PRINTER'S NO. 525
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
501
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY DAVIS, MATZIE, IRVIN, CAUSER, SCHLOSSBERG, MURT,
JAMES, D. COSTA, McNEILL, READSHAW, RYAN, DEASY, PASHINSKI,
KORTZ, BRIGGS AND FREEMAN, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in Commonwealth services, further
providing for assistance to volunteer fire companies,
ambulance service and rescue squads.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 7364(a)(1), (2) and (6) of Title 35 of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
ยง 7364. Assistance to volunteer fire companies, ambulance
service and rescue squads.
(a) General rule.--The office is authorized, upon
application of any volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance
service or volunteer rescue squad, to make loans for the
following purposes:
(1) Establishing or modernizing facilities that house
firefighting equipment, ambulance or rescue vehicles. The
amount of a loan for establishing or modernizing facilities
made to any one volunteer fire company, ambulance service or
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rescue squad shall not exceed 50% of the total cost of the
facilities or modernization or [$400,000] $500,000, whichever
is less, and a notarized financial statement filed under
subsection (c) shall show that the applicant has available
20% of the total cost of the facilities in unobligated funds.
Proceeds of the loan shall be used only for purposes of
structure or land acquisition or renovation or construction
and shall not be used for payment of fees for design,
planning, preparation of applications or any other cost not
directly attributable to structure or land acquisition or
renovation or construction.
(2) Purchasing firefighting apparatus, ambulances or
rescue vehicles. The amount of a loan made for purchasing
firefighting apparatus to any one volunteer fire company
shall not exceed [$200,000] $500,000 for any single
firefighting apparatus equipment or utility or special
service vehicle or heavy duty rescue vehicle as defined by
regulation or guideline, or 50% of the total cost of the
equipment or vehicle, whichever is less, except for loans for
aerial apparatus as defined by regulation or guideline, which
shall not exceed $300,000. The amount of a loan made to any
one volunteer fire company, ambulance service or rescue squad
for any ambulance or light duty rescue vehicle as defined by
regulation or guideline shall not exceed $100,000 and for a
watercraft rescue vehicle shall not exceed $30,000 or 50% of
the cost of the ambulance or rescue vehicle, whichever is
less, and a notarized financial statement filed under
subsection (c) shall show that the applicant has available
20% of the total cost of the vehicle in unobligated funds.
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(6) Purchasing of used firefighting apparatus,
equipment, used ambulances, used rescue vehicles, used
communications equipment, used accessory equipment or used
protective equipment, except that the used vehicles and
equipment shall meet the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) standards and loans for the purchase of a used single
apparatus equipment shall not exceed [$120,000] $500,000 or
80% of the total cost of the equipment, whichever is less.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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