PRINTER'S NO. 48
No. 46 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY LLOYD, LEVDANSKY, RUDY, HALUSKA, GIGLIOTTI, BUNT,
JOHNSON, VEON, NAHILL, BUSH, SCHULER, STABACK, KOSINSKI,
G. SNYDER, E. Z. TAYLOR, DEMPSEY, MRKONIC, KUKOVICH, ARGALL,
DIETTERICK, HAGARTY, LASHINGER, WOZNIAK, VROON, BATTISTO,
CIVERA, DeLUCA, BELFANTI, COY, TIGUE, MERRY, HERMAN, RAYMOND,
DORR, SERAFINI, BOYES, NOYE, CAWLEY, STUBAN, DISTLER,
VAN HORNE, FREEMAN, ITKIN, GODSHALL, COLAIZZO, HASAY, HESS,
LUCYK, TRICH AND KAISER, JANUARY 18, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 18, 1989
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, No.208), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act authorizing the indebtedness, with the
3 approval of the electors, of twenty-five million dollars for
4 loans to volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance
5 services and volunteer rescue squads for the purpose of
6 establishing or modernizing facilities to house fire fighting
7 apparatus equipment, ambulances, and rescue vehicles, and for
8 purchasing new fire fighting apparatus equipment, ambulances,
9 and rescue vehicles, protective and communications equipment,
10 and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper
11 performance of such organizations' duties," adjusting loan
12 limits.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Section 3 of the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036,
16 No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company, Ambulance Service
17 and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, is amended by adding a
18 definition to read:
19 Section 3. Definitions.--As used in this act:
20 * * *
1 "Rescue vehicle" means any vehicle, whether a motor vehicle
2 or a watercraft, used for rescue services.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. Section 4(a)(1), (2) and (6) and (b) of the act,
5 amended June 13, 1980 (P.L.217, No.65) and May 11, 1982
6 (P.L.407, No.118), are amended to read:
7 Section 4. Assistance to Volunteer Fire Companies, Ambulance
8 Service and Rescue Squads.--(a) The department is hereby
9 authorized, upon application of any volunteer fire company,
10 volunteer ambulance service and volunteer rescue squad, to make
11 loans to said volunteer companies for the following purposes:
12 (1) Establishing or modernizing facilities that house fire
13 fighting equipment, ambulance or rescue vehicles. The amount of
14 a loan for establishing or modernizing facilities made to any
15 one volunteer fire company, ambulance service or rescue squad
16 shall not exceed 50% of the total cost of the facilities or
17 modernization or [$50,000] $75,000, whichever is less, and a
18 notarized financial statement filed under subsection (c) shall
19 show that the applicant has available 20% of the total cost of
20 the facilities in unobligated funds. Proceeds of the loan shall
21 be used only for purposes of land acquisition or construction,
22 and shall not be used for payment of fees for design, planning,
23 preparation of applications, or any other cost not directly
24 attributable to land acquisition or construction.
25 (2) Purchasing fire fighting apparatus, ambulances or rescue
26 vehicles. The amount of a loan made for purchasing fire fighting
27 apparatus, to any one volunteer fire company shall not exceed
28 [$50,000] $100,000 for any single fire fighting apparatus
29 equipment or utility or special service vehicle or heavy duty
30 rescue vehicle as defined by regulation, or 50% of the total
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1 cost of the equipment or vehicle, whichever is less. The amount
2 of a loan made to any one volunteer fire company, ambulance
3 service or rescue squad for any ambulance or light duty rescue
4 vehicle as defined by regulation shall not exceed $40,000 and
5 for a watercraft rescue vehicle shall not exceed [$25,000]
6 $15,000 or 50% of the cost of the ambulance or rescue vehicle,
7 whichever is less, and a notarized financial statement filed
8 under subsection (c) shall show that the applicant has available
9 20% of the total cost of the vehicle in unobligated funds.
10 * * *
11 (6) Purchasing of used fire fighting apparatus, equipment,
12 used ambulances, used rescue vehicles, used communications
13 equipment, used accessory equipment or used protective
14 equipment: Provided, however, That the used vehicles and
15 equipment shall meet the National Fire Protection Association
16 (NFPA) standards: And provided further, That loans for the
17 purchase of a used single apparatus equipment shall not exceed
18 $60,000 or 80% of the total cost of the equipment, whichever is
19 less.
20 Loans under this act may be made for any of the purposes of
21 this subsection undertaken by a volunteer fire company,
22 volunteer ambulance service and volunteer rescue squad on or
23 after November 4, 1975, the date of the approval of the
24 referendum approving the borrowing of money for the purposes of
25 this act.
26 (b) Loans made by the department shall be for a period of
27 not more than [ten] 15 years, and any loan of the amount of
28 [$10,000] $15,000 or less shall be for a period of not more than
29 five years. Loans shall be subject to the payment of interest at
30 2% per annum and shall be subject to such security as shall be
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1 determined by the department. The total amount of interest
2 earned by the investment or reinvestment of all or any part of
3 the principal of any loan shall be returned to the department
4 and transferred to the Volunteer Companies Loan Fund, and shall
5 not be credited as payment of principal or interest on the loan.
6 The minimum amount of any loan shall be [$1,000] $5,000.
7 * * *
8 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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