House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

Posted:	June 8, 2016 09:15 AM
From:	Representative Ted Harhai
To:	All House members
Subject:	Revised Code Enforcement Grant Bill

In the near future, I plan to reintroduce a revised bill that establishes a program for the purposes of providing grants to municipalities to establish code enforcement programs, as well as hire and train code enforcement personnel. The program would be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Grants would be issued to municipalities on a competitive basis; criteria would include financial need, organizational capacity, and local property conditions. The emphasis of these grants is to upgrade or remove blighted, abandoned and structurally unsafe structures and dwellings. A municipality obtaining a grant must provide municipal funds equal to the amount of the state grant; in addition, a municipality can only receive this grant for 3 consecutive years. Bill revisions include clarifying language, as well as a new funding source; the program would be funded through a $1 fee on each construction or building permit issued throughout the Commonwealth. The creation of this code enforcement grant program will assist municipalities in reducing the problem of blight in Pennsylvania communities. I hope you join me in cosponsoring this important legislation.
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Introduced as HB2239