1Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, providing for the Volunteer Quick
3Response Services Grant Program.

4The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5hereby enacts as follows:

6Section 1. Chapter 78 heading of Title 35 of the
7Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, amended June 29, 2012
8(P.L.663, No.78), is amended to read:

9CHAPTER 78

10GRANTS TO FIRE COMPANIES,

11VOLUNTEER QUICK RESPONSE SERVICES

12AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES

13Section 2. Section 7801 of Title 35, amended June 29, 2012
14(P.L.663, No.78), is amended to read:

15§ 7801. Scope of chapter.

16This chapter relates to grants to fire companies, volunteer 
17quick response services and volunteer ambulance services.

1Section 3. Section 7802 of Title 35 is amended by adding a
2definition to read:

3§ 7802. Definitions.

4The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
5shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
6context clearly indicates otherwise:

7* * *

8"Volunteer quick response service." Any nonprofit chartered 
9corporation, association or organization located in this 
10Commonwealth which is recognized by the Pennsylvania Department 
11of Health and which is regularly engaged in responding to 
12emergencies and providing emergency medical services pending the 
13arrival of ambulance service personnel.

14* * *

15Section 4. Section 7831 of Title 35 is amended to read:

16§ 7831. Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program and Volunteer 
17Quick Response Service Program.

18The sum of $22,000,000 of the amount appropriated to the
19agency for volunteer company grants under section 225 of the act
20of March 20, 2003 (P.L.463, No.1A), known as the General
21Appropriation Act of 2003, shall be expended for the purpose of
22making grants to eligible volunteer fire companies under
23Subchapter B (relating to volunteer fire company grant program)
24and to eligible volunteer quick response services under 
25Subchapter E (relating to volunteer quick response service grant 
26program).

27Section 5. Section 7833(a)(1) and (b)(1) of Title 35, 
28amended June 29, 2012 (P.L.663, No.78), are amended to read:

29§ 7833. Allocation of appropriated funds.

30(a) Administration.--

1(1) Except as provided under paragraph (2), no money
2from the appropriation for grants shall be used for expenses
3or costs incurred by the agency for the administration of the
4grant programs authorized under Subchapters B (relating to
5fire company grant program) [and], C (relating to volunteer
6ambulance service grant program) and E (relating to volunteer 
7quick response service grant program).

8* * *

9(b) Grant allocation.--Unless otherwise expressly stated, 
10money appropriated to the agency for purposes of company grants 
11shall be allocated as follows:

12(1) Eighty-eight percent of the amount appropriated
13shall be used for making grants to eligible fire companies
14under Subchapter B and to eligible volunteer quick response 
15services under Subchapter E.

16* * *

17Section 6. Chapter 78 of Title 35 is amended by adding a
18subchapter to read:

19SUBCHAPTER D.1

20VOLUNTEER QUICK RESPONSE

21SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM

22Sec.

237839.1. Establishment.

247839.2. Publication and notice.

257839.3. Award of grants.

26§ 7839.1. Establishment.

27The Volunteer Quick Response Service Grant Program is hereby
28established and shall be administered by the agency. Grants
29provided under this program shall be used to improve and enhance
30the capabilities of the volunteer quick response services to

1provide quick response services.

2§ 7839.2. Publication and notice.

3The agency shall submit notice of the grant program
4availability through the Legislative Reference Bureau for
5publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin:

6(1) within 30 days of the effective date of this section
7for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2011, and July 1,
82012; and

9(2) by August 8 for fiscal years beginning after June
1030, 2013.

11§ 7839.3. Award of grants.

12(a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
13a grant award to each eligible volunteer quick response service
14for the following:

15(1) Construction and renovation of the volunteer quick
16response service's facility and purchase or repair of
17fixtures, furnishings, office equipment and support services
18necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the quick
19response service to provide quick response services.

20(2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof.

21(3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).

22(4) Training and certification of members.

23(b) Limits.--

24(1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more
25than $10,000 per volunteer quick response service.

26(2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
27total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
28amount of funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this
29purpose.

30(3) If two or more volunteer quick response services

1consolidated their use of equipment, personnel and services
2within five years preceding the date of the current year
3application submission deadline, the consolidated entity
4shall be deemed eligible to receive a grant not to exceed the
5amount of the combined total for which the individual
6companies would have been eligible had they not consolidated.

7(c) Time for filing application and department action.--

8(1) Within 30 days of the effective date of this
9paragraph for the fiscal years commencing July 1, 2011, and
10July 1, 2012, and by September 1 of each year thereafter, the
11agency shall provide written instructions for grants under
12this chapter to the president of every volunteer quick
13response service in this Commonwealth.

14(2) Within 45 days of the effective date of this
15paragraph for the fiscal years commencing July 1, 2011, and
16July 1, 2012, and by September 8 of each year, the agency
17shall provide applications to the president of every
18volunteer quick response service. The application for the
19fiscal years commencing July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, shall
20be a combined application. Volunteer ambulance services
21seeking grants under this subchapter shall submit completed
22applications to the agency. The application period shall
23remain open for 45 days each year. The agency shall act to
24approve or disapprove applications within 60 days of the
25application submission deadline each year. Applications which
26have not been approved or disapproved by the agency within 60
27days after the close of the application period each year
28shall be deemed approved.

29Section 7. Section 7841 of Title 35, amended June 29, 2012
30(P.L.663, No.78), is amended to read:

1§ 7841. Expiration of authority.

2The authority of the agency to award grants under Subchapters
3B (relating to volunteer fire company grant program) [and], C
4(relating to volunteer ambulance service grant program) and 
5(D.1) (relating to volunteer quick response service grant 
6program) shall expire June 30, 2016.

7Section 8. Section 7842 of Title 35 is amended to read:

8§ 7842. Special provisions.

9(a) Claim.--An applicant for a grant under this chapter who
10failed to return a signed agreement for the preceding year shall
11not be permitted to apply for a grant in the current year unless
12the applicant has provided the commissioner with a reasonable
13written explanation as to why it did not claim its grant.

14(b) Delinquency.--An applicant for a grant under this 
15chapter who is delinquent in loan payments to the Pennsylvania 
16Volunteer Loan Assistance Program established under the act of 
17July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire 
18Company, Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, 
19shall agree to use its grant funds to pay any arrears to the 
20Commonwealth or it will not be qualified to receive a grant. Any 
21organization agreeing to this arrangement who fails to make the 
22payment to the Commonwealth shall be disqualified from applying 
23to the grant program for a period of three years.

24(c) Demonstration.--An applicant for a grant under this
25chapter must demonstrate that it complied with all of the terms
26of its grant agreement in the previous year regarding the use of
27the grant money it received in previous years or it shall not be
28eligible to receive a grant in the current year.

29(d) Approval.--An applicant shall not be approved for a
30grant to be used for purposes other than those stated in section

17813(a) (relating to award of grants) [or], 7823(a) (relating to
2award of grants) or 7839.3(a) (relating to award of grants).

3Section 9. This act shall take effect immediately.