(a) Budget submission.--

(1) The authority shall prepare and, through the Governor, submit annually to the General Assembly a proposed budget consistent with Article VI of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, consisting of the amounts necessary to be appropriated by the General Assembly out of the funds established under section 5708 (relating to funds) necessary for the administration and enforcement of this chapter for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of the following year. The authority shall be afforded an opportunity to appear before the Governor and the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives regarding its proposed budget. Except as provided in section 5710 (relating to fees), the authority's proposed budget shall include a proposed fee schedule.

(2) The authority's proposed budget shall include an estimate of the amount of its expenditures necessary to meet its obligation to administer and enforce this chapter. The authority shall subtract from the expenditure estimate:

(i) The estimated fees to be collected under section 5710 during the fiscal year.

(ii) Money deposited into the regulatory fund as payment for assessments, fees or penalties and any other moneys collected pursuant to this chapter but not allocated during a prior fiscal year. Unallocated assessment revenue from a prior fiscal year shall be applied to reduce the portion of the total assessment applicable to the utility group from which the unallocated assessment originated.

(iii) Money budgeted for disbursement from the medallion fund, if any, as part of the authority's estimated budget.

(3) The remainder so determined, herein called the total assessment, shall be allocated to and paid by the utility groups identified in subsection (c) in the manner prescribed.

(4) If the authority's budget is not approved by March 30, the authority may assess the utility groups on the basis of the last approved operating budget. At the time the budget is approved, the authority shall make any necessary adjustments in the assessments to reflect the approved budget. If, subsequent to the approval of the budget, the authority determines that a supplemental budget is needed, the authority shall submit its request for that supplemental budget simultaneously to the Governor and the chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.

(b) Records.--The authority shall keep records of the costs incurred in connection with the administration and enforcement of this chapter. The authority shall also keep a record of the manner in which it determined the amount assessed against every utility group. Such records shall be open to inspection by all interested parties. The records of the authority shall be considered prima facie evidence of the facts and data therein represented, and, in a proceeding instituted to challenge the reasonableness or correctness of any assessment under this section, the party challenging the same shall have the burden of proof.

(c) Assessments.--

(1) The following relate to assessments for taxicabs:

(i) The taxicab utility group shall be comprised of each taxicab authorized by the authority pursuant to sections 5711(c) (relating to power of authority to issue certificates of public convenience) and 5714(a) and (d)(2) (relating to certificate and medallion required).

(ii) On or before March 31 of each year, each owner of a taxicab authorized by the authority to provide taxicab service on a non-citywide basis shall file with the authority a statement under oath estimating the number of taxicabs it will have in service in the next fiscal year.

(iii) The portion of the total assessment allocated to the taxicab utility group shall be divided by the number of taxicabs estimated by the authority to be in service during the next fiscal year, and the quotient shall be the taxicab assessment. The taxicab assessment shall be applied to each taxicab in the taxicab utility group and shall be paid by the owner of each taxicab on that basis.

(iv) The authority may not make an additional assessment against a vehicle substituted for another already in taxicab service during the fiscal year and already subject to assessment as provided in subparagraph (iii). The authority may, by order or regulation, provide for reduced assessments for taxicabs first entering service after the initiation of the fiscal year.

(v) The taxicab assessment for fiscal years ending June 30, 2013, and June 30, 2014, shall be $1,250.

(2) The following relate to assessments for limousines:

(i) The limousine utility group shall be comprised of each limousine service authorized by the authority pursuant to section 5741(a) (relating to certificate of public convenience required). Vehicles approved by the authority to provide limousine service pursuant to section 5741(a.3)(2) shall not be considered part of the limousine utility group for assessment purposes but may be required to pay fees as provided in section 5710.

(ii) On or before March 31 of each year, each limousine service owner shall file with the authority a statement under oath estimating the number of limousines it estimates to have in service in the next fiscal year.

(iii) The portion of the total assessment allocated to the limousine utility group shall be divided by the number of limousines estimated by the authority to be in service during the next fiscal year, and the quotient shall be the limousine assessment. The limousine assessment shall be applied to each limousine in the limousine utility group and shall be paid by the owner of each limousine on that basis.

(iv) The authority may not make an additional assessment against a vehicle substituted for another already in limousine service during the fiscal year and already subject to assessment as provided in subparagraph (iii). The authority may, by order or regulation, provide for reduced assessments for limousines first entering service after the initiation of the fiscal year.

(v) The limousine assessment for fiscal years ending June 30, 2013, and June 30, 2014, shall be $350. By order or regulation, the authority may discount the limousine assessment for each limousine service owner operating 16 or more limousines authorized by the authority.

(3) The following relate to assessments for dispatchers:

(i) The dispatcher utility group shall be comprised of each centralized dispatch system authorized by the authority as provided in section 5711(c)(6).

(ii) The portion of the total assessment allocated to the dispatcher utility group shall be divided by the number of dispatchers estimated by the authority to be in service during the next fiscal year, and the quotient shall be the dispatcher assessment. The dispatcher assessment shall be applied to each dispatcher in the dispatcher utility group and shall be paid by the owner of each dispatcher on that basis.

(iii) The dispatcher assessment for fiscal years ending June 30, 2013, and June 30, 2014, shall be $2,750.

(d) Examination of records.--The chairperson and the minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and the minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives shall have the right to examine the books, accounts and records of the authority at any time.

(d.1) Enforcement.--If a payment prescribed by this section is not made as aforesaid, the authority may suspend or revoke certificates of public convenience and driver certificates, may certify automobile registrations to the Department of Transportation for suspension or revocation or may institute an enforcement action or appropriate action at law for the amount lawfully assessed, together with any additional cost incurred by the authority by virtue of such failure to pay. The penalties prescribed in this subsection shall be in addition to other penalties that may be imposed by the authority as provided in this chapter.

(July 16, 2004, P.L.758, No.94, eff. imd.; July 9, 2013, P.L.455, No.64, eff. imd.)

Cross References. Section 5707 is referred to in sections 5707.1, 5710 of this title.