PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 653 PRINTER'S NO. 2500
No. 591 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, McCALL, ALLEN, G. SNYDER, J. L. WRIGHT,
BOYES, GODSHALL, STABACK, CESSAR, NOYE, JOHNSON, DISTLER,
TIGUE, HASAY, DORR, BUSH, SERAFINI, E. Z. TAYLOR, FOX,
DEMPSEY, MRKONIC, PETRARCA, SCHULER, CLYMER, HERMAN, VEON,
HALUSKA, MORRIS, REBER, GANNON, LEVDANSKY, GRUPPO, ANGSTADT,
GEIST, ROBBINS, DeLUCA, D. W. SNYDER, LASHINGER, LEH, McHALE,
FREEMAN, VROON, DIETTERICK, RAYMOND, HESS, BURD, J. H. CLARK,
KAISER, CORNELL, FLICK, BELARDI, MELIO, HECKLER AND MARSICO,
FEBRUARY 15, 1989
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
OCTOBER 3, 1989
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, No.208), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act authorizing the indebtedness, with the
3 approval of the electors, of twenty-five million dollars for
4 loans to volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance
5 services and volunteer rescue squads for the purpose of
6 establishing or modernizing facilities to house fire fighting
7 apparatus equipment, ambulances, and rescue vehicles, and for
8 purchasing new fire fighting apparatus equipment, ambulances,
9 and rescue vehicles, protective and communications equipment,
10 and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper
11 performance of such organizations' duties," providing for an
12 exception to loan limits AND ADJUSTING LOAN LIMITS. <--
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Section 4 of the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, <--
16 No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company, Ambulance Service
17 and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, is amended by adding a
18 subsection to read:
19 Section 4. Assistance to Volunteer Fire Companies, Ambulance
1 Service and Rescue Squads.--* * *
2 SECTION 1. SECTION 3 OF THE ACT OF JULY 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, <--
3 NO.208), KNOWN AS THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, AMBULANCE SERVICE
4 AND RESCUE SQUAD ASSISTANCE ACT, IS AMENDED BY ADDING A
5 DEFINITION TO READ:
6 SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS.--AS USED IN THIS ACT:
7 * * *
8 "RESCUE VEHICLE" MEANS ANY VEHICLE, WHETHER A MOTOR VEHICLE
9 OR A WATERCRAFT, USED FOR RESCUE SERVICES.
10 * * *
11 SECTION 2. SECTION 4(A)(1), (2) AND (6) AND (B) OF THE ACT,
12 AMENDED JUNE 13, 1980 (P.L.217, NO.65) AND MAY 11, 1982
13 (P.L.407, NO.118), ARE AMENDED AND THE SECTION IS AMENDED BY
14 ADDING A SUBSECTION TO READ:
15 SECTION 4. ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES, AMBULANCE
16 SERVICE AND RESCUE SQUADS.--(A) THE DEPARTMENT IS HEREBY
17 AUTHORIZED, UPON APPLICATION OF ANY VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY,
18 VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE AND VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD, TO MAKE
19 LOANS TO SAID VOLUNTEER COMPANIES FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
20 (1) ESTABLISHING OR MODERNIZING FACILITIES THAT HOUSE FIRE
21 FIGHTING EQUIPMENT, AMBULANCE OR RESCUE VEHICLES. THE AMOUNT OF
22 A LOAN FOR ESTABLISHING OR MODERNIZING FACILITIES MADE TO ANY
23 ONE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, AMBULANCE SERVICE OR RESCUE SQUAD
24 SHALL NOT EXCEED 50% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE FACILITIES OR
25 MODERNIZATION OR [$50,000] $75,000, WHICHEVER IS LESS, AND A
26 NOTARIZED FINANCIAL STATEMENT FILED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) SHALL
27 SHOW THAT THE APPLICANT HAS AVAILABLE 20% OF THE TOTAL COST OF
28 THE FACILITIES IN UNOBLIGATED FUNDS. PROCEEDS OF THE LOAN SHALL
29 BE USED ONLY FOR PURPOSES OF LAND ACQUISITION OR CONSTRUCTION,
30 AND SHALL NOT BE USED FOR PAYMENT OF FEES FOR DESIGN, PLANNING,
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1 PREPARATION OF APPLICATIONS, OR ANY OTHER COST NOT DIRECTLY
2 ATTRIBUTABLE TO LAND ACQUISITION OR CONSTRUCTION.
3 (2) PURCHASING FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS, AMBULANCES OR RESCUE
4 VEHICLES. THE AMOUNT OF A LOAN MADE FOR PURCHASING FIRE FIGHTING
5 APPARATUS, TO ANY ONE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY SHALL NOT EXCEED
6 [$50,000] $100,000 FOR ANY SINGLE FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS
7 EQUIPMENT OR UTILITY OR SPECIAL SERVICE VEHICLE OR HEAVY DUTY
8 RESCUE VEHICLE AS DEFINED BY REGULATION, OR 50% OF THE TOTAL
9 COST OF THE EQUIPMENT OR VEHICLE, WHICHEVER IS LESS. THE AMOUNT
10 OF A LOAN MADE TO ANY ONE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, AMBULANCE
11 SERVICE OR RESCUE SQUAD FOR ANY AMBULANCE OR LIGHT DUTY RESCUE
12 VEHICLE AS DEFINED BY REGULATION SHALL NOT EXCEED $40,000 AND
13 FOR A WATERCRAFT RESCUE VEHICLE SHALL NOT EXCEED [$25,000]
14 $15,000 OR 50% OF THE COST OF THE AMBULANCE OR RESCUE VEHICLE,
15 WHICHEVER IS LESS, AND A NOTARIZED FINANCIAL STATEMENT FILED
16 UNDER SUBSECTION (C) SHALL SHOW THAT THE APPLICANT HAS AVAILABLE
17 20% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE VEHICLE IN UNOBLIGATED FUNDS.
18 * * *
19 (6) PURCHASING OF USED FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS, EQUIPMENT,
20 USED AMBULANCES, USED RESCUE VEHICLES, USED COMMUNICATIONS
21 EQUIPMENT, USED ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT OR USED PROTECTIVE
22 EQUIPMENT: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE USED VEHICLES AND
23 EQUIPMENT SHALL MEET THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
24 (NFPA) STANDARDS: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, THAT LOANS FOR THE
25 PURCHASE OF A USED SINGLE APPARATUS EQUIPMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED
26 $60,000 OR 80% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE EQUIPMENT, WHICHEVER IS
27 LESS.
28 LOANS UNDER THIS ACT MAY BE MADE FOR ANY OF THE PURPOSES OF
29 THIS SUBSECTION UNDERTAKEN BY A VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY,
30 VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE AND VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD ON OR
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1 AFTER NOVEMBER 4, 1975, THE DATE OF THE APPROVAL OF THE
2 REFERENDUM APPROVING THE BORROWING OF MONEY FOR THE PURPOSES OF
3 THIS ACT.
4 (B) LOANS MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE FOR A PERIOD OF
5 NOT MORE THAN [TEN] 15 YEARS, AND ANY LOAN OF THE AMOUNT OF
6 [$10,000] $15,000 OR LESS SHALL BE FOR A PERIOD OF NOT MORE THAN
7 FIVE YEARS. LOANS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PAYMENT OF INTEREST AT
8 2% PER ANNUM AND SHALL BE SUBJECT TO SUCH SECURITY AS SHALL BE
9 DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF INTEREST
10 EARNED BY THE INVESTMENT OR REINVESTMENT OF ALL OR ANY PART OF
11 THE PRINCIPAL OF ANY LOAN SHALL BE RETURNED TO THE DEPARTMENT
12 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE VOLUNTEER COMPANIES LOAN FUND, AND SHALL
13 NOT BE CREDITED AS PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL OR INTEREST ON THE LOAN.
14 THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF ANY LOAN SHALL BE [$1,000] $5,000.
15 * * *
16 (h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to
17 the contrary, the maximum amount of any loan to a volunteer fire
18 company, volunteer ambulance service and volunteer rescue squad
19 for the purchase of fire fighting apparatus, ambulances or
20 rescue vehicles built in this Commonwealth may exceed the loan
21 limits set forth in this section by $10,000.
22 Section 2 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. <--
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