SB 214 — An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in neighborhood blight reclamation and revitalization, providing for Municipal Codes Enforcement Grant Program and municipal neighborhood mitigation funds and for county property maintenance code; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   178

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 214
                                                   Session of
                                                     2025

     INTRODUCED BY MILLER, COSTA, SCHWANK, BOSCOLA, COMITTA, FONTANA
        AND KANE, FEBRUARY 3, 2025

     REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, FEBRUARY 3, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in neighborhood blight reclamation and
 3      revitalization, providing for Municipal Codes Enforcement
 4      Grant Program and municipal neighborhood mitigation funds and
 5      for county property maintenance code; and imposing penalties.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.      Chapter 61 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
 9   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding subchapters to read:
10                                SUBCHAPTER B.1
11             MUNICIPAL CODES ENFORCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM AND
12                MUNICIPAL NEIGHBORHOOD MITIGATION FUNDS
13   Sec.
14   6121.   Scope of subchapter.
15   6122.   Definitions.
16   6123.   Municipal Codes Enforcement Grant Program.
17   6124.   Municipal neighborhood mitigation fund.
18   6125.   Penalty.
19   6126.   Report to General Assembly.
 1   6127.   Guidelines.
 2   § 6121.   Scope of subchapter.
 3      This subchapter relates to municipal property maintenance
 4   code assistance.
 5   § 6122.   Definitions.
 6      The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
 7   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 8   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 9      "Department."      The Department of Community and Economic
10   Development of the Commonwealth.
11      "Fund."    A municipal neighborhood mitigation fund established
12   under section 6124 (relating to municipal neighborhood
13   mitigation fund).
14      "Grant."     A grant awarded under the program.
15      "Municipal code" or "code."      A building, housing, property
16   maintenance, fire, health or other public safety ordinance,
17   related to the use or maintenance of real property, enacted by a
18   municipality. The term does not include a subdivision and land
19   development ordinance or a zoning ordinance enacted by a
20   municipality.
21      "Municipality."      A county, city, borough, incorporated town,
22   township or home rule, optional plan or optional charter
23   municipality or municipal authority within this Commonwealth or
24   any entity formed under Subchapter A of Chapter 23 (relating to
25   intergovernmental cooperation).
26      "Program."    The Municipal Codes Enforcement Grant Program
27   established under section 6123 (relating to Municipal Codes
28   Enforcement Grant Program).
29      "Serious violation."      A violation of a municipal code that
30   poses an imminent threat to the health and safety of a dwelling

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 1   occupant, occupants in surrounding structures or a passerby.
 2   § 6123.    Municipal Codes Enforcement Grant Program.
 3      (a)    Establishment.--The Municipal Codes Enforcement Grant
 4   Program is established in the department. The program shall
 5   issue grants to municipalities with no current codes enforcement
 6   program for the purpose of reducing blighted property conditions
 7   through the establishment of:
 8             (1)   code enforcement programs and the hiring and
 9      training of code enforcement personnel to acquire relevant
10      certification in code enforcement; and
11             (2)   county property maintenance code enforcement
12      programs.
13      (b)    Competitive awards.--The department shall issue grants
14   on a competitive basis according to the following criteria:
15             (1)   Whether the municipality demonstrates a financial
16      need for the grants.
17             (2)   The overall condition of the real property within
18      the municipality.
19             (3)   Whether the municipality has an intergovernmental
20      cooperation agreement with another jurisdiction for joint
21      codes enforcement.
22      (c)    Eligibility.--In order to receive a grant, a
23   municipality must submit an application acceptable to the
24   department and that addresses the criteria established under
25   subsection (b).
26      (d)    Matching funds.--A municipality shall provide its own
27   funds or in-kind contributions, approved by the department as
28   determined by guidelines established by the department, equal to
29   the amount of the grant provided, and shall dedicate and expend
30   those funds for the purpose for which the grant was awarded.

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 1      (e)    Limitations.--A grant may not:
 2             (1)   Be provided to the same recipient for more than
 3      three consecutive years.
 4             (2)   Exceed $100,000.
 5             (3)   Be used to pay code enforcement personnel unless the
 6      individual has acquired relevant certification or training in
 7      codes enforcement.
 8   § 6124.    Municipal neighborhood mitigation fund.
 9      (a)    Ordinance authorized.--A municipality with an
10   established code enforcement program may enact an ordinance to
11   establish a municipal neighborhood mitigation fund. The fund
12   shall comply with this section.
13      (b)    Source of revenue.--The penalty collected under this
14   chapter by the municipality shall be deposited into the fund.
15      (c)    Use of fund.--The fund shall be used to mitigate serious
16   violations, including demolition, cleanup, cleaning and sealing
17   and making repairs to blighted property.
18   § 6125.    Penalty.
19      (a)    Imposition.--Upon conviction for a serious violation,
20   the municipality shall impose a neighborhood mitigation penalty:
21             (1)   for a first violation, in the amount of at least $25
22      and not more than $250;
23             (2)   for a second violation, in the amount of at least
24      $250 and not more than $500; and
25             (3)   for a third or subsequent violation, in the amount
26      of at least $500 and not more than $1,000.
27      (b)    Collection.--The penalty imposed under this section
28   shall be payable to the municipality and the municipality shall
29   deposit the penalty collected into the fund.
30   § 6126.    Report to General Assembly.

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 1      The department shall submit an annual report to the Urban
 2   Affairs and Housing Committee of the Senate and the Housing and
 3   Community Development Committee of the House of Representatives
 4   concerning the implementation of this subchapter. The report
 5   shall include the total amount of grants awarded and the
 6   recipients of those grants.
 7   § 6127.    Guidelines.
 8      Within 180 days of the effective date of this section, the
 9   department shall establish guidelines to carry out this
10   subchapter.
11                                SUBCHAPTER B.2
12                       COUNTY PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE
13   Sec.
14   6131.    County property maintenance code.
15   6132.    Enforcement of municipal property maintenance ordinances.
16   § 6131.    County property maintenance code.
17      (a)    Authorization.--The governing body of a county may
18   enact:
19             (1)   property maintenance ordinance that incorporates a
20      standard or nationally recognized property maintenance code
21      or a variation, change or part of such code, published and
22      printed in book form, without incorporating the text of the
23      code in the ordinance; or
24             (2)   standard or nationally recognized property
25      maintenance code or a variation, change or part of such code
26      as the county's property maintenance ordinance.
27      (b)    Publication of notice.--
28             (1)   An ordinance under subsection (a) need not be
29      advertised after being adopted. Notice of the consideration
30      of the ordinance shall be published in a manner that gives

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 1      adequate notice of its contents and a reference to the place
 2      within the county where copies of the proposed property
 3      maintenance code may be examined or obtained.
 4            (2)   The notice required under paragraph (1) shall be
 5      published once in one newspaper of general circulation at
 6      least one week and not more than three weeks prior to the
 7      presentation of the proposed property maintenance code to the
 8      governing body.
 9            (3)   A property maintenance ordinance that incorporates a
10      standard or nationally recognized property maintenance code
11      or variation shall adopt a specific edition and may not
12      incorporate future editions automatically.
13      (c)   Copies of ordinance.--At least three copies of the
14   ordinance enacted by the governing body:
15            (1)   shall be made available for public inspection and
16      use during business hours or to an interested party that pays
17      the cost of copying; or
18            (2)   may be furnished or lent without charge.
19      (d)   Adoption by reference.--A property maintenance code
20   adopted by reference:
21            (1)   need not be recorded in or attached to an ordinance
22      book; and
23            (2)   shall be deemed to have been legally recorded if the
24      ordinance by which the code was adopted by reference has been
25      recorded with an accompanying notation stating where the full
26      text of the code has been filed.
27      (e)   Fines and penalties.--An ordinance enacted under this
28   section may provide for reasonable property fines and penalties
29   for violations of the ordinance.
30      (f)   Changes to ordinance.--The procedure described in this

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 1   section relating to the enactment of an ordinance under this
 2   section may be used in amending, supplementing or repealing a
 3   provision of the ordinance.
 4      (g)    Appointment of property maintenance inspectors.--
 5             (1)   The governing body may appoint property maintenance
 6      inspectors who may enter and inspect a premises at reasonable
 7      hours and in a reasonable manner for the administration and
 8      enforcement of the county's property maintenance code or
 9      ordinance under subsection (a).
10             (2)   A fee payable to a property maintenance inspector
11      under the county's property maintenance code or ordinance
12      shall, after being collected by the property maintenance
13      inspector, be transmitted to the county treasurer for use of
14      the county.
15      (h)    Enforcement action.--In addition to the penalties
16   provided by a county's property maintenance code or ordinance,
17   the county may institute an appropriate action or proceeding at
18   law or in equity to prevent or restrain a property maintenance
19   violation.
20      (i)    Relationship to other law.--The powers and duties of a
21   county under this section shall be in addition to the powers and
22   duties provided under the following:
23             (1)   The act of November 26, 2008 (P.L.1672, No.135),
24      known as the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship
25      Act.
26             (2)   68 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 (relating to land banks).
27      (j)    Limitation.--
28             (1)   Except as provided in section 6132 (relating to
29      enforcement of municipal property maintenance ordinances),
30      the powers of the governing body of a county to enact, amend

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 1      and repeal ordinances under this subchapter shall be limited
 2      to land in those municipalities, wholly or partly within the
 3      county, that have no property maintenance ordinance, based in
 4      whole or in part on a standard or nationally recognized
 5      property maintenance code, in effect at the time a property
 6      maintenance ordinance is introduced before the governing body
 7      of the county and until the municipality's property
 8      maintenance ordinance is in effect.
 9             (2)   The enactment or revision of the property
10      maintenance ordinance by a municipality, other than the
11      county, whose land is subject to a county property
12      maintenance code shall act as a repeal pro tanto of the
13      county property maintenance code ordinance within the
14      municipality adopting the ordinance, except as provided in
15      section 6132.
16   § 6132.    Enforcement of municipal property maintenance
17                   ordinances.
18      (a)    Intergovernmental cooperation agreement required.--
19   Except as provided in subsection (b), a county may not enforce a
20   property maintenance ordinance adopted by a municipality within
21   the county unless the county enters into an intergovernmental
22   cooperation agreement with the municipality.
23      (b)    Payment to county.--Except as otherwise provided in an
24   intergovernmental cooperation agreement entered into by a county
25   and a municipality within the county, a fine, forfeited
26   recognizance or other forfeiture imposed, lost or forfeited for
27   violation of a property maintenance ordinance subject to county
28   enforcement under this section, shall be payable to the county.
29      Section 2.      This act shall take effect in 180 days.



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