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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/19/2024 11:01 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20130&cosponId=14897
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: June 17, 2014 03:05 PM
From: Senator John P. Blake and Sen. Richard L. Alloway, II
To: All Senate members
Subject: Codification of Pennsylvania Military Community Protection Commission
 
In the very near future, we will be introducing legislation to codify the Pennsylvania Military Community Protection Commission into state statute.

The base realignment and closure (BRAC) process is the process in which military installations across the nation are reviewed to determine if functions and bases can be consolidated or closed. The BRAC process reflects the Department of Defense’s desire to eliminate excess capacity, experience the savings from that reduction in capacity, and fund higher priority weapon platforms and troop training. Indications are that the next round of the BRAC process may occur in 2017. In order to position Pennsylvania for this eventuality, in 2011 the co-sponsors created the bipartisan and bicameral legislative Military Installations and Base Development Caucus. This legislative caucus is currently chaired by Senators Alloway and Blake and Representatives Micarelli and Readshaw.

Governor Corbett also recognized the threat that BRAC decisions pose to the state’s economy and subsequently issued Executive Order 2012-12 to establish the Pennsylvania Military Community Protection Commission with the direct mission to enhance, preserve and protect military installations in Pennsylvania and to advocate on behalf of the Commonwealth. This Executive Commission receives an annual appropriate in DCED’s budget and currently has 2 full-time staff.
http://www.oa.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/executive_orders/708

This legislation would codify the Pennsylvania Military Community Protection Commission under state statute and elevate its status from an entity operating under auspices of Executive Order to one having statutory recognition and powers. The advantages to codifying the Pennsylvania Military Community Protection Commission are:
  1. To establish the future legacy of Pennsylvania’s efforts to enhance the value of the military installations and organizations stationed in Pennsylvania, to counter the potentially negative impacts of any actions which will eliminate or realign missions or organizations, and in order to prevent any future disruption in the work of the Commission regardless of the serving gubernatorial administration and during the transition between future administrations.
  2. To establish viable and long-term relationships with the Department of Defense, the military installations and organizations stationed within the Commonwealth in the active, reserve and National Guard components of our Nation’s military, the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation, both houses of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, the office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other state-level departments and agencies.
  3. To rename the Pennsylvania Military Community Protection Commission created by Executive Order 2012-12 dated September 17, 2012 in order to provide a more precise name that reflects the true work of the Commission in the enhancement of the military installations and organizations within Pennsylvania. A name change will provide an azimuth for a more directive and forward looking posture. An active and forward looking posture in name and action will have a far greater positive effect within the Department of Defense than a name that denotes solely a defensive orientation to only preserve what now exists.
A review of other states’ efforts reveals that many states operate under state legislation [Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas], some under executive order, and a few under public private partnerships with some state funding. The remaining states have either no government body established to coordinate any efforts or the effort has been run by a private entity, usually a Chamber of Commerce. But most tellingly, the states that pose the largest directly competitive threat to installations here in Pennsylvania due to perceived value of military assets and perceived influence with the Pentagon are all established under legislation.

Additionally, competing states are making bold moves to position themselves. For example, Connecticut has now invested $30 million in the last two years into their one installation. New York is adding $2 million for Fort Drum this fiscal year. Massachusetts has authorized $170 million bond for “encouraging improvement, expansion and development of military installations.”

Please join us in helping to better position Pennsylvania for the future against what will undoubtedly be a very difficult BRAC process. If you have questions about this legislation, please contact Kyle Mullins (Senator Blake) or Jeremy Shoemaker (Senator Alloway).

Introduced as SB1494