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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY HORNAMAN, DEASY, BARRAR, BOBACK, B. BOYLE, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, DeLUCA, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GOODMAN, GROVE, HARHAI, HESS, JOHNSON, KORTZ, KOTIK, MAHONEY, MICOZZIE, MILLER, MIRABITO, MURPHY, PETRARCA, PYLE, REICHLEY, ROAE, SAINATO, SCAVELLO, SIMMONS, K. SMITH, STABACK, STURLA, SWANGER AND READSHAW, JANUARY 20, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 20, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Providing for municipal volunteer fire company, volunteer |
2 | ambulance service and volunteer rescue company service |
3 | incentives. |
4 | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
5 | Chapter 1. Preliminary Provisions |
6 | Section 101. Short title. |
7 | Section 102. Purpose. |
8 | Section 103. Definitions. |
9 | Chapter 3. Municipal Tax Credit |
10 | Section 301. Program authorization. |
11 | Section 302. Claim. |
12 | Section 302.1. Real property tax credit. |
13 | Section 303. Limitations. |
14 | Chapter 5. Volunteer Service Credit |
15 | Section 501. Volunteer service credit program. |
16 | Section 502. Service record. |
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1 | Section 503. Certification. |
2 | Chapter 30. Miscellaneous Provisions |
3 | Section 3001. Penalties for false reporting. |
4 | Section 3002. Effective date. |
5 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
6 | hereby enacts as follows: |
7 | CHAPTER 1 |
8 | PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS |
9 | Section 101. Short title. |
10 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal |
11 | Volunteers of Fire Companies, Ambulance Services and Rescue |
12 | Companies Incentive Act. |
13 | Section 102. Purpose. |
14 | The purpose of this act is to authorize municipalities to |
15 | enact a tax credit against an active volunteer's earned income |
16 | and property tax liability as a financial incentive to: |
17 | (1) Indicate the municipality's acknowledgment of the |
18 | value of and the absence of any public cost for volunteer |
19 | fire protection and ambulance and rescue services provided by |
20 | active volunteers. |
21 | (2) To encourage other individuals to newly volunteer or |
22 | for former volunteers to consider rejoining as active |
23 | volunteers in a volunteer fire company, ambulance service or |
24 | rescue company. |
25 | Section 103. Definitions. |
26 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
27 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
28 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
29 | "Active volunteer." A volunteer for a volunteer fire |
30 | company, volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue company |
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1 | who has complied with the requirements of the volunteer service |
2 | credit program and who is certified under section 503. |
3 | "Commissioner." The State Fire Commissioner of the |
4 | Commonwealth. |
5 | "Department." The Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth. |
6 | "Earned income tax." A tax on earned income and net profits |
7 | levied under chapter 3 of the act of December 31, 1965 (P.L. |
8 | 1257, No.511), known as The Local Tax Enabling Act. |
9 | "Governing body." A city council, borough council, |
10 | incorporated town council, board of township commissioners, |
11 | board of township supervisors, governing council of a home rule |
12 | municipality or optional plan municipality or a governing |
13 | council of any similar purpose government which may be created |
14 | by statute after the effective date of this section. |
15 | "Local Tax Enabling Act." The act of December 31, 1965 (P.L. |
16 | 1257, No.511), known as The Local Tax Enabling Act. |
17 | "Municipality." A city, borough, incorporated town or |
18 | township located in this Commonwealth. |
19 | "Tax credit." The tax credit granted under section 301 or |
20 | 302.1. |
21 | "Volunteer." A member of a volunteer fire company, volunteer |
22 | ambulance service or volunteer rescue company. |
23 | "Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered |
24 | corporation, association or organization located in this |
25 | Commonwealth, which is licensed by the Department of Health and |
26 | is not associated or affiliated with any hospital and which is |
27 | regularly engaged in the provision of emergency medical |
28 | services, including basic life support or advanced life support |
29 | services and advanced life support squads as defined in 28 Pa. |
30 | Code § 1005.1 (relating to general provisions). The term shall |
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1 | not include any corporation, association or organization that is |
2 | primarily engaged in the operation of invalid coaches which are |
3 | intended for the routine transport of persons who are |
4 | convalescent or otherwise nonambulatory and do not ordinarily |
5 | require emergency medical treatment while in transit. |
6 | "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation, |
7 | association or organization located in this Commonwealth that |
8 | provides fire protection services and may offer other voluntary |
9 | emergency services within this Commonwealth. |
10 | "Volunteer rescue company." A nonprofit chartered |
11 | corporation, association or organization located in this |
12 | Commonwealth that provides rescue services as part of the |
13 | response to fires and/or vehicle accidents within this |
14 | Commonwealth. |
15 | "Volunteer service credit program." The program established |
16 | under section 501 to determine the active status of a volunteer. |
17 | CHAPTER 3 |
18 | MUNICIPAL TAX CREDIT |
19 | Section 301. Program authorization. |
20 | (a) Establishment.--A municipality that levies an earned |
21 | income tax may establish by ordinance a tax credit against an |
22 | individual's liability imposed under chapter 3 of the Local Tax |
23 | Enabling Act for active service as a volunteer. |
24 | (b) Amount.--A municipality must set forth in the ordinance |
25 | the amount of the tax credit. If the total earned income tax |
26 | liability is less than the amount established by the |
27 | municipality, the tax credit shall equal the remaining tax |
28 | liability. |
29 | (c) Public notice.--At least 30 days prior to adoption of |
30 | the ordinance, the governing body of a municipality shall give |
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1 | public notice of its intent to adopt an ordinance to establish a |
2 | tax credit and conduct at least one public hearing on the issue. |
3 | (d) Specific notice.--A municipality that establishes a tax |
4 | credit under subsection (a) shall notify the commissioner in the |
5 | manner and pursuant to any schedule prescribed by the |
6 | commissioner. |
7 | Section 302. Claim. |
8 | (a) Eligibility.--An individual who satisfies all of the |
9 | following criteria may claim a tax credit established under |
10 | section 301: |
11 | (1) The individual is subject to an earned income tax |
12 | imposed by a municipality that has established a tax credit |
13 | under section 301. |
14 | (2) The individual is certified under section 503. |
15 | (b) Return.--A husband or wife may claim any tax credit |
16 | provided for under this act when filing a joint return. The tax |
17 | return form shall provide a mechanism for separating the |
18 | liability of an individual for any earned income tax imposed by |
19 | the school district of residence from the liability of an |
20 | individual for any earned income tax imposed by the municipality |
21 | so that the tax credit may be applied against the individual's |
22 | liability for taxes imposed by the municipality. |
23 | Section 302.1. Real property tax credit. |
24 | The governing body of a school district may provide, by |
25 | ordinance, for a tax credit against real property taxes to be |
26 | granted to active volunteer firefighters. The tax credit shall |
27 | apply to taxes levied on residential real property owned and |
28 | occupied by an active volunteer firefighter who is certified |
29 | under section 503. The amount of the tax credit shall be |
30 | equivalent to no more than 20% of the tax liability of the |
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1 | active volunteer firefighter. |
2 | Section 303. Limitations. |
3 | A tax credit established under this act may be used against |
4 | only the individual's earned income tax or property tax |
5 | liability for the current taxable year. |
6 | CHAPTER 5 |
7 | VOLUNTEER SERVICE CREDIT |
8 | Section 501. Volunteer service credit program. |
9 | (a) Establishment.--Within 90 days of the effective date of |
10 | this section, the commissioner shall establish a volunteer |
11 | service credit program that establishes the annual requirements |
12 | for the designation of a volunteer in active service at a |
13 | volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance service or volunteer |
14 | rescue company. |
15 | (b) Activities.--The volunteer service credit system shall |
16 | consider the following activities in determining credit toward a |
17 | designation of active service: |
18 | (1) The number of emergency calls to which a volunteer |
19 | responds. |
20 | (2) The level of training and participation in formal |
21 | training and drills for a volunteer. |
22 | (3) The total amount of time expended by a volunteer on |
23 | administrative and other support services, including |
24 | fundraising and facility or equipment maintenance. |
25 | (4) The involvement in other events or projects that aid |
26 | the financial viability, emergency response or operational |
27 | readiness of a volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance |
28 | service or volunteer rescue company. |
29 | (c) Guidelines.--The commissioner shall adopt guidelines, |
30 | including forms, necessary to implement this section. |
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1 | Section 502. Service record. |
2 | (a) Log.--The chief of a volunteer fire company, the |
3 | supervisor or chief of a volunteer ambulance service or |
4 | volunteer rescue company or their designees shall establish and |
5 | maintain a service log that documents the activities of each |
6 | volunteer that qualifies for credit toward active service under |
7 | the volunteer service credit system and the calculation of the |
8 | total credits earned for each volunteer in the volunteer fire |
9 | company, volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue |
10 | company. |
11 | (b) Review.--Service logs established and maintained by |
12 | volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance services or |
13 | volunteer rescue companies shall be subject to periodic review |
14 | by the Auditor General, the department, the governing body of |
15 | the municipality where the volunteer fire company, volunteer |
16 | ambulance service or volunteer rescue company is located and the |
17 | governing body of a municipality where the volunteer fire |
18 | company, volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue company |
19 | provides services. |
20 | Section 503. Certification. |
21 | (a) Self-certification.--The active volunteer shall sign and |
22 | submit the application to the chief of the volunteer fire |
23 | company or the supervisor or chief of the volunteer ambulance |
24 | service or volunteer rescue company where the volunteer serves. |
25 | (b) Local sign-off.--The chief and another officer of the |
26 | volunteer fire company, the supervisor or chief and another |
27 | officer of the volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue |
28 | company shall sign the application attesting to the individual's |
29 | status as an active volunteer. The application shall then be |
30 | forwarded to the municipality for final review and processing. |
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1 | CHAPTER 30 |
2 | MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
3 | Section 3001. Penalties for false reporting. |
4 | The following shall apply: |
5 | (1) Any person who knowingly makes or conspires to make |
6 | a false service record report under this act to the |
7 | commissioner commits a misdemeanor of the first degree |
8 | punishable by a fine of $2,500. |
9 | (2) Any person who knowingly provides or conspires to |
10 | provide false information that is used to compile a service |
11 | record report under this act commits a misdemeanor of the |
12 | first degree punishable by a fine of $2,500. |
13 | Section 3002. Effective date. |
14 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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