PRINTER'S NO. 3115
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
438
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, STURLA, SCHLOSSBERG, NEILSON, HILL-EVANS,
DONAHUE, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, MALAGARI, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, WAXMAN,
BELLMON, CERRATO, ROZZI, FREEMAN, BOROWSKI, HOGAN, DELLOSO,
DEASY, DALEY AND KAZEEM, MAY 20, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 20, 2024
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
study and establish an advisory committee to determine the
impact on Pennsylvania taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police
full or partial police services for municipalities that do
not maintain full police coverage.
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police provides full-time and
part-time police coverage to municipalities that do not maintain
a local police department; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, Colonel Tyree Blocker, Commissioner of the
Pennsylvania State Police, disclosed that the per capita cost of
those services was $234 per person, per year for the 2.5 million
Pennsylvanians who live in municipalities that rely on some
level of Pennsylvania State Police coverage; and
WHEREAS, In 2013, the Pennsylvania State Police supplied 417
municipalities with part-time police coverage and 1,266 with
full-time service; and
WHEREAS, That amount has continued to increase, and in 2021,
the Pennsylvania State Police provided 428 municipalities with
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part-time police coverage and 1,293 with full-time service; and
WHEREAS, The Motor License Fund, intended to be dedicated to
funding infrastructure projects, has historically been tapped as
an additional source of revenue to fund the Pennsylvania State
Police, including to provide police coverage for municipalities
with a limited police department or no police department at all;
and
WHEREAS, In the current budget and in expected future
budgets, hundreds of millions of dollars of Motor License Fund
revenues are being redirected back from the Pennsylvania State
Police to the original intended purpose of funding
transportation infrastructure, just as more and more
municipalities are relying on the Pennsylvania State Police for
coverage; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania legislators have an obligation to
protect all Pennsylvania communities, law enforcement and
infrastructure in an equitable manner; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
State Government Commission to conduct a study and establish an
advisory committee to determine the impact on Pennsylvania
taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police full or partial police
services for municipalities that do not maintain full police
coverage; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the advisory committee be comprised of the
following members:
(1) The Secretary of Revenue or a designee.
(2) The Commissioner of Pennsylvania State Police or a
designee.
(3) The Secretary of Transportation or a designee.
(4) A representative of an organization that advocates
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for chiefs of police.
(5) A representative of an organization that advocates
for municipal governments.
(6) Other individuals or representatives from
organizations selected by the Joint State Government
Commission;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission, in
conducting the study, include findings and recommendations
regarding:
(1) The cost of Pennsylvania State Police full-time and
part-time police coverage to municipalities that do not have
their own local police department.
(2) The impact of that cost on the tax burden borne by
Pennsylvania taxpayers.
(3) The impact on police costs of municipalities which
do maintain a local police department regarding providing
police responses or services to neighboring municipalities
that do not maintain a local police department.
(4) The impact of an increasing number of municipalities
relying on Pennsylvania State Police for police coverage on
the ability of the Pennsylvania State Police to sustainably
provide services throughout this Commonwealth.
(5) An estimation of the level of fee that would be
necessary to cover the cost of Pennsylvania State Police
coverage to municipalities that do not have their own local
police department and municipalities that provide only
partial coverage if the State required a per capita fee to be
paid by municipalities relying entirely on the Pennsylvania
State Police coverage and to require municipalities and
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individuals that receive part-time coverage to pay a fee
equal to one-third the per capita rate.
(6) The revenue and policy implications for police and
infrastructure if the Commonwealth were to impose the fee
calculated in the previous finding.
(7) The number of residents that rely entirely on the
Pennsylvania State Police for police service or that receive
part-time coverage from the Pennsylvania State Police.
(8) The comparative millage rates in municipalities that
pay for local police coverage and millage rates in towns that
rely solely on the Pennsylvania State Police for police
coverage.
(9) Any other costs or factors the Joint State
Government Commission considers appropriate in understanding
the impact on taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police coverage
of municipalities that do not maintain a local police
department;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission issue a
report of its findings and recommendations to the House of
Representatives no later than one year from the adoption of this
resolution.
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