Act 57:
What Builders & Developers Should Know
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After more than two years of negotiation between the Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA) and the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA), new tapping fee legislation has officially been signed into law by Governor Rendell. This legislation (formerly known as House Bill 51, but now referred to as Act 57 of 2003) more clearly defines the calculations, terms, and requirements that had previously been embodied in Act 203 of 1990. Though no single article can fully address all of the changes in language included in this legislation, the following paragraphs attempt to provide you with a broad overview of the act and its impact on builders and land developers in Pennsylvania.

Some of the act's provisions are effective immediately, but others will not take effect until 18 months after the bill was signed (or June 30, 2005 ). Though all authorities enacting fees for the first time or changing existing fees will have to comply with the new act, the effective date for certain provisions may be delayed for up to five years for some authorities (such as those that serve multiple municipalities and those that have relied upon tapping fees to repay a portion of their long-term debt).

With the dates this legislation will take effect more clearly defined, the question now becomes: What impact will it have on your business? Click on the links below for more information.

• Act 57 Imposes Limits on the Maximum GPD an Authority Can Assign to an EDU
• Act 57 Clarifies Reimbursement Provisions
• Act 57 Adds New Provisions for Refunds
• Act 57 Prohibits Authorities from Requiring a Tapping Fee when a Planning Module or Waiver Approval is Requested, then Billing for Service
• Act 57 Addresses Review Fees with a New Disputes Resolution Mechanism
• Act 57 Clarifies Several Confusion-Causing Calculations from Act 203
• Summary of Differences Between Act 57 and Act 203

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