PRINTER'S NO. 1165
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1109
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY KULIK, PROBST, MADSEN, MADDEN, HILL-EVANS,
SANCHEZ, STEELE, DELLOSO, SHUSTERMAN, MALAGARI, CONKLIN,
DEASY AND GREEN, MAY 5, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MAY 5, 2023
AN ACT
Providing for real property emergency services funds in
municipalities.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Real Property
Emergency Services Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Accessory equipment." Firefighting and rescue equipment
necessary to carry out the ordinary functions of supporting fire
and rescue activities.
"Apparatus equipment." Elevated equipment, pumpers, tankers,
ladder trucks, utility or special services vehicles, rescue
vehicles or other large equipment used by firefighters.
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"Communications equipment." A voice or original transmission
system required to support the operation of a fire company or
for emergency medical services.
"Firehouse." A facility used by a fire company to house
firefighting equipment. The term shall not include meeting
halls, social rooms or any other facilities not directly
relating to firefighting.
"Fund." A real property emergency services fund established
by a municipality under section 3(a).
"Municipality." One of the following:
(1) A city of the first class, second class, second
class A or third class.
(2) A borough.
(3) An incorporated town.
(4) A township of the first class or second class.
(5) A home rule municipality.
(6) A similar general purpose unit of government
established by the General Assembly.
"Protective equipment."
(1) Equipment used by firefighters to protect
firefighters from injury while performing duties, including
helmets, turnout coats and pants, boots, eyeshields, gloves
and self-contained respiratory protection units.
(2) Equipment used by emergency medical technicians,
paramedics and other emergency medical response personnel to
protect from injury while performing duties, including face
masks, face shields, gowns and gloves.
"Rescue vehicle." A vehicle used for rescue services,
including vehicle rescue or water rescue.
"Utility or special services vehicle." A vehicle carrying
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accessory equipment, including, but not limited to, ladders,
oxygen equipment, generators and adapters, floodlights, smoke
ejectors and other equipment necessary to perform the ordinary
functions of supporting firefighting activities.
Section 3. Real property emergency services funds.
(a) Requirements.--Each municipality shall establish a real
property emergency services fund.
(b) Use of fund.--The municipality shall use money in the
fund to supplement a municipal emergency services allocation.
The money in the fund may only be expended for:
(1) The purchase or maintenance of accessory equipment,
apparatus equipment, communications equipment and protective
equipment used by volunteer firefighters or firefighters
employed by municipalities for firefighting, emergency
response services and training purposes.
(2) The purchase or maintenance of rescue vehicles or
utility or special services vehicles, used by volunteer
firefighters or firefighters employed by municipalities for
firefighting, emergency response services and training
purposes.
(3) Construction or maintenance of firehouses.
(4) Salaries of firefighters who are employed by a
municipality.
(5) The purchase or maintenance of medical equipment,
communications equipment or protective equipment used for
emergency medical response services and training purposes by
volunteer emergency medical technicians, emergency medical
technicians, paramedics and other emergency medical response
personnel employed by a municipality.
(6) The purchase or maintenance of ambulances or other
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vehicles used for emergency medical response services and
training purposes by volunteer emergency medical technicians,
emergency medical technicians, paramedics or other emergency
medical response personnel employed by a municipality.
(7) Construction or maintenance of facilities used for
storing or maintaining emergency medical services equipment,
including ambulances and other vehicles.
(8) Salaries of emergency medical technicians,
paramedics or other emergency medical response personnel who
are employed by a municipality.
(9) Costs incurred by contracting with a third-party
entity that provides emergency medical services for a
municipality.
(c) Fee.--Within 15 days of closing on the sale of real
property, the buyer and seller shall each remit a $25 fee to the
municipality where the real property is located. The
municipality shall deposit the fee in the municipality's fund.
Should a parcel of real property be located in multiple
municipalities, the fee shall be paid to the municipality where
the majority of the real property is located.
(d) Penalty.--If a buyer or seller of real property fails to
remit the fee required under subsection (c), the municipality
may impose a $250 penalty. All penalties shall be deposited into
the municipality's fund.
Section 4. Reporting.
One year after the effective date of this section and
annually thereafter, each municipality shall publish a report
detailing the allocations from the municipality's fund and how
the allocations were used. The report shall be made available to
the public.
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Section 5. Auditing.
At least every five years a municipality shall audit or hire
a third-party firm to conduct an audit of the municipality's
fund.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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