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        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 748, 784, 1032           PRINTER'S NO. 1083

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE RESOLUTION

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

        SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS, JULY 8, 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
    17  limited resources; and


     1     WHEREAS, On September 29, 2002, the Pennsylvania Emergency
     2  Management Agency, in consultation with the Fire and Emergency
     3  Services Task Force, presented "A Study of Volunteer Fire and
     4  Emergency Medical Services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,"
     5  to the General Assembly in accordance with the act of June 29,
     6  2002 (P.L.559, No.89) which made recommendations on various
     7  long-term initiatives to improve the delivery of emergency
     8  services in this Commonwealth; and
     9     WHEREAS, This report took into consideration every major
    10  study of the fire and emergency services in this Commonwealth
    11  for the past 30 years and updated those findings to better
    12  reflect the current needs of the emergency services; therefore
    13  be it
    14     RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
    15  General Assembly establish a special bipartisan legislative
    16  commission to develop and recommend legislation providing direct
    17  and indirect assistance to improve the delivery of emergency
    18  services in this Commonwealth; and be it further
    19     RESOLVED, That the commission consist of the following
    20  members:
    21         (1)  The chair and minority chair of the Senate Committee
    22     on Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness or designees.
    23         (2)  The chair and minority chair of the House of
    24     Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs and Emergency
    25     Preparedness or designees.
    26         (3)  The two cochairs of the Firefighter and Emergency
    27     Services Caucus in the Senate or designees.
    28         (4)  The two cochairs of the Firefighter and Emergency
    29     Services Caucus in the House of Representatives or designees.
    30         (5)  The State Fire Commissioner or a designee.
    20030S0060R1083                  - 2 -     

     1         (6)  The president of the County Commissioners
     2     Association of Pennsylvania or a designee.
     3         (7)  The president of the League of Cities and
     4     Municipalities or a designee.
     5         (8)  The president of the Pennsylvania State Association
     6     of Township Supervisors or a designee.
     7         (9)  The president of the Pennsylvania Firemen's
     8     Legislative Federation or a designee.
     9         (10)  The president of the Pennsylvania State Association
    10     of Boroughs or a designee.
    11         (11)  The president of the Pennsylvania Fire and
    12     Emergency Services Institute or a designee.
    13         (12)  The president of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health
    14     Services Council or a designee.
    15         (13)  The president of the Fireman's Association of the
    16     State of Pennsylvania or a designee.
    17         (14)  The president of the Western Pennsylvania Firemen's
    18     Association or a designee.
    19         (15)  The president of the Pennsylvania Professional
    20     Firefighters Association or a designee.
    21         (16)  Two fire chiefs of volunteer fire companies in
    22     Pennsylvania: one of whom shall be selected by the President
    23     pro tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be selected
    24     by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    25         (17)  Two fire chiefs of municipal fire companies in
    26     Pennsylvania: one of whom shall be selected by the President
    27     pro tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be selected
    28     by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    29         (18)  The President of the Ambulance Association of
    30     Pennsylvania or a designee.
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     1         (19)  The president of the Pennsylvania State Association
     2     of Township Commissioners or a designee;
     3  and be it further
     4     RESOLVED, That the commission elect a chair from its
     5  membership; and be it further
     6     RESOLVED, That the commission shall develop legislation to
     7  improve the delivery of emergency services; and be it further
     8     RESOLVED, That the commission may hold hearings, take
     9  testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems
    10  necessary in this Commonwealth; and be it further
    11     RESOLVED, That the commission develop legislation to
    12  establish an institutionalized, need-based grant program for
    13  volunteer fire and emergency services and a municipal
    14  firefighter education and training program as well as to ensure
    15  that there are adequate funds in the Volunteer Loan Assistance
    16  Program established under the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036,
    17  No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company, Ambulance Service
    18  and Rescue Squad Assistance Act; and be it further
    19     RESOLVED, That the commission make a final report of all
    20  legislative recommendations by June 30, 2004; and be it further
    21     RESOLVED, That the members of the commission shall serve
    22  without compensation but shall be reimbursed for all necessary
    23  and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their
    24  duties; and be it further
    25     RESOLVED, That the reasonable expenses incurred by the
    26  commission be equally divided between the Senate and the House
    27  of Representatives. The four cochairs of the Senate and the       <--
    28  House of Representatives Firefighter and Emergency Services
    29  Caucuses shall APPROVAL OF THE CHAIR AND THE MINORITY CHAIR OF    <--
    30  THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
    20030S0060R1083                  - 4 -     

     1  PREPAREDNESS AND THE CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF THE HOUSE OF
     2  REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
     3  PREPAREDNESS, by action of a majority of such members, SHALL be   <--
     4  required to preauthorize all proposed actions of the commission
     5  which will entail the expenditure of State funds and shall also
     6  be required to approve all expenditures, including expense
     7  reimbursement requests of commission members, prior to payment.
















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