§8563. Tax rates.

(a) General rule.--Notwithstanding the provisions of section 696(h) of the Public School Code of 1949 or any other provision of law, the following shall apply to any city or county of the first class:

(1) For the reassessment year and the two years thereafter, the rate of any tax authorized by a city of the first class or county of the first class to be levied for a school district of the first class or dedicated to the school district of the first class in accordance with section 696(h)(1) of the Public School Code of 1949 may be adjusted so that the yield on taxes based on assessed values of real estate authorized by the city of the first class or county of the first class for the school district of the first class, as estimated and certified by the director of finance of the city of the first class, is equal to an amount equal to or greater than the highest yield of the taxes based on assessed values of real estate authorized by the city of the first class or county of the first class to be levied by the school district of the first class or dedicated to the school district of the first class during any of the three full preceding years prior to the reassessment year. In the third and fourth years following the reassessment year, the rate of any tax authorized by the city of the first class or county of the first class to be levied for the school district of the first class or dedicated to the school district of the first class shall be not less than the rate authorized in the immediately preceding year.

(2) In the reassessment year and each year thereafter, in any year in which the school district of the first class is subject to a declaration of distress pursuant to section 696 of the Public School Code of 1949, the school district of the first class may levy taxes on real estate under any of the following acts to the extent the estimated yield on all taxes on real estate for the year is less than an amount equal to the yield in the year prior to the reassessment year, increased by an amount proportional to the increase since the year prior to the reassessment year in total assessed value of real estate in the city of the first class:

(i) Section 652 of the Public School Code of 1949.

(ii) The act of May 23, 1949 (P.L.1661, No.505), entitled "An act to impose a tax on real estate for public school purposes in school districts of the first class and of the first class A for current expenses."

(iii) The act of July 8, 1957 (P.L.548, No.303), entitled "An act to impose an additional tax on real estate for public school purposes in school districts of the first class for current expenses."

(iv) The act of November 19, 1959 (P.L.1552, No.557), entitled "An act imposing a tax on real estate for public school purposes in school districts of the first class and first class A for current expenses."

(v) The act of August 8, 1963 (P.L.592, No.310), entitled "An act to impose an additional tax on real estate for public school purposes in school districts of the first class for general public school purposes."

(vi) Any other statute authorizing the school district of the first class to levy taxes without authorization of the city of the first class.

(3) Paragraph (1) shall affect only the rate of the taxes authorized by the city of the first class or county of the first class to be levied by the school district of the first class or dedicated to the school district of the first class for the reassessment year and the four years immediately thereafter. Nothing under this subsection shall:

(i) Repeal or modify the obligation of the city of the first class or the county of the first class to fully comply with section 696(h)(1) of the Public School Code of 1949 for each year while the school district of the first class is subject to a declaration of distress.

(ii) Repeal or affect the taxing authority of a city of the first class under the act of August 5, 1932 (Sp.Sess., P.L.45, No.45), referred to as the Sterling Act.

(b) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Public School Code of 1949." The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.

"Reassessment year." The year immediately following the year in which the director of finance in a city of the first class first certifies that the total assessed value of all real property in the city of the first class is at full market value.

(Oct. 24, 2012, P.L.1286, No.160, eff. 60 days)