PRINTER'S NO. 151
No. 5 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BOYES, SOLOBAY, SAYLOR, DeLUCA, ALLEN, ARGALL,
ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, J. BAKER, BARD, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-
JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, CAPPABIANCA, CASORIO,
CIVERA, CLYMER, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, CREIGHTON, CURRY,
DAILEY, DALLY, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FLICK,
FORCIER, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GODSHALL, GORDNER, GRUCELA,
HALUSKA, HARHAI, HASAY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY,
HUTCHINSON, JADLOWIEC, KREBS, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LEH,
LESCOVITZ, LEVDANSKY, LEWIS, LYNCH, MARSICO, MAYERNIK,
McCALL, McILHATTAN, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER,
S. MILLER, NAILOR, ORIE, PETRARCA, PETRONE, PHILLIPS,
RAYMOND, ROSS, RUFFING, SANTONI, SATHER, SCHRODER, SCRIMENTI,
SHANER, S. H. SMITH, STABACK, STEELMAN, STERN, T. STEVENSON,
SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO,
WANSACZ, WASHINGTON, WATSON, J. WILLIAMS, C. WILLIAMS, WILT,
WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT, YUDICHAK AND ZUG, JANUARY 24, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 24, 2001
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies and
2 volunteer ambulance services.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 CHAPTER 1
6 PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
7 Section 101. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
9 Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Act.
10 Section 102. Definitions.
1 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
2 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
3 context clearly indicates otherwise:
4 "Advanced life support services." The term shall have the
5 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
6 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
7 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
8 "Basic life support services." The term shall have the
9 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
10 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
11 "Commissioner." The State Fire Commissioner.
12 "Facility." A structure or portion thereof intended for the
13 purpose of storage or protection of firefighting apparatus,
14 ambulances and rescue vehicles and related equipment and gear.
15 The term does not include meeting halls, social halls, social
16 rooms, lounges or any other facility not directly related to
17 firefighting or the furnishing of ambulance or rescue services.
18 "Grant program." The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program
19 established in Chapter 3 or the Volunteer Ambulance Service
20 Grant Program established in Chapter 5.
21 "Invalid coach." The term shall have the meaning given to it
22 in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the
23 Emergency Medical Services Act.
24 "Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered
25 corporation, association or organization located in this
26 Commonwealth, not associated or affiliated with any volunteer
27 fire company or hospital and which is regularly engaged in the
28 provision of emergency medical services, including basic life
29 support or advanced life support services and the transportation
30 of patients. The term shall not include any corporation,
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1 association or organization that is primarily engaged in the
2 operation of invalid coaches which are intended for the routine
3 transport of persons who are convalescent or otherwise
4 nonambulatory and do not ordinarily require emergency medical
5 treatment while in transit.
6 "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
7 association or organization located in this Commonwealth which
8 provides fire protection services and which may offer other
9 voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary
10 emergency services provided by a volunteer fire company may
11 include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue services.
12 CHAPTER 3
13 VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY GRANT PROGRAM
14 Section 301. Establishment.
15 The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program is hereby
16 established and shall be administered by the agency in
17 consultation with the commissioner. Grants provided under this
18 program shall be used to improve and enhance the capabilities of
19 the volunteer fire company to provide firefighting, ambulance
20 and rescue services.
21 Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
22 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
23 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
24 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
25 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
26 Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin within 30 days of the effective
27 date of this act.
28 Section 303. Award of grants.
29 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
30 a one-time grant award to each eligible volunteer fire company
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1 for the following:
2 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the fire company's
3 facility and purchase or repair of fixtures and furnishings
4 necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
5 company to provide fire, ambulance and rescue services.
6 (2) Repair of firefighting, ambulance or rescue
7 equipment or purchase thereof.
8 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
9 (b) Limits.--
10 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall be
11 not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per volunteer
12 fire company.
13 (2) Grants shall be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
14 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
15 amount of funds allocated in section 701.
16 (3) In a municipality where there are two or more
17 volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
18 consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
19 services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
20 this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
21 created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
22 consolidated.
23 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
24 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
25 under this act to the fire chief and president of every
26 volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
27 7, 2001.
28 (2) Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
29 act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
30 before September 1, 2001. The agency shall act to approve or
20010H0005B0151 - 4 -
1 disapprove the application by October 4, 2001. Applications
2 which have not been approved or disapproved by the agency by
3 October 4, 2001, shall be deemed approved.
4 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2001,
5 deadline shall be accepted by the agency and grants may be
6 awarded, at the discretion of the agency, from the reserve
7 fund set aside under section 304.
8 (d) Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this act, a
9 volunteer fire company shall have actively responded to one or
10 more fire emergencies since July 1, 2000.
11 Section 304. Reserve funds.
12 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
13 of the funds allocated in section 701 for the grant program
14 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
15 grants to volunteer fire companies that submit applications
16 after September 1, 2001, that would have otherwise been
17 eligible for and been awarded a grant under the grant
18 program.
19 (2) No volunteer fire company may receive a grant from
20 reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that it
21 would have received had it applied in a timely manner.
22 Section 305. Consolidation incentive.
23 If, after the effective date of this act, two or more
24 volunteer fire companies consolidate their use of facilities,
25 equipment, firefighters and services, the consolidated entity
26 may, upon notification of the agency, be eligible for a
27 reduction of the interest rate payable on any outstanding
28 principal balance owed, as of the date of consolidation, by any
29 or all of the consolidating companies to the Volunteer Companies
30 Loan Fund for loans made under the act of July 15, 1976
20010H0005B0151 - 5 -
1 (P.L.1036, No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company,
2 Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act. The reduction
3 in the interest rate payable shall be from 2% to 1%. Upon
4 receipt of such notification, the agency, in conjunction with
5 the State Fire Commissioner, shall determine and verify that the
6 consolidated entity is in fact a bona fide consolidated
7 volunteer fire company. If the agency determines that the
8 consolidated entity is a bona fide consolidated volunteer fire
9 company, it shall reduce the interest rate payable on any
10 outstanding principal balance owed to the Volunteer Companies
11 Loan Fund for loans made under the Volunteer Fire Company,
12 Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, for which the
13 consolidating companies or the consolidated entity may be
14 individually or jointly responsible. The agency may promulgate
15 such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the
16 provisions of this section.
17 CHAPTER 5
18 VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM
19 Section 501. Establishment.
20 The Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program is hereby
21 established and shall be administered by the agency. Grants
22 provided under this program shall be used to improve and enhance
23 the capabilities of the volunteer ambulance services to provide
24 ambulance, emergency medical, basic life support and advanced
25 life support services.
26 Section 502. Guidelines and procedures.
27 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
28 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
29 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
30 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
20010H0005B0151 - 6 -
1 Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin within 30 days of the effective
2 date of this act.
3 Section 503. Award of grants.
4 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
5 a one-time grant award to each eligible volunteer ambulance
6 service for the following:
7 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the volunteer
8 ambulance service's facility and purchase or repair of
9 fixtures and furnishings necessary to maintain or improve the
10 capability of the ambulance service to provide ambulance,
11 emergency medical, basic life support and advanced life
12 support services.
13 (2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof.
14 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
15 (b) Limits.--
16 (1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more
17 than $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service.
18 (2) Grants shall be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
19 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
20 amount of funds allocated in section 702.
21 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
22 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
23 under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
24 service in this Commonwealth on or before July 7, 2001.
25 (2) Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
26 this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
27 agency on or before September 1, 2001. The agency shall act
28 to approve or disapprove the application by October 4, 2001.
29 Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by
30 the agency by October 4, 2001, shall be deemed approved.
20010H0005B0151 - 7 -
1 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2001,
2 deadline shall be accepted by the agency and grants may be
3 awarded, at the discretion of the agency, from the reserve
4 fund set aside under section 504.
5 Section 504. Reserve funds.
6 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
7 of the funds allocated in section 702 for the grant program
8 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
9 grants to volunteer ambulance services that submit
10 applications after September 1, 2001, that would have
11 otherwise been eligible for and been awarded a grant under
12 the grant program.
13 (2) No volunteer ambulance service may receive a grant
14 from reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that
15 it would have received had it applied in a timely manner.
16 CHAPTER 7
17 GRANT FUNDING PROVISIONS
18 Section 701. Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program.
19 The sum of $35,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
20 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
21 Management Agency for the purpose of making grants to eligible
22 volunteer fire companies pursuant to Chapter 3.
23 Section 702. Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program.
24 The sum of $5,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
25 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
26 Management Agency for the purpose of making grants to eligible
27 volunteer ambulance services pursuant to Chapter 5.
28 Section 703. Restriction.
29 No moneys from the appropriation for grants to volunteer fire
30 companies and volunteer ambulance companies authorized under
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1 this act shall be used for expenses or costs incurred by the
2 agency for the administration of the grant programs authorized
3 under Chapters 3 and 5.
4 CHAPTER 9
5 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
6 Section 901. Expiration of authority.
7 The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapters 3
8 and 5 shall expire June 30, 2002.
9 Section 902. Effective date.
10 This act shall take effect July 1, 2001, or immediately,
11 whichever is later.
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