Pennsylvania House Bill HB1047

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/25/25

Caption

In Board of Finance and Revenue, further providing for restricted account within Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund.

Summary

HB1047 amends the Fiscal Code provision governing the restricted account within the Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund. The bill keeps the restricted account in place and specifies that the money in it is continuously appropriated to the State Treasurer for agricultural research programs and agricultural extension services. It also directs that, beginning no later than ten days after an appropriation or transfer to the account during a fiscal year, the Treasurer must distribute the funds to the Commonwealth’s land-grant university in equal monthly payments. The bill further adds a new rule stating that these payments may not be prohibited, withheld, or delayed by any other law. It makes clear that the Treasurer’s duty to make the payments applies even if there is no general support appropriation for the land-grant university in that fiscal year. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.

Impact

HB1047 would modify state fiscal law by strengthening the statutory protection and timing of payments from the Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund restricted account. It creates an explicit continuing appropriation for agricultural research and extension funding, requires monthly disbursements, and limits the ability of other laws to interfere with those payments. The practical effect is to provide more predictable funding for Pennsylvania’s land-grant university and the agricultural programs it supports, while constraining executive or legislative discretion to delay those transfers once money is placed in the restricted account.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and administrative rather than controversial. The measure is framed as a funding and timing clarification for agricultural research and extension services, suggesting a technical effort to secure stable support for a longstanding public purpose. No opposing arguments, amendments, or recorded roll-call divisions are available in the supplied context.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the bill’s command that payments from the restricted account may not be withheld or delayed under any other law and must occur regardless of whether there is a general support appropriation for the land-grant university. Supporters would likely view this as necessary to protect agricultural funding from interruption, while critics could see it as limiting future budget flexibility and reducing legislative control over appropriations. No specific objections or named opponents are included in the provided transcripts or vote history.