45 Pa.C.S. Ch. 5

in effect

45 Pa.C.S. § 5 Advertising by third class city in two counties.

Where official and legal advertising is required of a third class city located in two counties, such advertising shall be binding and effective if done in the newspapers of general circulation, official newspapers and legal newspapers, as defined in Title 45 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (relating to legal notices), published in the county where such city was incorporated.

45 Pa.C.S. § 501 Definitions.

Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent provisions of this part which are applicable to specific provisions of this part, the following words and phrases when used in this part shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section: "Adjudication." Any order, decree, decision, determination or ruling by an agency affecting personal or property rights, privileges, immunities, duties, liabilities or obligations of any or all of the parties to the proceeding in which the adjudication is made. "Administrative regulation." Any regulation except a proclamation, executive order, executive directive or other similar document promulgated by the Governor, and the term includes a regulation which may be promulgated by an agency only with the approval of the Governor. "Agency." A Commonwealth agency. "Agency text." The text of a document as issued, prescribed or promulgated by the issuing, prescribing or promulgating agency. "Authenticate." To attest to the genuine nature. The term includes providing a method for a user to determine that an electronic record is unaltered. "Bulletin." The Pennsylvania Bulletin published under this part. "Bureau." The Legislative Reference Bureau. The powers conferred by this part upon the bureau shall be exercised by the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, or, in his absence, by the Assistant Director thereof. "Code." The Pennsylvania Code published under this part. "Department." The Department of General Services. "Document." Any proclamation, executive order, executive directive or similar instrument promulgated by the Governor, and any other order, regulation, rule, statement of policy, adjudication, certificate, license, permit, notice or similar instrument issued, prescribed or promulgated by or under the authority of this Commonwealth. The term shall also include any home rule charter heretofore or hereafter adopted by the electors of any part of this Commonwealth or any optional plan of government. "Electronic." Relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic or similar capabilities. "Joint committee." The Joint Committee on Documents existing under this part. "Official text." The text of a document issued, prescribed or promulgated by an agency as published by authority of this part which has become in the manner provided by this part the only valid and enforceable text of such document. "Publish." To present to the public in any medium. "Record." Information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. "Regulation." Any rule or regulation, or order in the nature of a rule or regulation, promulgated by an agency under statutory authority in the administration of any statute administered by or relating to the agency, or prescribing the practice or procedure before such agency. The term includes a proclamation, executive order, executive directive or other similar document promulgated by the Governor. "Statement of policy." Any document, except an adjudication or a regulation, promulgated by an agency which sets forth substantive or procedural personal or property rights, privileges, immunities, duties, liabilities or obligations of the public or any part thereof, and includes, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any document interpreting or implementing any statute enforced or administered by such agency. (Sept. 24, 2014, P.L.2461, No.133, eff. 60 days) 2014 Amendment. Act 133 added the defs. of "authenticate," "electronic," "publish" and "record." Cross References. Section 501 is referred to in section 103 of Title 62 (Procurement).

45 Pa.C.S. § 502 Joint Committee on Documents.

(a) Establishment.--The Joint Committee on Documents shall consist of nine governmental members and two public members. The governmental members shall be the General Counsel, the Attorney General, the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Director of the Pennsylvania Code, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of General Services, or persons severally designated in writing by them. The public members shall be appointed by the Governor from among attorneys at law or other members of the public who represent the class who may be expected to refer to the documents published pursuant to this part. For the purposes of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929" and its supplements the joint committee shall be a departmental administrative board in the Department of General Services. (b) Compensation.--The members of the joint committee shall serve without compensation other than reimbursement for travel and other actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Reimbursement of expenses for a governmental member shall be paid by the governmental member's agency. Reimbursement of expenses for a public member shall be paid by the bureau. (c) Quorum and organization.--Four members of the joint committee shall constitute a quorum, and the committee shall select from among its members a chairman and a vice-chairman, and shall elect a secretary who need not be a member of the committee. (d) Powers and duties.--The joint committee shall exercise the powers and perform the duties vested in and imposed upon it by this part and any other powers and duties vested in and imposed upon the committee by law. (Sept. 24, 2014, P.L.2461, No.133, eff. 60 days) 2014 Amendment. Act 133 amended subsecs. (a) and (b).

45 Pa.C.S. § 503 General administration of part.

Subject to the provisions of section 732 (relating to required contractual arrangements), the manner in which the code, the permanent supplements thereto, and the bulletin, shall be published, and all other matters with respect thereto not otherwise provided for in this part shall be prescribed by regulations promulgated or orders adopted by the joint committee. The joint committee shall administer this part and Subchapter A of Chapter 3 of Title 2 (relating to regulations of Commonwealth agencies) with a view toward encouraging the widest possible dissemination of documents among the persons affected thereby which is consistent with the due administration of public affairs. (Sept. 24, 2014, P.L.2461, No.133, eff. 60 days)

45 Pa.C.S. § 504 Payment for documents (Deleted by amendment).

2014 Amendment. Section 504 was deleted by amendment September 24, 2014, P.L.2461, No.133, effective in 60 days.

45 Pa.C.S. § 505 Distribution of publication expenses.

(a) General rule.--In order to reimburse the Legislative Reference Bureau for the cost of administering this part and in order to reimburse the Department of General Services for the expenses of the joint committee and for the costs incurred in publication under Subchapter B of Chapter 7 (relating to publication of documents) which are neither recovered by the sale of such publications to an agency under section 729 (relating to publication of individual documents) nor paid by appropriations made directly to the bureau or the department for the costs and expenses of such publication, every government unit issuing, prescribing or promulgating documents published by authority of this part shall be billed at least quarterly by the bureau and the Department of General Services, upon a cost basis, at such amounts as the joint committee with the approval of the Executive Board shall determine, for such costs and expenses. Amounts payable under this section for reimbursing the bureau and the department for the costs shall be credited to the appropriations of the bureau and the department respectively, and shall be paid out of the moneys in the General Fund, special operating funds, or other funds of the State Treasury currently appropriated to each such issuing, prescribing or promulgating government unit. (b) Direct appropriation.--Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the right of the General Assembly to make annual appropriations to the bureau or the department, or both, for their total anticipated costs and expenses under this part. (Sept. 24, 2014, P.L.2461, No.133, eff. 60 days) 2014 Amendment. Act 133 amended subsec. (a).

45 Pa.C.S. § 506 Judicial notice.

The contents of the code, of the permanent supplements thereto, and of the bulletin, shall be judicially noticed.

45 Pa.C.S. § 507 Form of citation.

Without prejudice to any other mode of citation the code and permanent supplements thereto may be cited by title and section number, and the bulletin may be cited by volume and page number.

45 Pa.C.S. § 508 Effect of future legislation.

No subsequent statute shall be held to supersede or modify the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the Commonwealth Documents Law, or this part except to the extent that such statute shall do so expressly. (Sept. 24, 2014, P.L.2461, No.133, eff. 60 days)

45 Pa.C.S. § 509 Format of documents.

The agency text of all documents required to be deposited with the Legislative Reference Bureau by this part shall be in such form and format as may be prescribed by regulations promulgated by the joint committee. Cross References. Section 509 is referred to in section 722 of this title.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=45Fetched: 10/16/2026