PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3444 PRINTER'S NO. 3596
No. 2433 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY SAYLOR, SEMMEL, TIGUE, DeLUCA, SATHER, GOOD,
PAYNE, O'NEILL, FLEAGLE, FORCIER, STERN, ALLEN, ARGALL,
ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BALDWIN, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, BOYD, BROWNE, BUNT, CAPPELLI, CASORIO,
CAUSER, CAWLEY, CORRIGAN, COSTA, COY, CRAHALLA, CURRY,
DAILEY, DALEY, DALLY, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, D. EVANS, FABRIZIO,
FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FLICK, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY,
GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
HARHART, HARPER, HARRIS, HASAY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS,
HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, KENNEY, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, LAUGHLIN,
LEACH, LEH, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McILHATTAN,
McNAUGHTON, MILLARD, R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MUNDY, MUSTIO,
NAILOR, PALLONE, PETRARCA, PICKETT, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY,
ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER,
SCRIMENTI, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, R. STEVENSON,
T. STEVENSON, SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRUE, VANCE,
WASHINGTON, WEBER, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YUDICHAK, ZUG,
YOUNGBLOOD, YEWCIC, FREEMAN, BARD, ROBERTS AND SAMUELSON,
MARCH 16, 2004
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED,
MARCH 30, 2004
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 31, 2003 (P.L.73, No.17), entitled "An
2 act establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies
3 and volunteer ambulance services; and providing for grant
4 funding," further providing for award of grants, for expenses
5 incurred by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and
6 for appropriations; and making appropriations.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Sections 303, 503, 703, 901 and 902 of the act of
10 July 31, 2003 (P.L.73, No.17), known as the Volunteer Fire
1 Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Act, are amended
2 to read:
3 Section 303. Award of grants.
4 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
5 a [one-time] grant award to each eligible volunteer fire company
6 for the following:
7 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the fire company's
8 facility and purchase or repair of fixtures and furnishings
9 necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
10 company to provide fire, ambulance and rescue services.
11 (2) Repair of firefighting, ambulance or rescue
12 equipment or purchase thereof.
13 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
14 (4) Training and certification of members.
15 (b) Limits.--
16 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall be
17 not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per volunteer
18 fire company.
19 (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
20 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
21 amount of funds [allocated in section 702] APPROPRIATED BY <--
22 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THIS PURPOSE.
23 (3) In a municipality where there are two or more
24 volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
25 consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
26 services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
27 this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
28 created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
29 consolidated.
30 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
20040H2433B3596 - 2 -
1 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
2 under this act to the fire chief and president of every
3 volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
4 31, [2003] 2004.
5 (2) Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
6 act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
7 before December 31, [2003] 2004. The agency shall act to
8 approve or disapprove the application by May 1, [2004] 2005.
9 Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by
10 the agency by May 1, [2004] 2005, shall be deemed approved.
11 (d) Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this act, a
12 volunteer fire company shall have actively responded to one or
13 more fire or rescue emergencies since July 1, [2002] 2003, and
14 must sign an agreement to actively participate in the
15 Pennsylvania Fire Information Reporting System which is
16 administered by the agency.
17 Section 503. Award of grants.
18 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
19 a [one-time] grant award to each eligible volunteer ambulance
20 service for the following:
21 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the volunteer
22 ambulance service's facility and purchase or repair of
23 fixtures, furnishings, office equipment and support services
24 necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
25 ambulance service to provide ambulance, emergency medical,
26 basic life support and advanced life support services.
27 (2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof.
28 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
29 (4) Training and certification of members.
30 (b) Limits.--
20040H2433B3596 - 3 -
1 (1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more
2 than $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service.
3 (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
4 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
5 amount of funds [allocated in section 703] APPROPRIATED BY <--
6 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THIS PURPOSE.
7 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
8 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
9 under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
10 service in this Commonwealth on or before July 31, [2003]
11 2004.
12 (2) Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
13 this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
14 agency on or before December 31, [2003] 2004. The agency
15 shall act to approve or disapprove the application by May 1,
16 [2004] 2005. Applications which have not been approved or
17 disapproved by the agency by May 1, [2004] 2005, shall be
18 deemed approved.
19 Section 703. Prohibition.
20 No moneys from the appropriation for volunteer company grants
21 [under section 225 of the act of March 20, 2003 (P.L.463,
22 No.1A), known as the General Appropriation Act of 2003,] shall
23 be used for expenses or costs incurred by the agency for the
24 administration of the grant programs authorized under Chapters 3
25 and 5.
26 Section 901. Expiration of authority.
27 The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapters 3
28 and 5 shall expire June 30, [2004] 2005.
29 [Section 902. Declaration.
30 The General Assembly declares that this act satisfies the
20040H2433B3596 - 4 -
1 enabling legislation requirement contained in the appropriation
2 to the agency for volunteer company grants under section 225 of
3 the act of March 20, 2003 (P.L.463, No.1A), known as the General
4 Appropriation Act of 2003, that no moneys from said
5 appropriation may be expended until enabling legislation is
6 enacted.]
7 Section 2. (a) The sum of $22,000,000 is appropriated to
8 the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for the purpose of
9 making grants to eligible volunteer fire companies pursuant to
10 Chapter 3 of the act.
11 (b) The sum of $3,000,000 is appropriated to the
12 Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for the PURPOSE of <--
13 making grants to eligible volunteer ambulance companies pursuant
14 to Chapter 5 of the act.
15 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
B17L35JLW/20040H2433B3596 - 5 -