PRINTER'S NO. 2963
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2505
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY MERSKI, SANCHEZ, KINSEY, HILL-EVANS, BOBACK,
SCHLOSSBERG, DELLOSO, FREEMAN, CIRESI, BURGOS, HOHENSTEIN,
RABB, MALAGARI AND SHUSTERMAN, APRIL 11, 2022
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 11, 2022
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled
"An act relating to the finances of the State government;
providing for cancer control, prevention and research, for
ambulatory surgical center data collection, for the Joint
Underwriting Association, for entertainment business
financial management firms, for private dam financial
assurance and for reinstatement of item vetoes; providing for
the settlement, assessment, collection, and lien of taxes,
bonus, and all other accounts due the Commonwealth, the
collection and recovery of fees and other money or property
due or belonging to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
including escheated property and the proceeds of its sale,
the custody and disbursement or other disposition of funds
and securities belonging to or in the possession of the
Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims against the
Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and appeals to the
courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to the
Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth and
all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes
to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of
section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of
certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every
department, board, commission, and officer of the State
government, every political subdivision of the State, and
certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,
association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or
collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws
imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
Commonwealth," providing for microtransit grant program; and
making an appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known
as The Fiscal Code, is amended by adding an article to read:
ARTICLE I-K
MICROTRANSIT GRANT PROGRAM
Section 101-K. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Community and Economic
Development of the Commonwealth.
"Microtransit." Small-scale, on-demand public transit
services that offer fixed routes and schedules, as well as
flexible routes and on-demand scheduling.
"Transit authority." A government agency created for the
purpose of providing public transportation within a specific
region.
Section 102-K. Grants and funding.
(a) Purpose.--The Microtransit Grant Program is established
in the department for the purpose of administering and funding a
microtransit program in this Commonwealth. A grant awarded under
this article shall be provided to a transit authority for the
purpose of creating or funding the development or payment of
software, vehicles or other costs directly related to the
microtransit program.
(b) Operation.--A transit authority that is awarded a grant
under this article shall operate a microtransit grant program in
20220HB2505PN2963 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
accordance with regulations promulgated by the department under
section 107-K.
(c) Award.--Subject to appropriation, a grant to a transit
authority under this section may not exceed the sum of
$5,000,000.
Section 103-K. Application.
The department shall develop a microtransit grant application
for a transit authority to apply for a grant under this article
which shall include:
(1) The name, address and contact information of the
transit authority.
(2) The amount of grant money requested, not to exceed
the maximum award under section 102-K.
(3) The proposed use for the grant money requested.
(4) Any other information the department deems necessary
and appropriate.
Section 104-K. Notice.
The department shall provide information regarding the
availability and award of grant money on the department's
publicly accessible Internet website.
Section 105-K. Award of grants.
(a) Criteria.--Within 60 days of the submission and review
of the grant application, the department shall determine an
applicant's eligibility for grant funds and award an amount not
to exceed the maximum award under section 102-K.
(b) Notice.--The department shall provide the following
written information to a transit authority:
(1) The amount of the grant money awarded, if any, and
any conditions or restrictions on the use of the grant money.
(2) If part or all of the grant application is denied,
20220HB2505PN2963 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
any reason for the full or partial denial.
(c) Other information.--If the department requests
additional information, a transit authority shall immediately
provide other documents, information and data to the department.
Section 106-K. Report.
By December 31, 2021, whichever occurs later, the department
shall publish on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website a report that lists each transit authority that received
grant money under this article and a summary of the information
specified under section 103-K.
Section 107-K. Regulations and guidelines.
(a) Partnership.--A transit authority may partner with a
transportation network company so long as ridership information
or any other information deemed necessary by the department is
made available to the transit authority or Commonwealth.
(b) Regulations.--The department shall promulgate
regulations necessary for the implementation of the grant
program under this article.
Section 108-K. Appropriation.
The sum of $25,000,000 is appropriated to the department in
accordance with section 1703-A from the Budget Stabilization
Fund established under section 1701-A to administer and fund the
grant program established under this article.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20220HB2505PN2963 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24