Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 2415 P.N. 3328

PRINTER'S NO. 3328

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2415

Session of

2024

INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, GIRAL, NEILSON, HILL-EVANS, DONAHUE,

PIELLI, SANCHEZ, MALAGARI, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, BOYD, CERRATO,

ROZZI, BOROWSKI, STEELE, HADDOCK, SHUSTERMAN AND DALEY,

JUNE 13, 2024

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 13, 2024

AN ACT

Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to area

government and intergovernmental cooperation, providing for

Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program and

establishing the Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation

Grant Program Fund.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 23 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:

SUBCHAPTER D

MUNICIPAL POLICE ENHANCEMENT

CONSOLIDATION GRANT PROGRAM

Sec.

2351. Definitions.

2352. Establishment of program.

2353. Publication and notice of program.

2354. Award of grants.

2355. Applications for grants.

2356. Accreditation or consolidation incentives.

2357. Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program

Fund.

§ 2351. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Application." An application submitted under section

2355(c) (relating to applications for grants) for a grant under

the program.

"Commission." The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and

Delinquency.

"Consolidation." The process of consolidating two or more

municipal police departments under Subchapter A (relating to

intergovernmental cooperation) or by a contract for services.

"Fund." The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant

Program Fund established under section 2357(a) (relating to

Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program Fund).

"Municipal police department." A police department that has

been organized and established by a municipality.

"Municipality." A city of the second class A, a city of the

third class, a borough, a township of the first class or a

township of the second class.

"Program." The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation

Grant Program established under section 2352 (relating to

establishment of program).

§ 2352. Establishment of program.

The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program

is established and shall be administered by the commission.

Grants provided under the program shall be used to improve and

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enhance the capabilities of municipal police departments,

incentivize consolidation and provide training and other

appropriate resources to municipal police officers.

§ 2353. Publication and notice of program.

The commission shall transmit notice of the availability of

grants under the program to the Legislative Reference Bureau for

publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania

Bulletin within 120 days from June 30, 2025, for grants under

the program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and by

August 8 for grants under the program for each fiscal year

thereafter.

§ 2354. Award of grants.

(a) Authorization.--The commission may award grants under

the program to municipal police departments for any of the

following:

(1) Consolidation, including improvements to

infrastructure such as expanding or modifying municipal

police buildings for the purpose of consolidation.

(2) Achieving accreditation standards of the

International Association of Chiefs of Police.

(3) Training and certification of municipal police

officers.

(4) Community outreach programs.

(b) Additional grants.--A municipal police department with

no more than 10 police officers shall be eligible to receive

additional grants under the program in accordance with the

certification bonus point system under section 2356 (relating to

accreditation or consolidation incentives) for any of the

following:

(1) Consolidation.

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(2) Achieving accreditation standards of the

International Association of Chiefs of Police.

(1) A grant under the program shall be:

(i) Not less than $5,000 nor more than $100,000 per

municipal police department for the purpose of

consolidation.

(ii) Not less than $5,000 nor more than $50,000 per

municipal police department for the purpose of achieving

accreditation standards of the International Association

of Chiefs of Police.

(iii) Not less than $5,000 nor more than $15,000 per

municipal police department for the purposes of training

and certification of municipal police officers or for the

purpose of community outreach programs.

(2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the

total dollar amount of applications submitted under section

2355(c) (relating to applications for grants) exceeds the

amount of money appropriated by the General Assembly for the

program.

§ 2355. Applications for grants.

(a) Instructions.--Within 120 days of June 30, 2025, for

applications for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and by

September 1 for applications for each fiscal year thereafter,

the commission shall provide written notice of the application

instructions to the chief of each municipal police department or

the chief executive of each municipality.

(b) Applications.--Within 180 days of June 30, 2025, for

applications for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and by

October 1 for applications for each fiscal year thereafter, the

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commission shall provide applications to the chief of each

municipal police department or the chief executive of each

municipality.

grant under the program shall submit a completed application to

the commission within an application period prescribed by the

commission. The application period shall remain open for 60 days

each year.

(d) Approval or disapproval.--The commission shall approve

or disapprove an application received under subsection (c)

within 120 days after the close of the application period. An

application which has not been approved or disapproved by the

commission within 120 days after the close of the application

period shall be deemed approved.

§ 2356. Accreditation or consolidation incentives.

The commission shall establish a certification bonus point

system to provide additional grant funding to a municipal police

department which has achieved accreditation or consolidation.

§ 2357. Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant

Program Fund.

(a) Establishment.--The Municipal Police Enhancement

Consolidation Grant Program Fund is established as a separate

fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of making grants

under the program.

(b) Funding.--Grants under the program may be awarded from

money appropriated, allocated or otherwise made available to the

fund.

fund and all interest accrued is appropriated to the commission

on a continuing basis for the purposes provided under this

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section.

(d) Administration.--

(1) Except as provided under paragraph (2), money in the

fund may not be used for expenses or costs incurred by the

commission for the administration of the program.

(2) The commission may allocate no more than $500,000 of

unencumbered money remaining in the fund for the

administrative costs of the program.

(e) Grant allocations.--Money in the fund shall be allocated

as follows:

(1) Twenty-five percent of the money shall be used for

grants to municipal police departments that have achieved

consolidation.

(2) Seventy-five percent of the money shall be used for

grants to municipal police departments for the following

purposes:

(i) Achieving accreditation standards of the

International Association of Chiefs of Police.

(ii) Training and certification of municipal police

officers.

(iii) Community outreach programs.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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