PRINTER'S NO. 393
No. 347 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY YUDICHAK, HERMAN, STABACK, TANGRETTI, BELARDI,
BROWNE, CAPPELLI, CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, DAILEY, DeWEESE, FLICK,
GEORGE, GRUCELA, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEWIS, McCALL, MELIO,
READSHAW, SANTONI, WALKO, ROBERTS, BELFANTI, BUNT, BUXTON,
CAWLEY, COSTA, CRUZ, DALEY, FAIRCHILD, FREEMAN, GORDNER,
HENNESSEY, HORSEY, KOTIK, LEVDANSKY, MANN, McILHATTAN,
PETRONE, SAINATO, SOLOBAY, SURRA, TIGUE, YOUNGBLOOD AND
HARPER, FEBRUARY 18, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 18, 2003
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for shared municipal services;
2 conferring powers and duties upon the Department of Community
3 and Economic Development; and making an appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 CHAPTER 1
7 PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
8 Section 101. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Shared
10 Municipal Services Grant Act.
11 Section 102. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Department." The Department of Community and Economic
1 Development of the Commonwealth.
2 "Eligible municipality." A city of the first class, second
3 class, second class A or third class, township of the first
4 class or second class, borough or incorporated town located
5 within this Commonwealth.
6 "Grant program." The Shared Municipal Services Grant Program
7 established by this act.
8 "Shared service agreement." Any agreement, by contract,
9 between two or more municipalities whereby the municipalities
10 involved cooperatively share one or more public services.
11 "Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered
12 corporation, association or organization located in this
13 Commonwealth, not associated or affiliated with any volunteer
14 fire company or hospital and which is regularly engaged in the
15 provision of emergency medical services, including basic life
16 support or advanced life support services and the transportation
17 of patients. The term does not include any corporation,
18 association or organization that is primarily engaged in the
19 operation of invalid coaches which are intended for the routine
20 transport of persons who are convalescent or otherwise
21 nonambulatory and do not ordinarily require emergency medical
22 treatment while in transit.
23 "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
24 association or organization located in this Commonwealth which
25 provides fire protection services and which may offer other
26 voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary
27 emergency services provided by a volunteer fire company may
28 include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue services.
29 CHAPTER 3
30 SHARED MUNICIPAL SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM
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1 Section 301. Establishment.
2 The Shared Municipal Services Grant Program is hereby
3 established and shall be administered by the department. Grants
4 provided under this program shall be used to improve and enhance
5 the quality and reduce the cost of municipal services by
6 providing financial assistance for the sharing of services.
7 Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
8 The department shall promulgate the rules, regulations,
9 guidelines, procedures and all applications necessary to
10 implement the grant program. The department shall submit the
11 rules, regulations, guidelines, procedures and applications to
12 the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
13 Pennsylvania Bulletin and Pennsylvania Code within 90 days of
14 the effective date of this act.
15 Section 303. Award of grants.
16 (a) Authorization.--The department is hereby authorized to
17 make grant awards to an eligible municipality for the purpose of
18 providing financial assistance for implementing a shared service
19 agreement. Nothing in this act shall prevent an eligible
20 municipality from using funds from a grant program award for a
21 shared service agreement for volunteer fire company, volunteer
22 ambulance or other emergency services.
23 (b) Limits.--No more than one grant award shall be provided
24 for each shared service agreement. However, nothing in this act
25 shall prevent any municipality from receiving the direct benefit
26 of more than one grant award, provided that municipality has
27 entered into more than one shared service agreement.
28 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--The
29 agency shall make available applications for grants under this
30 act to be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the fiscal
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1 year.
2 CHAPTER 11
3 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
4 Section 1101. Appropriation.
5 The sum of $10,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
6 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Community
7 and Economic Development for the fiscal year July 1, 2003, to
8 June 30, 2004, to carry out the provisions of this act. No
9 moneys from this appropriation may be used for expenses or costs
10 incurred by the department for the administration of the grant
11 program.
12 Section 1102. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect July 1, 2003, or immediately,
14 whichever is later.
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