SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1385, 1870, 2298 PRINTER'S NO. 2365
No. 1179 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY R. MILLER, SEMMEL, BARRAR, BENNINGHOFF,
CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CRAHALLA, DALLY, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD,
GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARPER,
HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HUTCHINSON, JAMES, W. KELLER, KENNEY,
KOTIK, LEDERER, MACKERETH, McILHATTAN, NAILOR, O'NEILL,
PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, RAPP, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, STABACK, SURRA,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG, SIPTROTH,
DENLINGER, CIVERA, MELIO, HABAY, BROWNE, SAMUELSON, WRIGHT,
MUSTIO, THOMAS, YUDICHAK, NICKOL, BALDWIN, HICKERNELL,
S. MILLER, TRUE AND McGEEHAN, MARCH 29, 2005
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, JUNE 28, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Military Family
3 Relief Assistance Program and the Military Family Relief
4 Assistance Fund.; and making an appropriation. <--
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
8 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
9 § 7319. Military Family Relief Assistance.
10 (a) Establishment of fund.--In order to carry out the
11 purposes of section 315.8 of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6,
12 No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, there is hereby
13 established in the State Treasury a restricted revenue account
14 within the General Fund which shall be known as the Military
1 Family Relief Assistance Fund.
2 (b) Administration of program.--
3 (1) The department shall contract with a nonprofit
4 entity to administer the program established in paragraph (2)
5 and shall accept voluntary contributions from persons for the
6 fund.
7 (2) The Military Family Relief Assistance Program is
8 established. Contributions received for the fund shall be
9 distributed by the department under the program to
10 Pennsylvania resident servicemen or servicewomen or their
11 families that have suffered a sudden or unexpected loss of
12 income or other source of support or a death or an illness of
13 a family member or a natural or man-made disaster that
14 creates a direct and immediate demonstrable financial need
15 for assistance in order to provide themselves and their
16 families with food, shelter, clothing, required medical care
17 and other necessities of life.
18 (3) Persons applying for assistance under the program
19 must physically reside in this Commonwealth and demonstrate
20 that they have applied for and been turned down for existing
21 relief programs as determined by the department.
22 (c) Rules.--The department shall develop rules and
23 regulations necessary to administer the provisions of this
24 section.
25 (d) Moneys received.--All moneys received from the voluntary
26 contribution system established in section 315.8 of the Tax
27 Reform Code of 1971 shall be deposited in the fund.
28 (e) Electronic donations and applications.--In addition to
29 the voluntary contribution system established in section 315.8
30 of the Tax Reform Code of 1971, the Commonwealth is also
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1 authorized to accept electronic donations to the fund.
2 Electronic donations shall be deposited into the fund and the
3 fund may elect to pay the cost of any such electronic
4 transaction. In addition, the agency, nonprofit or person
5 responsible for administering the fund shall ensure that
6 applications to receive assistance from this fund can be
7 obtained electronically. All agencies of State, county and
8 municipal government within this Commonwealth may include a
9 brief description of the Pennsylvania Military Family Relief <--
10 Assistance Program, the electronic and mailing address to make
11 donations to this fund and the electronic and mailing address to
12 request assistance from this program in their publications,
13 mailings and communications.
14 (f) Future appropriations.--The General Assembly may, from
15 time to time, appropriate funds into the fund for the purposes
16 of this section.
17 (g) Use of fund money.--The moneys contained in the fund are
18 hereby appropriated on a continuing basis to the Department of
19 Military and Veterans Affairs for the exclusive use of carrying
20 out the purposes of this section.
21 Section 2. The sum of $250,000 is hereby appropriated from <--
22 the General Fund to the Military Family Relief Assistance Fund.
23 Section 3 2. This act shall take effect immediately. <--
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