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Disclaimer: The following references to laws are provided to assist users in their searches for information and are not a substitute for competent legal advice. The text of these laws, made available through the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Legislative Data Processing Center, may not be current. Court decisions, later amendatory statutes, and a variety of other influences on the interpretation of a particular law may need to be considered. Users should seek legal assistance with regard to interpreting or researching a law or determining its current status.

Municipal Codes

“The Borough Code” Act 581 of 1965, P.L. 1656; 53 P.S. § 45101
“The County Code” Act 130 of 1955, P.L. 323; 16 P.S. § 101
“The First Class Township Code” Act 331 of 1931, P.L. 1206; 53 P.S. § 55101
“Optional Third Class City Charter Law” Act 399 of 1957, P.L. 901; 53 P.S. § 41101
“Second Class County Code” Act 230 of 1953, P.L. 723; 16 P.S. § 3101
“The Second Class Township Code” Act 69 of 1933, P.L. 103; 53 P.S. § 65101
“The Third Class City Code” Act 317 of 1931, P.L. 932; 53 P.S. § 35101

Other Codes

“The Administrative Code of 1929” Act 175 of 1929, P.L. 177; 71 P.S. § 51
“Eminent Domain Code” Act 6 of 1964(1), P.L. 84; 26 P.S. § 1-101
“General Local Government Code” 53 Pa.C.S. § 101
“The Library Code” Act 188 of 1961, P.L. 324; 24 P.S. § 4101
“Pennsylvania Election Code” Act 320 of 1937, P.L. 1333; 25 P.S. § 2601
“Public School Code of 1949” Act 14 of 1949, P.L. 30; 24 P.S. § 1-101
“Vehicle Code” 75 Pa.C.S. § 101

Important Laws Relating to Local Government

“Agricultural Area Security Law” Act 43 of 1981, P.L. 128; 3 P.S. § 901
“Antibid-Rigging Act” 62 Pa.C.S. § 4501
Assessment: “The Fourth to Eighth Class County Assessment Law” Act 254 of 1943, P.L. 571; 72 P.S. § 5453.101
“The General County Assessment Law” Act 155 of 1933, P.L. 853; 72 P.S. § 5020-101
Second Class County Assessment Law Act 294 of 1939, P.L. 626; 72 P.S. § 5452.1
Third Class County Assessment Board Law Act 348 of 1931, P.L. 1379; 72 P.S. § 5342
“Business Improvement District Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 5401
“The Clean Streams Law” Act 394 of 1937, P.L. 1987; 35 P.S. § 691.1
“Community Services Block Grant Act” Act 46 of 2002, P.L. 315; 62 P.S. § 2992.1
Compensation in Counties of the Second Through Eighth Classes Act 113 of 1971, P.L. 495; 16 P.S. § 11011-1
“Conservation and Preservation Easements Act” Act 29 of 2001, P.L. 390; 32 P.S. § 5051
County Records Act Act 407 of 1963, P.L. 839; 16 P.S. § 13001
Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act Act 101 of 1976, P.L. 424; 53 P.S. § 891
Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law (Heart & Lung Act) Act 193 of 1935, P.L. 477; 53 P.S. § 637
Fire and Panic Act Act 299 of 1927, P.L. 465; 35 P.S. 1221
Fire Escrow Law (in “The Insurance Company Law of 1921”) Act 284 of 1921, P.L. 682, Section 508; 40 P.S. § 638
“Flood Plain Management Act” Act 166 of 1978, P.L. 851; 32 P.S. § 679.101
Foreign Casualty Insurance Premium Tax Allocation Law (State funding for local pensions) Act 120 of 1943, P.L. 259; 72 P.S. § 2263.1
“Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Distribution Law” (in the “Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act”) Act 205 of 1984, P.L. 1005, Section 701; 53 P.S. § 895.701
General Road Law Act 169 of 1836, P.L. 551; 36 P.S. § 1781
“Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law” 53 Pa.C.S. § 2901
“Homestead Property Exclusion Program Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 8581
"Improvement of Deteriorating Real Property or Areas Tax Exemption Act” Act 34 of 1971, P.L. 206; 72 P.S. § 4711-101
“Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act” Act 55 of 1997, P.L. 508; 10 P.S. § 371
Intergovernmental Cooperation Law 53 Pa.C.S. § 2301
Intergovernmental Relations (Cooperative Purchasing) and Administrative Code provisions 62 Pa.C.S. § 1901 and Act 175 of 1929, P.L. 177; Administrative Code, Section 2403; 71 P.S. § 633
“Keystone Opportunity Zone, Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone, and Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone Act” Act 92 of 1998, P.L. 705; 73 P.S. § 820.101
“Lethal Weapons Training Act” Act 235 of 1974, P.L. 705; 22 P.S. § 41
Liquid Fuels Tax Municipal Allocation Law Act 655 of 1955, P.L. 1944; 72 P.S. § 2615.1
“Local Agency Law”– Practice and Procedure of Local Agencies; Judicial Review of Local Agency Action 2 Pa.C.S. §§ 551, 751
“Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act” (LERTA) Act 76 of 1977, P.L. 237; 72 P.S. § 4722
Local Government Commission Law Act 102 of 1935, P.L. 244; 46 P.S. § 431.1
“Local Government Unit Debt Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 8001
“Local Tax Collection Law” Act 394 of 1945, P.L. 1050; 72 P.S. § 5511.1
“The Local Tax Enabling Act” (Act 511) Act 511 of 1965, P.L. 1257; 53 P.S. § 6901
“Local Taxpayers Bill of Rights Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 8421
“Motor Vehicle Procurement Act” 62 Pa.C.S. § 3731
Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law Act 153 of 1923, P.L. 207; 53 P.S. § 7101
“Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act” Act 99 of 2000, P.L. 724; 68 P.S. § 1081
“Municipal Consolidation or Merger Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 731
“Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act” Act 205 of 1984, P.L. 1005; 53 P.S. § 895.101
Municipal Police—Intrastate Hot Pursuit 42 Pa.C.S. § 8953
Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Law 53 Pa.C.S. § 2161
Municipal Police Pension Law (Act 600) Act 600 of 1955, P.L. 1804; 53 P.S. § 767
“Municipal Reapportionment Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 901
“Municipal Records Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 1381
“Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act” (Act 101) Act 101 of 1988, P.L. 556; 53 P.S. § 4000.101
“Municipalities Financial Recovery Act”
(Distressed Municipalities)
Act 47 of 1987, P.L. 246; 53 P.S. § 11701.101
“Municipality Authorities Act” 53 Pa.C.S. § 5601
“Neighborhood Improvement District Act” Act 130 of 2000, P.L. 949; 73 P.S. § 831
Nutrient Management and Odor Management 3 Pa.C.S. § 501
Open Records Law (Right-To-Know) Act 212 of 1957, P.L. 390; 65 P.S. § 66.1
“Optional Occupation Tax Elimination Act” Act 24 of 2001, P.L. 374, 53 P.S. § 6927.1
Optional Retirement Law – Third Class Cities Act 362 of 1945, P.L. 903; 53 P.S. § 39371
“Pennsylvania Construction Code Act” (Uniform Construction Code) Act 45 of 1999, P.L. 491; 35 P.S. § 7210.101
“Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act of 1974”(Clean and Green) Act 319 of 1974, P.L. 973; 72 P.S. § 5490.1
“Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Law” Act 15 of 1974, P.L. 34; 53 P.S. § 881.101
“Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code” (MPC or PA MPC) Act 247 of 1968, P.L. 805; 53 P.S. § 10101
“Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act” Act 442 of 1961, P.L. 987; 43 P.S. § 165-1
“Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act” (Act 537) Act 537 of 1965, P.L. 1535; 35 P.S. § 750.1
Policemen and Firemen Collective Bargaining Act (Act 111) Act 111 of 1968, P.L. 237; 43 P.S. § 217.1
Police Officers – Benefits to Nonunion Officers (Police Chief Pay Law) Act 204 of 1984, P.L. 1004; 43 P.S. § 218
Police Tenure Act Act 144 of 1951, P.L. 586; 53 P.S. § 811
Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act 42 Pa.C.S. § 8541
“Public Employe Relations Act” (Act 195) Act 195 of 1970, P.L. 563; 43 P.S. § 1101.101
“Public Official and Employee Ethics Act” 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101
“Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act” (911) Act 78 of 1990, P.L. 340; 35 P.S. § 7011
Public Works Contract Regulation Law 62 Pa.C.S. § 3901
"Public Works Contractors’ Bond Law of 1967” Act 385 of 1967, P.L. 869; 8 P.S. § 191
“Real Estate Tax Sale Law” Act 542 of 1947, P.L. 1368; 72 P.S. § 5860.101
Recreational Use of Land and Water Act (RUA or RULA) Act 586 of 1965, P.L. 1860; 68 P.S. § 477-1
“Solid Waste Management Act” Act 97 of 1980, P.L. 380, 35 P.S. § 6018.101
“Special Ad Hoc Municipal Police and Firefighter Postretirement Adjustment Act” Act 147 of 1988, P.L. 1192, 53 P.S. § 896.101
“Steel Products Procurement Act” Act 3 of 1978, P.L. 6; 73 P.S. § 1881
Sterling Act (Philadelphia City Taxation) Act 45 of 1932(1), P.L. 45; 53 P.S. § 15971
“Sunshine Act” (Open Meetings) 65 Pa.C.S. § 701
“Tax Increment Financing Act” Act 113 of 1990, P.L. 465; 53 P.S. § 6930.1
“Transportation Partnership Act” Act 47 of 1985, P.L. 187, 53 P.S. § 1621
Underground Utility Line Protection Law (One-Call) Act 287 of 1974, P.L. 852; 73 P.S. § 176
Uniform Mileage Fee Law Act 51 of 1979, P.L. 156; 65 P.S. § 371
“Uniform Facsimile Signature of Public Officials Act” Act 367 of 1961, P.L. 849; 65 P.S. § 301
Voter Registration Act 25 Pa.C.S. § 1301
“Whistleblower Law” Act 169 of 1986, P.L. 1559; 43 P.S. § 1421

Notes:

  • The use of quotation marks in identifying the name of a law indicates that the formal short title is being referenced. In cases where a short title does not exist, a common, descriptive, or informal designation is used.

  • Following the short title or descriptive designation of the law is either a single citation or two citations:

    -A single citation is used when reference is made to a law codified within a specific title of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (Pa.C.S.). This is the official citation for these codified laws. Both the volume number of the consolidated statute title and the section number of the first provision of the cited law are provided.

    -Not all laws are codified in the Pa.C.S. When a reference is made to an uncodified, freestanding law, two citations are provided. The “official citation” for the uncodified law is provided first, followed by the citation in Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes (P.S.), an unofficial annotated compilation of Pennsylvania laws published by West Publishing Corporation. The official citation includes the act number and year (with special session number, when applicable), along with the pamphlet law (P.L.) designation, which is the page designation of the law in the applicable year’s Session Laws. If the law referred to is only a portion of the act cited, the relevant section or sections of the act are provided. The second citation references the law as placed, by volume and section, in Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes.

  • As a part of its compilation of freestanding or uncodified laws, Purdon’s also offers a parallel, annotated version of the official consolidated statutes and the citation to the annotated consolidated statutes in Purdon’s is Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (Pa.C.S.A.).

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