THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY FAIRCHILD, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CIVERA, CLYMER, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, DALEY, EVERETT, FARRY, GABLER, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, KILLION, KNOWLES, MAHER, MAJOR, MARSHALL, MARSICO, McILVAINE SMITH, MICOZZIE, MILLER, MIRABITO, MUNDY, MURT, MUSTIO, OBERLANDER, O'NEILL, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, ROCK, ROHRER, ROSS, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 19, 2010

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, APRIL 19, 2010  

AN ACT

Establishing a Home Safety Education Grant Program to educate

and protect citizens from the risk associated with carbon

monoxide poisoning.

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Home Safety

Education Grant Program Act.

Section 2.  Purpose.

The purpose of this act is to educate and protect

Pennsylvania citizens by identifying the dangers of carbon

monoxide poisoning and the importance of properly using and

maintaining fossil fuel-burning devices inside and outside of

single and multifamily dwellings.

Section 3.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Fire department."  A volunteer fire or municipal fire

department located in this Commonwealth which provides fire

protection services.

"Fossil fuel."  Coal, kerosene, oil, wood, fuel gases and

other petroleum or hydrocarbon products which emit carbon

monoxide as a by-product of combustion.

"Fund."  The Home Safety Eduction Fund established under

section 5.

"Program."  The Home Safety Eduction Program established

under section 4.

Section 4.  Home Safety Eduction Grant Program.

(a)  Establishment.--The Home Safety Education Grant Program

is established within the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

Grants provided under the program shall be used for home safety

education purposes that include, but are not limited to, the

following:

(1)  Conduct at least one public program annually to

educate the public on the dangers of carbon monoxide

poisoning and the proper use and maintenance of fossil fuel-

burning devices, including the proper use of fuel operated

generators in outside areas.

(2)  Identify and recommend actions to lessen or

eliminate all carbon monoxide poisoning hazards.

(3)  Explain the importance of proper use, placement and

maintenance of both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in

single and multifamily dwellings.

(4)  Explain and recommend general residential fire and

carbon monoxide poisoning safety and emergency practices.

(b)  Guidelines and procedures.--The Office of the State Fire

Commissioner shall develop guidelines and procedures and program

materials and other information which shall be uniform and in

accordance with national and generally accepted standards to

implement the program.

Section 5.  Home Safety Education Fund.

(a)  Establishment.--There is established the Home Safety

Education Fund under the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

(b)  Use.--The program shall be funded through moneys

appropriated by the General Assembly to the fund. Nothing in

this act shall prohibit the donation of funds, materials or

services by an individual, for-profit or nonprofit entity for

the purposes of this act. The Fire Commissioner may use a

portion of the fund for materials, personnel and Statewide

administrative costs, not to exceed $100,000 in any fiscal year.

Section 6.  Grants.

(a)  Authorization.--The Office of the State Fire

Commissioner is authorized to make grants from the fund to fire

departments for the purpose of educating citizens on identifying

the dangers of residential fires and carbon monoxide poisoning

and the importance of proper use and maintenance of fossil fuel-

burning devices.

(b)  Limits.--Individual grants administered by the Office of

the State Fire Commissioner to fire departments shall not exceed

$500. A fire department shall not receive more than one grant

annually.

Section 7.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 120 days.