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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY MOUL, DENLINGER, MARSHALL, PERRY, PICKETT, SAYLOR, WATSON, MAJOR, AUMENT, BAKER, BARRAR, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALEY, DAVIS, DePASQUALE, ELLIS, J. EVANS, EVERETT, GEIST, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GRELL, GROVE, HARRIS, HELM, HICKERNELL, KAUFFMAN, M. K. KELLER, KILLION, KNOWLES, MALONEY, MICOZZIE, MILLER, MUSTIO, D. O'BRIEN, PYLE, QUINN, READSHAW, ROCK, SCAVELLO, SIMMONS, VULAKOVICH, WHITE, RAPP, PETRI AND BEAR, APRIL 20, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 20, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Establishing the Keystone Transit Program; and providing a |
2 | transfer of funds from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund to the |
3 | Department of Environmental Protection for a competitive |
4 | grant program for the transition of small mass transit bus |
5 | fleets to compressed natural gas. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Short title. |
9 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Keystone |
10 | Transit Act. |
11 | Section 2. Definitions. |
12 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
13 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
14 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
15 | "Department." The Department of Environmental Protection of |
16 | the Commonwealth. |
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1 | "Mass transit authority." An operator of regularly scheduled |
2 | transportation that is available to the general public and is |
3 | provided according to published schedules along designated |
4 | published routes with specified stopping points for the taking |
5 | on and discharging of passengers. The term does not include |
6 | exclusive ride taxi services, charter or sightseeing services, |
7 | nonpublic transportation or school bus or limousine services. |
8 | "Program." The Keystone Transit Program. |
9 | "Small mass transit authority." A mass transit authority |
10 | located in this Commonwealth that does not exceed 245,000 |
11 | revenue vehicle hours for two consecutive years. |
12 | Section 3. Keystone Transit Program. |
13 | (a) Establishment.--The department shall establish and |
14 | administer the Keystone Transit Program. |
15 | (b) Purpose.--The program is established in order to |
16 | decrease emissions from mass transit buses by utilizing natural |
17 | gas as a vehicle fuel. |
18 | (c) Transfer of funds.--The State Treasurer shall transfer |
19 | from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund to the department the sum of |
20 | $5,000,000 to fund the program. |
21 | (d) Use of funds.--The sum of $5,000,000 shall be used to |
22 | fund competitive grants available to small mass transit |
23 | authorities for the conversion of buses to run on solely |
24 | compressed natural gas as a fuel source or to purchase buses |
25 | which use solely compressed natural gas as a fuel source. |
26 | (e) Application process.-- |
27 | (1) A mass transit authority must complete and submit to |
28 | the department a keystone transit grant application. |
29 | (2) Approved applications must obligate the mass transit |
30 | authority to contract with a private company: |
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1 | (i) to build exclusively with private funds; and |
2 | (ii) to maintain and operate any new compressed |
3 | natural gas fueling facility necessary to support |
4 | compressed natural gas buses purchased with funds |
5 | received under this act. |
6 | (3) The term "operate" as used in this subsection shall |
7 | not include the actual act of fueling buses. |
8 | (f) Eligible costs.-- |
9 | (1) Grant funds received under this act shall be |
10 | eligible for: |
11 | (i) Federally assisted bus purchases and shall be |
12 | limited to the total percentage of the State and local |
13 | match portion applied only to the incremental cost of a |
14 | new compressed natural gas bus or compressed natural gas |
15 | bus conversion. |
16 | (ii) Nonfederally assisted bus purchases and shall |
17 | be limited to 50% of the total incremental cost of a new |
18 | compressed natural gas bus or compressed natural gas bus |
19 | conversion. |
20 | (2) The incremental cost shall be capped at $50,000 for |
21 | buses which have a gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 |
22 | pounds and $25,000 for buses with a gross vehicle weight |
23 | rating of 26,000 pounds and under. |
24 | (3) Buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 |
25 | pounds or less shall be ineligible. |
26 | (4) Priority shall be given to those applications which |
27 | provide for public access to compressed natural gas vehicle |
28 | fueling dispensers. |
29 | (g) Grant program.--The department shall establish a formula |
30 | and method for awarding of grants under the program consistent |
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1 | with this act. |
2 | (h) Appeal process.--Applicants that are not awarded grants |
3 | under this act shall not have the right to a hearing or the |
4 | issuance of an adjudication under section 4 of the act of July |
5 | 13, 1988 (P.L.530, No.94), known as the Environmental Hearing |
6 | Board Act, regarding the department's decision. |
7 | Section 20. Effective date. |
8 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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