was proposed in response to the nancial responsibility requirement imposed upon private dam owners under the Dam Safety and Water Encroachment Act and the Pennsylvania Code, which provides that private dam owners (including community associaons) are required to have a nancial responsibility tool in place by January 8, 2016, in the event their dam would need to be breached.


The average cost of breaching a dam is esmated at $170,000 and it has been dicult for many private dam owners, including associaons, to obtain bonds because nancial instuons do not consider these organizaons to be stable enough to oer bonds.


The bill would establish the Financial Assurance Program, which would provide nancial assurance for the private owners of regulated dams in order to meet the nancial obligaons imposed under the Dam Safety and Encroachment Act. The program would be self-funded, with dam owners paying a one- me $1,000 registraon fee, in addion to a one percent (1%) annual fee of the bond amount required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protecon. Once the fund reaches $1.5 million, loans may be authorized for dam repairs. House Bill 1712 recently passed the House with CAI’s support and is now in the Senate. Source for informaon: hp://www.repbrown.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=25735.


Capitol Day 2016 – PA LAC Visit to Harrisburg. Each year, PA LAC visits the state capitol in Harrisburg and spends the day meeng with legislators and legislave leadership to advocate for issues important to community associaons. The LAC’s Capitol Day will take place on April 4, 2016. During the 2015 meeng, PA LAC parcipated in dozens of meengs with state legislators and sta. We expect that 2016 will be an even beer year for our visit and we welcome all interested Chapter members to aend. Please contact the chapter oce for more details or to sign-up to join us in Harrisburg.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR This legislave update was authored by Edward Homan, Jr., Esq., a PA/NJ aorney with Barrow | Homan and a Delegate at Large for CAI's Pennsylvania Legislave Acon Commiee. He can be reached at ed@barrowhoman.com.


As the Delaware Valley Chapter’s delegate to the CAI-Naonal Legislave Acon Commiee –New Jersey (LAC), I report to the Chapter’s Board on the eorts of the NJ LAC to iniate, monitor, negoate, support and somemes oppose legislaon in Trenton, all with the goal of beneng New Jersey’s common interest community associaons, their boards and their residents..


Legislave sessions in New Jersey last two years, with the current legislave session having just convened on January 12, 2016. Any proposed legislaon that is not passed by the both houses of the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor by the end of the current legislave session will have to be reintroduced in the next session which runs from January 2018 to January 2020.


It is safe to say that anyone who iniates, supports and works to advance a piece of legislaon through the legislave process


(Connued on page 18) | 13


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