(a) Merger and consolidation authorized.--Any two or more existing authorities, all the projects of all of which are leased to the same school district, may be merged into one authority, hereinafter designated as the surviving authority, or consolidated into a new authority.

(b) Articles of merger or consolidation.--Articles of merger or articles of consolidation, as the case may be, shall first be proposed by the board of school directors of the school district leasing the projects. The governing body of the school district and of any other municipality or municipalities incorporating one or more of the existing authorities shall each adopt a resolution which shall contain the language of the proposed merger or consolidation. The articles of merger or consolidation shall be signed by the proper officers of the respective school districts and other municipalities, if any, and under their respective municipal seals and shall set forth the following:

(1) The name of the surviving or new authority.

(2) The location of the registered office of the surviving or new authority.

(3) The names and addresses and term of office of the members of the board of the surviving or new authority as specified in the plan of merger or consolidation, and the initial terms of office shall be staggered as provided in this chapter with respect to the incorporation of an authority.

(4) A statement indicating the date on which each existing authority was formed and the purpose for which it was formed, taken from the articles of incorporation, the name of the original incorporating school district or districts or other incorporating municipality or municipalities and the name of any successor to any thereof.

(5) The time and place of the meetings of the governing bodies of the school district and other municipalities parties to the plan of merger or consolidation.

(6) A statement of the plan of merger.

(7) Any changes in the articles of incorporation of the surviving authority in the case of a merger and a statement of the articles of incorporation in full in the case of the new authority to be formed, in each case in conformity with the provisions of this chapter relating to the incorporation of authorities, except that any item required to be stated which is covered elsewhere in the articles of merger or consolidation need not be repeated.

(c) Publication of resolution.--The reorganized school district and each other municipality party to the plan of merger or consolidation shall cause a notice of the resolution setting forth the merger or consolidation to be published at least one time in the legal periodical of the county or counties in which the surviving authority is to be organized and at least one time in a newspaper published and in general circulation in such county or counties. The notice shall contain a brief statement of the substance of the resolution, including the substance of the articles of merger making reference to this chapter, and shall state that on a day certain, not less than three days after publication of the notice, articles of merger or consolidation shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The publication shall be sufficient compliance with the laws of this Commonwealth or any existing laws dealing with publication for municipalities.

(d) Documentation.--The articles of merger or consolidation shall be filed on or before the day specified in the advertisement with the Secretary of the Commonwealth together with the proof of publication of the notice required under subsection (c).

(e) Certification of merger or consolidation.--The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall file the articles of merger or consolidation and the proof of advertisement required in subsection (c) but not prior to the day specified in the advertisement, certify the date of such filing when all fees and charges have been paid and issue to the surviving or new authority or its representative a certificate of merger or consolidation to which shall be attached a copy of the filed articles of merger or consolidation.

(f) Filing the articles of merger or consolidation.--Upon the filing of the articles of merger or the articles of consolidation by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the merger or consolidation shall be effective, and in the case of a consolidation the new authority shall come into existence, and in either case the articles of merger and consolidation shall constitute the articles of incorporation of the surviving or new authority, and the reorganized school district, lessee of the projects, shall be deemed to be the incorporating municipality of the authority.

(g) Creation of surviving or new authority.--Upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, the several existing authorities to the plan of merger or consolidation shall become a single authority, which in the case of a merger shall be that authority designated in the articles of merger as the surviving authority and in the case of a consolidation shall be a new authority as provided in the articles of consolidation. The separate existence of all existing authorities named in the articles of merger or consolidation shall cease, except that of the surviving authority in the case of a merger.

(h) Disposition of property and accounts.--All of the property, real, personal and mixed, and all interests therein of each of the existing authorities named in the plan of merger or consolidation, all debts due and whatever amount due to any of them, including their respective right, title and interest in and to all lease rentals, sinking funds on deposit, all funds deposited under lease or trust instruments shall be taken and deemed to be transferred to and vested in the surviving or new authority as the case may be without further act or deed.

(i) Continuation of contracts.--The surviving authority or the new authority shall be responsible for the liabilities and obligations of each of the existing authorities so merged or consolidated but shall be subject to the same limitations, pledges, assignments, liens, charges, terms and conditions as to revenues and restrictions as to and leases of properties as were applicable to each existing authority. The liabilities of the merging or consolidating authorities of the members of their boards or officers shall not be affected nor shall the rights of creditors thereof or any persons dealing with such authorities or any liens upon the property of such authorities or any outstanding bonds be impaired by the merger or consolidation, and any claim existing or action or proceeding pending by or against any such authorities shall be prosecuted to judgment as if such merger or consolidation had not taken place, or the surviving authority or the new authority may be proceeded against or substituted in its place.

(Dec. 17, 2001, P.L.926, No.110, eff. imd.)

2001 Amendment. Act 110 amended subsec. (d), retroactive to June 19, 2001.