PRINTER'S NO. 1904
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1620
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY OWLETT, PICKETT, CAUSER, HAMM, FRITZ, RYNCAVAGE,
STAMBAUGH, GALLAGHER, MOUL, KEEFER, GILLEN, STRUZZI AND
ZIMMERMAN, AUGUST 15, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
UTILITIES, AUGUST 15, 2023
AN ACT
Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in alternative form of regulation of
telecommunications services, providing for compensation to
volunteer fire companies for equipment or infrastructure
failures.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 3020. Compensation to volunteer fire companies for equipment
or infrastructure failures.
(a) Compensation.--If a local exchange telecommunications
company's equipment or infrastructure failure results in the
active deployment of a volunteer firefighter to the site of the
failure, the company shall physically respond to the site of the
failure within 90 minutes of receipt of notice of the failure. A
local exchange telecommunications company that fails to
physically respond within 90 minutes as required under this
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subsection shall pay compensation to the volunteer fire company
at a rate of $1,000 for each hour of active deployment of a
volunteer firefighter.
(b) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Volunteer fire company." As defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7802
(relating to definitions).
"Volunteer firefighter." As defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7412
(relating to definitions).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20230HB1620PN1904 - 2 -
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