PRINTER'S NO. 3993
No. 2784 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY TIGUE, CAWLEY, CAPPABIANCA, HASAY, BATTISTO,
SOLOBAY, YUDICHAK, GRUCELA, MELIO, CORRIGAN, DeLUCA,
WOJNAROSKI, WILLIAMS, VEON, TRAVAGLIO, TANGRETTI, STABACK,
SCHULER, SANTONI, RUFFING, READSHAW, PRESTON, PETRARCA,
MICOZZIE, MAYERNIK, LaGROTTA, HESS, HANNA, GEORGE, DeWEESE,
DALLY, CURRY, COSTA, BOYES, WILT, WASHINGTON, VAN HORNE,
E. Z. TAYLOR, SURRA, SHANER, SAYLOR, SAINATO, RUBLEY, RAMOS,
PISTELLA, MUNDY, McILHINNEY, LAUGHLIN, HUTCHINSON, HENNESSEY,
HALUSKA, FREEMAN, DEMPSEY, DALEY, COY, M. COHEN, BELFANTI,
BELARDI, BARRAR, ARGALL, ADOLPH, BEBKO-JONES, BARD, ALLEN AND
YOUNGBLOOD, SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 22, 2000 (P.L.477, No.66), entitled "An
2 act establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies
3 and volunteer ambulance services," further providing for
4 grants for volunteer fire companies and volunteer ambulance
5 services; and making an appropriation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Sections 303(b) and (c), 304, 503(b) and (c) and
9 504 of the act of June 22, 2000 (P.L.477, No.66), known as the
10 Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant
11 Act, are amended to read:
12 Section 303. Award of grants.
13 * * *
14 (b) Limits.--
1 (1) [Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall
2 be not less than $2,500 and not more than] Grants shall be
3 equal to $15,000 per volunteer fire company.
4 (2) [Grants shall be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
5 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
6 amount of funds allocated in section 701.
7 (3)] In a municipality where there are two or more
8 volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
9 consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
10 services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
11 this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
12 created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
13 consolidated.
14 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
15 [(1)] The agency shall provide applications for grants
16 under this act to the fire chief and president of every
17 volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
18 7, 2000.
19 [(2) Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
20 act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
21 before September 1, 2000. The agency shall act to approve or
22 disapprove the application by October 4, 2000. Applications
23 which have not been approved or disapproved by the agency by
24 October 4, 2000, shall be deemed approved.
25 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2000,
26 deadline shall be accepted by the agency, and grants may be
27 awarded at the discretion of the agency from the reserve fund
28 set aside under section 304.]
29 * * *
30 [Section 304. Reserve funds.
20000H2784B3993 - 2 -
1 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
2 of the funds allocated in section 701 for the grant program
3 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
4 grants to volunteer fire companies that submit applications
5 after September 1, 2000, that would have otherwise been
6 eligible for and been awarded a grant under the grant
7 program.
8 (2) No volunteer fire company may receive a grant from
9 reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that it
10 would have received had it applied in a timely manner.]
11 Section 503. Award of grants.
12 * * *
13 (b) Limits.--
14 [(1)] Grants shall be [not less than $2,500 and not more
15 than] equal to $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service.
16 [(2) Grants shall be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
17 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
18 amount of funds allocated in section 702.]
19 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
20 [(1)] The agency shall provide applications for grants
21 under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
22 service in this Commonwealth on or before July 7, 2000.
23 [(2) Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
24 this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
25 agency on or before September 1, 2000. The agency shall act
26 to approve or disapprove the application by October 4, 2000.
27 Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by
28 the agency by October 4, 2000, shall be deemed approved.
29 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2000,
30 deadline shall be accepted by the agency, and grants may be
20000H2784B3993 - 3 -
1 awarded at the discretion of the agency from the reserve fund
2 set aside under section 504.]
3 [Section 504. Reserve funds.
4 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
5 of the funds allocated in section 702 for the grant program
6 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
7 grants to volunteer ambulance services that submit
8 applications after September 1, 2000, that would have
9 otherwise been eligible for and been awarded a grant under
10 the grant program.
11 (2) No volunteer ambulance service may receive a grant
12 from reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that
13 it would have received had it applied in a timely manner.]
14 Section 2. The sum of $18,000,000, or as much thereof as may
15 be necessary, is appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
16 Management Agency for the fiscal year July 1, 2000, to June 30,
17 2001, for the purpose of making grants to volunteer fire
18 companies and volunteer ambulance services. This appropriation
19 shall be in addition to any appropriation under section 225 of
20 the act of May 24, 2000 (P.L. , No.21A), known as the General
21 Appropriation Act of 2000.
22 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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