PRINTER'S NO. 653
No. 596 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY TIGUE, ALLEN, SOLOBAY, CAWLEY, STABACK, BARRAR,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, BUTKOVITZ, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPABIANCA,
L. I. COHEN, COSTA, DeLUCA, FORCIER, GEIST, GRUCELA,
HENNESSEY, LAUGHLIN, MUNDY, PETRARCA, PRESTON, RUFFING,
SHANER, SURRA, TRELLO, WALKO, C. WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI,
M. COHEN, CURRY, FAIRCHILD, FREEMAN, GEORGE, HALUSKA, HESS,
McCALL, ORIE, PISTELLA, READSHAW, SAINATO, STEELMAN,
E. Z. TAYLOR, TRICH, WANSACZ, WILT AND YOUNGBLOOD,
FEBRUARY 8, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 8, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 22, 2000 (P.L.477, No.66), entitled "An
2 act establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies
3 and volunteer ambulance services," further providing for
4 grants for volunteer fire companies and volunteer ambulance
5 services; extending an expiration date; and making an
6 appropriation.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Sections 303(b) and (c), 304, 503(b) and (c), 504
10 and 901 of the act of June 22, 2000 (P.L.477, No.66), known as
11 the Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant
12 Act, are amended to read:
13 Section 303. Award of grants.
14 * * *
15 (b) Limits.--
16 (1) [Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall
1 be not less than $2,500 and not more than] Grants shall be
2 equal to $15,000 per volunteer fire company or the amount
3 that the volunteer fire company originally applied for,
4 whichever is less.
5 (2) [Grants shall be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
6 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
7 amount of funds allocated in section 701.
8 (3)] In a municipality where there are two or more
9 volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
10 consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
11 services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
12 this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
13 created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
14 consolidated.
15 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
16 [(1)] The agency shall provide applications for grants
17 under this act to the fire chief and president of every
18 volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
19 7, 2000.
20 [(2) Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
21 act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
22 before September 1, 2000. The agency shall act to approve or
23 disapprove the application by October 4, 2000. Applications
24 which have not been approved or disapproved by the agency by
25 October 4, 2000, shall be deemed approved.
26 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2000,
27 deadline shall be accepted by the agency, and grants may be
28 awarded at the discretion of the agency from the reserve fund
29 set aside under section 304.]
30 * * *
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1 [Section 304. Reserve funds.
2 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
3 of the funds allocated in section 701 for the grant program
4 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
5 grants to volunteer fire companies that submit applications
6 after September 1, 2000, that would have otherwise been
7 eligible for and been awarded a grant under the grant
8 program.
9 (2) No volunteer fire company may receive a grant from
10 reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that it
11 would have received had it applied in a timely manner.]
12 Section 503. Award of grants.
13 * * *
14 (b) Limits.--
15 [(1)] Grants shall be [not less than $2,500 and not more
16 than] equal to $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service or the
17 amount that the volunteer ambulance service originally
18 applied for, whichever is less.
19 [(2) Grants shall be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
20 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
21 amount of funds allocated in section 702.]
22 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
23 [(1)] The agency shall provide applications for grants
24 under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
25 service in this Commonwealth on or before July 7, 2000.
26 [(2) Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
27 this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
28 agency on or before September 1, 2000. The agency shall act
29 to approve or disapprove the application by October 4, 2000.
30 Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by
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1 the agency by October 4, 2000, shall be deemed approved.
2 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2000,
3 deadline shall be accepted by the agency, and grants may be
4 awarded at the discretion of the agency from the reserve fund
5 set aside under section 504.]
6 [Section 504. Reserve funds.
7 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
8 of the funds allocated in section 702 for the grant program
9 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
10 grants to volunteer ambulance services that submit
11 applications after September 1, 2000, that would have
12 otherwise been eligible for and been awarded a grant under
13 the grant program.
14 (2) No volunteer ambulance service may receive a grant
15 from reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that
16 it would have received had it applied in a timely manner.]
17 Section 901. Expiration of authority.
18 The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapters 3
19 and 5 shall expire June 30, [2001] 2003.
20 Section 2. The sum of $18,000,000, or as much thereof as may
21 be necessary, is appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
22 Management Agency for the fiscal period July 1, 2001, to June
23 30, 2003, for the purpose of making grants to volunteer fire
24 companies and volunteer ambulance services.
25 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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