARCH 27, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 27, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating the week of November 16 through 22, 2025, as "County
 2      Row Office Employee Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, In November 1682, William Penn established Bucks
 4   County, Chester County and Philadelphia County as the first
 5   three counties in Pennsylvania; and
 6      WHEREAS, These three counties have since expanded into the 67
 7   counties Pennsylvania has today, which collectively employ over
 8   90,000 individuals across this Commonwealth; and
 9      WHEREAS, While Federal and state governments may receive more
10   attention due to the scale of their work, county government
11   employees in Pennsylvania regularly perform critical tasks for
12   the Commonwealth; and
13      WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, county employees are charged with
14   many vital duties relating to the safety of Pennsylvania
15   residents; and
16      WHEREAS, Many of these employees work in departments run by
17   independent elected officials, known as county row offices, and
 1   carry out key administrative functions of the county that often
 2   go overlooked; and
 3      WHEREAS, One example is that every county in Pennsylvania has
 4   an elected sheriff to assist with law enforcement, the
 5   transportation of defendants and the protection of county
 6   buildings; and
 7      WHEREAS, Pennsylvania counties also have prothonotary offices
 8   to file documents and records relating to civil court
 9   proceedings, including divorce hearings, landlord and tenant
10   disputes and name changes; and
11      WHEREAS, In criminal court proceedings, county clerk of
12   courts offices help maintain and process records and documents
13   relating to criminal or juvenile court cases; and
14      WHEREAS, Each county's district attorney and their staff also
15   play a key role in criminal court proceedings by addressing
16   crime prosecution and prevention while working alongside various
17   levels of law enforcement; and
18      WHEREAS, County row offices also play a key role in counties'
19   fiscal and budgetary affairs, as county treasurers work with
20   their staffs to collect real estate taxes and other grants and
21   fees; and
22      WHEREAS, Further, county controllers' offices work to
23   maintain counties' fiscal and accounting records while ensuring
24   the compliance of records with current accounting standards; and
25      WHEREAS, Another county row office is that of the coroner,
26   who works with a team of medicolegal investigators to certify
27   causes of deaths in their respective counties to compile death
28   certificates; and
29      WHEREAS, County clerk of orphans' court offices work to file
30   and maintain petitions for guardianship and adoptions and are

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 1   often run by the same individual as the county register of wills
 2   office, which issues marriage licenses and probates wills; and
 3      WHEREAS, County row offices in Pennsylvania also provide
 4   services like the issuance of marriage, hunting, fishing and dog
 5   licenses; and
 6      WHEREAS, The work done by county row office public service
 7   employees should be recognized for all the vital services they
 8   provide for the residents of Pennsylvania; and
 9      WHEREAS, Pennsylvania should honor its county row office
10   employees for everything they do for our communities while also
11   celebrating the anniversary of when our first counties were
12   founded; therefore be it
13      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
14   week of November 16 through 22, 2025, as "County Row Office
15   Employee Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.




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