722 - Deposit of documents required.
§ 722. Deposit of documents required. (a) General rule.--Two duplicate original copies, certified by the executive officer, chairman or secretary of the agency, or by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts or the clerk or prothonotary of the Supreme Court, in the case of a judicial document, of any document required or authorized to be published under this subchapter, shall be deposited with the Legislative Reference Bureau. If the bureau finds that such document has been approved as to legality, if such approval is required by 2 Pa.C.S. § 305 (relating to approval as to legality), and is in the form and format required by any applicable regulations promulgated under 2 Pa.C.S. § 306 (relating to format of regulations) or section 509 of this title (relating to format of documents), it shall file such document, assign thereto and indicate thereon a distinctive serial number, and indicate thereon the date and time of filing. (b) Disposition of copies.--Upon such filing one copy shall be immediately available for public inspection and copying under regulations promulgated by the joint committee, which copy shall be retained by the bureau for one year after the publication thereof, whereupon it shall be forwarded to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for preservation in the Commonwealth archives. The other copy shall be transmitted immediately to the Department of General Services, or to a printer designated by it, for publication as provided in this subchapter. (c) Effect of failure to file.--Every agency, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and the clerk or prothonotary of the Supreme Court shall cause to be transmitted to the bureau for deposit as herein provided two certified duplicate original copies of all documents issued, prescribed or promulgated by the agency or the unified judicial system which are required by or pursuant to this subchapter or any other provision of law to be deposited or published, or both, under this part; in default of which any such document, except a document rendered entirely void by such default pursuant to 2 Pa.C.S. § 308 (relating to unfiled administrative regulations invalid) or any similar provision of law, shall be effective only to the extent provided in section 903 of this title (relating to effective date of documents). If an agency and the bureau disagree concerning the form or format of a document required or authorized to be deposited with the bureau, the agency may refer the matter to the joint committee, which shall resolve the conflict pursuant to the standards and procedures provided by section 723 of this title (relating to processing of deposited documents). (d) Home rule charter documents and optional plans of government.-- (1) The clerk of the city council of any city of the first class shall cause a certified copy of the full text of any home rule charter or amendment or repeal as approved by the electors to be filed in the Department of Community Affairs (and in the office of the secretary of the board of public education, in the case of a charter provision affecting the school district of the city) immediately following the final certification of the return of the votes cast on the question of the adoption, amendment or repeal of a home rule charter. (2) In the case of any other political subdivision authorized to adopt a home rule charter or optional plan of government, the county board of elections shall file the documents relating thereto in the Department of Community Affairs and in other public offices as provided by the act of April 13, 1972 (P.L.184, No.62), known as the "Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law." (3) The Department of Community Affairs shall, within ten days after receipt of any home rule charter or amendment or repeal or any optional plan of government as approved by the electors of any part of this Commonwealth, certify two duplicate original copies of the full text thereof and deposit such certified copies with the Legislative Reference Bureau. (Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53, eff. 60 days) 1978 Amendment. Act 53 amended subsec. (c). Transfer of Functions. Section 301(a)(16) of Act 58 of 1996 provided that all other powers and duties delegated to the Department of Community Affairs not otherwise expressly transferred elsewhere by Act 58 and currently performed by the Department of Community Affairs under section 722 are transferred to the Department of Community and Economic Development. References in Text. The Department of Community Affairs, referred to in subsec. (d), was abolished by Act 58 of 1996 and its functions were transferred to the Department of Community and Economic Development.