Pennsylvania § 531 - Establishment and use of Boat Fund.

§ 531. Establishment and use of Boat Fund.

(a) General rule.--All fees, royalties, fines, penalties and other moneys paid, received, recovered and collected under the provisions of section 747 (relating to proceeds from sales and grants) and Part III (relating to boats and boating), as well as all funds received pursuant to section 17 of the act of May 21, 1931 (P.L.149, No.105), known as "The Liquid Fuels Tax Act," shall be placed in a separate fund by the State Treasurer to be known as the "Boat Fund." The use of the Boat Fund shall generally be limited to carrying out the functions of the commission that relate to boats and boating and, subject to this general limitation, the fund may be used solely for the following purposes:

(1) The payment of all expenses incurred in processing, issuing or supervising the issuance of boat registrations, special licenses and permits.

(2) The payment of the salaries, wages or other compensation of the executive director, other employees and other persons as may be required for the work of the commission.

(3) The payment of the travel and other expenses of the Boating Advisory Board, officers, employees and other persons as may be required for the work of the commission.

(4) The purchase of such furniture, furnishings, stationery, supplies, materials, equipment, fuel, motor vehicles, boats and printing and binding as may be necessary to the conduct of the work of the commission, and the payment of premiums on surety bonds for such officers or employees of the commission as may be required to obtain policies of workmen's compensation insurance and policies of liability insurance covering the motor vehicles and persons operating them.

(5) The payment of postage, telegrams, telephone rentals, telephone toll charges and rentals for patented leased office devices or machines.

(6) Rentals for any offices outside of the Capitol buildings or any other grounds, buildings or quarters necessary for the work of the commission.

(7) Necessary repairs and improvements to boating access areas and buildings, offices or quarters used in the work of the commission.

(8) The maintenance and operation of such boats as may be required for the business of the commission.

(9) Any contingent, incidental or other expenses of any kind or description reasonably necessary in carrying on the work of the commission as provided in Part III including the costs of activities for the promotion of recreational boating in this Commonwealth.

(10) The purchase of lands and waters and the impounding of waters and to make them available for use by the citizens of this Commonwealth for boating and other related recreational purposes. The lands and waters so purchased shall be under the supervision, direction and control of the commission.

(11) The refund of fees, royalties, fines or other moneys heretofore or hereafter erroneously or unjustly paid into the Boat Fund.

(12) The development and implementation of a boating safety education program.

(13) The lease of land, interests in land or licenses for the use thereof by the commission.

(b) Cooperative agreements.--The commission may enter into cooperative agreements with Federal, Commonwealth and other state and local government agencies and with interstate compact agencies, singly or in concert, for impounding, managing, using, maintaining and operating waters for public boating and may expend moneys from the Boat Fund for agreed upon pro rata share of the cost of their acquisition, construction, operation and maintenance. The commission may enter into similar agreements and undertake similar expenditures in conjunction with private or commercial interests for the same purposes.

(c) Appropriation of moneys.--All moneys in the Boat Fund, from time to time, are hereby appropriated to the commission and may be expended for the purposes that relate to boats and boating authorized under this title.

References in Text. The act of May 21, 1931 (P.L.149, No.105), known as The Liquid Fuels Tax Act, referred to in subsec. (a) intro. par., was repealed by the act of April 17, 1997 (P.L.6, No.3).

Cross References. Section 531 is referred to in sections 701, 5502 of this title.