Allegheny County PA Archives Cemetery Law.....Burial Grounds, Municipal Control ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny/cemeteries/pa- law/burialgroun-municipal control-1923.txt File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ellis Michaels, , Jan 2008 This Page last Updated: This transcription was made by OCR Scanning of an original provided by PA State Senator Sean Logan's office Dec 2007 BURIAL GROUNDS, MUNICIPAL CONTROL Act of May 10, 1923, P.L. 198, No. 144 Cl. 53 AN ACT Authorizing courts of quarter sessions to commit the care of certain burial grounds to the councils of boroughs, township commissioners and township supervisors of townships; and requiring boroughs and townships to pay the expenses in connection therewith. Compiler's Note: Section 2201 of Act 69 of 1933 provided that Act 144 is repealed insofar as it relates to townships of the second class. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That whenever any burial ground, incorporated or unincorporated, is being neglected so as to become a nuisance, even though said burial ground may occasionally be used for burial purposes, the court of quarter sessions of the county in which such burial ground is situated may direct that such burial ground be placed in the care of the council of the borough, the township commissioners or township supervisors of the township, under the direction and supervision of said court. Section 2. That upon the petition of twenty-five or more citizens, residing within a radius of five miles of any such burial ground, to the court of quarter sessions, the said court may order and direct the council of the borough or the township commissioners or township supervisors of the township to cut down, before the thirtieth day of May and before the fifteenth day of August of each year, all brush, grass, briars, and weeds growing in such burial ground, and to remove the same, and place such grounds in good order and condition. The cost thereof shall be paid out of the borough or township treasury, but in no case shall the council of any borough or the township commissioners or township expend more than thirty dollars on any one cemetery, in any one year, for such purposes. Section 3. Such burial ground shall remain open to the public, according to such regulations as may be made by the said court. Section 4. That the act, approved the twenty-fourth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen (Pamphlet Laws, two hundred and ninety- two), entitled "An act authorizing courts of quarter sessions to commit the care of certain burial grounds to township supervisors of townships, and requiring townships to pay the expenses in connection therewith," be, and the same is hereby, repealed. All other acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.