PRINTER'S NO. 2789
No. 2205 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY O'BRIEN, KUKOVICH, CIVERA, STERN, SATHER,
B. SMITH, PHILLIPS, FAIRCHILD, ALLEN, BAKER, STAIRS, NYCE,
HERMAN, MARKOSEK, GEIST, WAUGH, COY, PLATTS, GORDNER, SAYLOR,
FARGO, FICHTER, BEBKO-JONES, HALUSKA, JAROLIN, STABACK,
NAILOR, MAITLAND, NICKOL, E. Z. TAYLOR, RUBLEY, READSHAW,
DALEY, CLYMER, SCHRODER, LUCYK, SCRIMENTI, LaGROTTA,
L. I. COHEN, HESS, MARSICO, SERAFINI, ROBERTS, RUDY AND
McGEEHAN, NOVEMBER 14, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, NOVEMBER 14, 1995
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies; and
2 making an appropriation by referendum.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
7 Fire Company Grant Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Agency." The Office of the State Fire Commissioner.
13 "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
14 association or organization located in this Commonwealth which
1 provides fire protection services and which may offer other
2 voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary
3 emergency services provided by a volunteer fire company may
4 include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue services.
5 Section 3. Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program.
6 (a) Establishment.--The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program
7 is hereby established and shall be administered by the agency.
8 Grants provided under this program shall be used for the purpose
9 of purchasing, repairing and maintaining of buildings, equipment
10 and vehicles, as necessary for the proper performance of their
11 duties.
12 (b) Guidelines and procedures.--The agency shall develop
13 guidelines and procedures to implement the grant program.
14 Section 4. Grants.
15 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
16 grants to eligible volunteer fire companies if the electors
17 approve the appropriation of funds under section 6.
18 (b) Limits.--Grants shall be not less than $1,000 and not
19 more than $10,000 per volunteer fire company in any one fiscal
20 year.
21 Section 5. Appropriation.
22 The General Assembly shall appropriate a total of $10,000,000
23 to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner for the fiscal year
24 July 1, 1996, to June 30, 1997 to comply with the provisions of
25 this act upon approval by the electors under section 6.
26 Section 6. Referendum.
27 (a) Question.--
28 (1) The question of appropriating $10,000,000 for grants
29 to volunteer fire companies for the purpose of purchasing,
30 maintaining and repairing buildings, equipment and vehicles,
19950H2205B2789 - 2 -
1 as necessary for the proper performance of the volunteer fire
2 companies regular duties, shall be submitted to the electors
3 at the next primary, municipal or general election following
4 the effective date of this section. At least three months
5 prior to the election, the Secretary of the Commonwealth must
6 publish the question in at least two newspapers of general
7 circulation in each county in which at least two newspapers
8 of general circulation are published.
9 (2) The secretary shall certify the question to the
10 county boards of election to implement paragraph (1).
11 (b) Form.--The question shall be in substantially the
12 following form:
13 Do you favor an appropriation of $10,000,000 for grants
14 to volunteer fire companies for the purpose of
15 purchasing, maintaining and repairing buildings,
16 equipment and vehicles, as necessary for the proper
17 performance of the volunteer fire companies' regular
18 duties?
19 (c) Election.--The election shall be conducted in accordance
20 with the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the
21 Pennsylvania Election Code, except that the time limits for
22 advertisement of notice of the election may be waived as to the
23 question.
24 (d) Notice.--If a majority of the electors voting in the
25 election under subsection (c) vote in the affirmative, the
26 secretary shall send notice of the vote to the Legislative
27 Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
28 Section 7. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect as follows:
30 (1) Section 6 shall take effect immediately.
19950H2205B2789 - 3 -
1 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect on the
2 date of publication of the notice under section 6(d).
J27L35JLW/19950H2205B2789 - 4 -