Pennsylvania Act 1999-30 — SENIOR CITIZENS REBATE AND ASSISTANCE ACT - AMEND FUNDS FOR PAYMENT

Act text

Session of 1999

No. 1999-30

HB 773

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 11, 1971 (P.L.104, No.3), entitled, as amended, "An act providing property tax or rent rebate and inflation dividends to certain senior citizens, widows, widowers and permanently disabled persons with limited incomes; establishing uniform standards and qualifications for eligibility to receive rebates and dividends; providing for transportation assistance grants and grants to area agencies on aging for services to older persons; and imposing duties upon the Department of Revenue," further providing for definitions and for funds for payment; and making a repeal.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Sections 3(1) and 8 of the act of March 11, 1971 (P.L.104, No.3), known as the Senior Citizens Rebate and Assistance Act, reenacted and amended December 21, 1979 (P.L.570, No.131), are amended to read:

Section 3. Definitions.--As used in this act:

(1) "Income" means all income from whatever source derived, including but not limited to salaries, wages, bonuses, commissions, income from self-employment, alimony, support money, cash public assistance and relief, the gross amount of any pensions or annuities including railroad retirement benefits for calendar years prior to 1999, and fifty per cent of railroad retirement benefits for calendar years 1999 and thereafter , all benefits received under the Federal Social Security Act (except Medicare benefits) for calendar years prior to 1999, and fifty per cent of all benefits received under the Federal Social Security Act (except Medicare benefits) for calendar years 1999 and thereafter , all benefits received under State unemployment insurance laws and veterans' disability payments, all interest received from the Federal or any State government, or any instrumentality or political subdivision thereof, realized capital gains, rentals, workmen's compensation and the gross amount of loss of time insurance benefits, life insurance benefits and proceeds (except the first five thousand dollars ($5,000) of the total of death benefit payments), and gifts of cash or property (other than transfers by gift between members of a household) in excess of a total value of three hundred dollars ($300), but shall not include surplus food or other relief in kind supplied by a governmental agency or property tax or rent rebate or inflation dividend.

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Section 8. Funds for Payment of [Administrative Expenses and] Claims.--[Expenses, salaries and other costs incurred in the administration of this act and approved] Approved claims shall be paid from the State Lottery Fund established by the act of August 26, 1971 (P.L.351, No.91), known as the "State Lottery Law." [In the event that the total amount of administrative expenses and claims exceeds the amount in such fund, in any one year, then the amounts allowed as tax or rent rebates and inflation dividends shall be reduced in the proportion that the amount of such fund bears to the total amount of claims in such year. For the purposes of this section, the amount in the State Lottery Fund shall include the June 30 ending lottery fund balance plus eighty per cent of projected lottery fund revenues after lottery fund administrative expenses for the subsequent fiscal year.]

Section 2. As much of Chapters 3, 5 and 9 as relates to the payment of administrative expenses, other than the payment of commissions, of the act of August 26, 1971 (P.L.351, No.91), known as the State Lottery Law, are repealed.

Section 3. The amendment of sections 3(1) and 8 of the act shall apply to claims filed for calendar years after 1998.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 25th day of June, A. D. 1999.

THOMAS J. RIDGE