1Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, further providing for eligibility and
3for amounts of assistance.

4The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5hereby enacts as follows:

6Section 1. Section 8503(3) of Title 51 of the Pennsylvania
7Consolidated Statutes is repealed:

8§ 8503. Eligibility.

9In order to qualify for the Veterans' Emergency Assistance
10Program, applicants must demonstrate that:

11* * *

12[(3) They are not receiving monetary assistance payable
13under the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the
14Public Welfare Code.]

15* * *

16Section 2. Section 8504(a) and (c) of Title 51 are amended
17and the section is amended by adding subsections to read:

1§ 8504. Amounts of assistance.

2(a) Maximum amount.--[In no event shall] Except as provided 
3under subsection (a.1), veterans' emergency assistance payments
4may not exceed the maximum assistance payable for a family of
5the same size under the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21),
6known as the Public Welfare Code.

7(a.1) Minimum amount.--A veterans' emergency assistance
8payment may not be less than $500 per month.

9* * *

10(c) Restrictions.--No person shall be eligible to receive
11veterans' emergency assistance for more than [three] six months
12in any 12-month period.

13* * *

14(e) Biennial adjustment.--The following shall apply:

15(1) Beginning January 1, 2015, the Adjutant General
16shall do all of the following:

17(i) Every two years, adjust the minimum emergency
18assistance payment amount under subsection (a.1) as
19provided under paragraph (2).

20(ii) Immediately submit the amount under
21subparagraph (i) to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
22publication as a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

23(2) The amount under paragraph (1)(i) shall be adjusted
24by multiplying the minimum emergency assistance payment
25amount by any percentage increase to the Consumer Price Index
26for all Urban Consumers for the Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
27Delaware and Maryland area for the preceding 12 months,
28rounded to the nearest $10. The resultant product shall be
29added to the minimum emergency assistance payment amount and
30the sum shall become the new minimum emergency assistance

1payment amount under subsection (a.1).

2Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.