HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 748, 784 PRINTER'S NO. 1032
No. 60 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, LOGAN, COSTA, TARTAGLIONE, HELFRICK,
ERICKSON, BRIGHTBILL, BOSCOLA, STOUT, RAFFERTY, PUNT, CONTI,
KUKOVICH, TOMLINSON, ORIE, ARMSTRONG, EARLL, O'PAKE, DENT,
SCHWARTZ, WAGNER, MUSTO, D. WHITE, WOZNIAK, RHOADES,
WONDERLING, THOMPSON, ROBBINS AND KASUNIC, APRIL 24, 2003
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON RULES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AS AMENDED, JUNE 25, 2003
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a special bipartisan legislative commission to
2 develop legislation to provide direct and indirect assistance
3 for the purpose of improving the delivery of emergency
4 services in this Commonwealth.
5 WHEREAS, The citizens of this Commonwealth benefit daily from
6 the services, knowledge and skills of municipal emergency
7 service providers and volunteer emergency service providers who
8 routinely place the safety and well-being of others over their
9 own; and
10 WHEREAS, It is estimated that the delivery of emergency
11 services in this Commonwealth, particularly through the use of
12 volunteer fire companies and volunteer emergency services,
13 effectively saves the people of this Commonwealth billions of
14 dollars and countless lives every year; and
15 WHEREAS, The emergency services in this Commonwealth are
16 being tasked to provide even greater levels of service with very
1 limited resources; and
2 WHEREAS, On September 29, 2002, the Pennsylvania Emergency
3 Management Agency, in consultation with the Fire and Emergency
4 Services Task Force, presented "A Study of Volunteer Fire and
5 Emergency Medical Services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,"
6 to the General Assembly in accordance with the act of June 29,
7 2002 (P.L.559, No.89) which made recommendations on various
8 long-term initiatives to improve the delivery of emergency
9 services in this Commonwealth; and
10 WHEREAS, This report took into consideration every major
11 study of the fire and emergency services in this Commonwealth
12 for the past 30 years and updated those findings to better
13 reflect the current needs of the emergency services; therefore
14 be it
15 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
16 General Assembly establish a special bipartisan legislative
17 commission to develop and recommend legislation providing direct
18 and indirect assistance to improve the delivery of emergency
19 services in this Commonwealth; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the commission consist of the following 24 <--
21 members:
22 (1) The chair and minority chair of the Senate Committee
23 on Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness or designees.
24 (2) The chair and minority chair of the House of
25 Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs and Emergency
26 Preparedness or designees.
27 (3) The two cochairs of the Firefighter and Emergency
28 Services Caucus in the Senate or designees.
29 (4) The two cochairs of the Firefighter and Emergency
30 Services Caucus in the House of Representatives or designees.
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1 (5) The State Fire Commissioner or a designee.
2 (6) The president of the County Commissioners
3 Association of Pennsylvania or a designee.
4 (7) The president of the League of Cities and
5 Municipalities or a designee.
6 (8) The president of the Pennsylvania State Association
7 of Township Supervisors or a designee.
8 (9) The president of the Pennsylvania Firemen's
9 Legislative Federation or a designee.
10 (10) The president of the Pennsylvania State Association
11 of Boroughs or a designee.
12 (11) The president of the Pennsylvania Fire and
13 Emergency Services Institute or a designee.
14 (12) The president of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health
15 Services Council or a designee.
16 (13) The president of the Fireman's Association of the
17 State of Pennsylvania or a designee.
18 (14) The president of the Western Pennsylvania Firemen's
19 Association or a designee.
20 (15) The president of the Pennsylvania Professional
21 Firefighters Association or a designee.
22 (16) Two fire chiefs of volunteer fire companies in
23 Pennsylvania: one of whom shall be selected by the President
24 pro tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be selected
25 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
26 (17) Two fire chiefs of municipal fire companies in
27 Pennsylvania: one of whom shall be selected by the President
28 pro tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be selected
29 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
30 (18) The President of the Ambulance Association of
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1 Pennsylvania or a designee. <--
2 (19) THE PRESIDENT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE ASSOCIATION
3 OF TOWNSHIP COMMISSIONERS OR A DESIGNEE;
4 and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That the commission elect a chair from its
6 membership; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the commission shall develop legislation to
8 improve the delivery of emergency services; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the commission may hold hearings, take
10 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems
11 necessary in this Commonwealth; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That the commission develop legislation to
13 establish an institutionalized, need-based grant program for
14 volunteer fire and emergency services and a municipal
15 firefighter education and training program as well as to ensure
16 that there are adequate funds in the Volunteer Loan Assistance
17 Program established under the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036,
18 No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company, Ambulance Service
19 and Rescue Squad Assistance Act; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the commission shall make an interim report <--
21 with legislative recommendations by June 13, 2003; and be it
22 further
23 RESOLVED, That the commission make a final report of all
24 other legislative recommendations by June 30, 2004; and be it <--
25 further
26 RESOLVED, That the members of the commission shall serve
27 without compensation but shall be reimbursed for all necessary
28 and actual REASONABLE expenses incurred in the performance of <--
29 their duties; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That the actual REASONABLE expenses incurred by the <--
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1 commission be equally divided between the Senate and the House
2 of Representatives. THE FOUR COCHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND THE <--
3 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FIREFIGHTER AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
4 CAUCUSES SHALL, BY ACTION OF A MAJORITY OF SUCH MEMBERS, BE
5 REQUIRED TO PREAUTHORIZE ALL PROPOSED ACTIONS OF THE COMMISSION
6 WHICH WILL ENTAIL THE EXPENDITURE OF STATE FUNDS AND SHALL ALSO
7 BE REQUIRED TO APPROVE ALL EXPENDITURES, INCLUDING EXPENSE
8 REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS, PRIOR TO PAYMENT.
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