PRINTER'S NO. 580
No. 537 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, McCALL, HANNA, PETRARCA, SOLOBAY, SURRA,
LaGROTTA, EACHUS, LAUGHLIN, WATERS, YUDICHAK, WALKO, WANSACZ,
STEELMAN, THOMAS, HARHAI, TIGUE, MANDERINO, LEVDANSKY,
MICHLOVIC, WOJNAROSKI, TRAVAGLIO, CORRIGAN, CAPPELLI,
STABACK, M. BAKER, GORDNER, GRUCELA, FEESE, LESCOVITZ,
DeWEESE, CRUZ, CURRY, CAWLEY, SATHER, HUTCHINSON, SCRIMENTI,
HERMAN, C. WILLIAMS, BELARDI, CALTAGIRONE, BELFANTI,
FAIRCHILD, SAINATO, COSTA, CLARK AND JOSEPHS,
FEBRUARY 7, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
FEBRUARY 7, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 1, 1988 (P.L.82, No.16), entitled "An
2 act providing for the establishment, implementation and
3 administration of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment
4 Authority; imposing powers and duties on a board of trustees;
5 transferring the rights, powers, duties and obligations of
6 the Water Facilities Loan Board to the Pennsylvania
7 Infrastructure Investment Authority; providing for the
8 issuance of notes and bonds; providing for financial
9 assistance and for a comprehensive water facilities plan;
10 authorizing a referendum to incur indebtedness; making an
11 appropriation; and making repeals," providing for financial
12 assistance.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Section 10(d) of the act of March 1, 1988
16 (P.L.82, No.16), known as the Pennsylvania Infrastructure
17 Investment Authority Act, amended December 16, 1992 (P.L.1137,
18 No.149), is amended to read:
19 Section 10. Financial assistance.
1 * * *
2 (d) Small projects.--
3 (1) The board shall establish a program of assistance to
4 water supply and sewage disposal systems serving communities
5 with a population of 12,000 people or less or systems having
6 hookups of 1,000 or less.
7 (2) The board shall establish a program to financially
8 assist storm water projects by municipalities with a
9 population of 12,000 people or less. In addition to other
10 factors which the board in its discretion may consider in
11 assigning priorities under this program, preference shall be
12 given where the municipality undertaking the project:
13 (i) has no natural watercourse within its
14 boundaries;
15 (ii) relies on methods of storm water control which
16 do not comply with Federal or State rules, regulations or
17 standards; or
18 (iii) has been found to be subject to karst sinkhole
19 development or other geologic condition which poses a
20 danger to person or property and which may be aggravated
21 by uncontrolled storm water flows.
22 (3) (i) The board shall establish a small water/sewer
23 project loan fund for municipalities with a population of
24 10,000 people or less and shall issue loans from the fund
25 not to exceed $100,000 or 75% of eligible project costs
26 for each loan, whichever is less. The borrower shall
27 provide a local share in the form of matching funds or
28 in-kind services at a minimum of 25% of the total project
29 costs. The loan shall be for ten years at an interest
30 rate of 2%.
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1 (ii) Loans under this paragraph shall be used for
2 the following purposes:
3 (A) Drinking water facilities including
4 construction, rehabilitation, alteration, expansion
5 or improvement of water facilities.
6 (B) Pumping stations, distribution and treatment
7 facilities and reservoir rehabilitation projects.
8 (C) Sanitary sewage disposal facilities,
9 including all facilities related to collection lines
10 and sewage treatment facilities and excluding storm
11 sewers.
12 (D) Access roads to serve a public water or
13 sanitary sewer facility.
14 (4) (i) The board shall administer the Community
15 Facilities Grant Program, which is hereby established.
16 The program shall provide supplemental financial
17 assistance in the form of grants for needed public
18 facilities to strengthen income-producing capability,
19 improve health and safety and alleviate financial
20 hardship of the community.
21 (ii) Grants may be awarded under this paragraph from
22 moneys available under 27 Pa.C.S. (relating to
23 Environmental Resources) and shall not exceed $50,000 for
24 each grant. Certain eligible economically distressed
25 communities, as determined under the act of July 10, 1987
26 (P.L.246, No.47), known as the Municipalities Financial
27 Recovery Act, may receive not more than $75,000 for each
28 grant.
29 (iii) Any borough, township or city with a
30 population of 10,000 or less and municipal and county
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1 authorities serving such places is eligible for a grant
2 under this paragraph. For projects serving more than one
3 municipality, the population served may not exceed
4 10,000.
5 (iv) Grants under this paragraph shall be used for
6 the following purposes:
7 (A) Drinking water facilities including
8 construction, rehabilitation, alteration, expansion
9 or improvement of water facilities.
10 (B) Pumping stations, distribution and treatment
11 facilities and reservoir rehabilitation projects.
12 (C) Sanitary sewage disposal facilities,
13 including all facilities related to collection lines
14 and sewage treatment facilities and excluding storm
15 sewers.
16 (D) Access roads to serve a public water or
17 sanitary sewer facility.
18 (v) The board shall promulgate regulations to
19 implement this paragraph.
20 (5) The board shall annually expend not more than
21 $15,000,000 from any funds available to the authority for the
22 purpose of implementing paragraph (3).
23 * * *
24 Section 2. The functions, powers and duties of the
25 Department of Commerce with regard to the community facilities
26 program as provided for in 13 Pa. Code Ch. 11 (relating to
27 community facilities) are transferred to and shall be exercised
28 by the authority, and all records, files and property now being
29 used in connection with such functions, powers and duties and
30 the unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations and other
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1 funds available or to be made available for use in connection
2 with such functions, powers and duties are transferred to the
3 authority.
4 Section 3. Each rule and regulation of the Department of
5 Commerce relating to the Community Facilities Grant Program in
6 effect on the effective date of this act shall remain in effect
7 after such date until repealed or amended by the board or until
8 it terminates in accordance with its own terms.
9 Section 4. All acts and parts of acts are repealed insofar
10 as they are inconsistent with this act.
11 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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