1Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, further providing for military family
3relief assistance.

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

6Section 1. Section 7319(b)(2) introductory paragraph and
7(iii), (c)(2), (f), (h) and the definition of "eligible service 
8member" in subsection (j) of Title 51 of the Pennsylvania
9Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

10§ 7319. Military family relief assistance.

11* * *

12(b) Administration of program.--

13* * *

14(2) The Military Family Relief Assistance Program is
15established. Contributions and appropriations received for
16the fund shall be distributed by the department under the
17program to eligible service members and eligible relatives of

1eligible service members. Applicants must demonstrate to the
2department that they have a direct and immediate financial
3need as a result of the military service of the service
4member. Such circumstances must be beyond the control of and
5not as a result of misconduct by the service member. The
6applicant shall demonstrate that the financial need is caused
7by one or more of the following:

8* * *

9(iii) The wounding of the service member in the line
10of duty sustained as a result of combat or attack
11resulting in an immediate need for funds for travel,
12lodging, subsistence or other activities directly related
13to the casualty for which the applicant lacks financial
14resources. [No more than two eligible relatives of an
15eligible service member may receive assistance under this
16subparagraph.]

17* * *

18(c) Guidelines.--The department shall, in consultation with
19the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations
20Committee of the Senate, the chairman and minority chairman of
21the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives,
22the chairman and minority chairman of the Veterans Affairs and
23Emergency Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the chairman
24and minority chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
25Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives, develop
26guidelines necessary to administer the provisions of this
27section. The guidelines established under this subsection shall
28do all of the following:

29* * *

30(2) Set forth the maximum amount of relief and the

1maximum number of applicants per event or episode. The 
2maximum amount of relief granted may not exceed $10,000 per 
3applicant. No more than $20,000 may be paid to an eligible 
4service member and the eligible relatives of an eligible 
5service member in any 12-month period.

6* * *

7(f) Future appropriations.--[The General Assembly may
8appropriate funds for transfer to the fund for the purposes of
9this section.] Beginning in fiscal year 2014-2015, the General 
10Assembly shall annually appropriate the sum of $2,500,000 to the 
11fund for purposes of this section.

12* * *

13(h) Expiration.--This section shall expire June 30, [2016] 
142022.

15* * *

16(j) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
17words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
18subsection:

19* * *

20"Eligible service member."

21(1) Any of the following:

22(i) A member of the armed forces of the United
23States or its reserve components, including the 
24Pennsylvania National Guard, who is serving on active
25duty other than active duty for training for a period of
2630 or more consecutive days.

27(ii) A member of the Pennsylvania National Guard
28serving on State active duty for a period of 30 or more
29consecutive days.

30(iii) A member in good standing of any reserve

1component of the armed forces of the United States,
2including the Pennsylvania National Guard, for a period
3of [one year] two years after release from a tour of
4active duty, other than active duty for training, or
5State active duty of 30 or more consecutive days'
6duration when the need for assistance is directly related
7to the member's performance of active duty or State
8active duty.

9(iv) A former member of the armed forces of the
10United States or its reserve components, including the
11Pennsylvania National Guard, for a period of [two] four
12years after discharge if:

13(A) The member was discharged for medical
14reasons arising out of the member's military service.

15(B) The medical disability that resulted in the
16member's discharge was incurred in the line of duty
17and was not the result of misconduct.

18(C) The medical condition giving rise to the
19discharge did not exist prior to the member entering
20military service.

21(D) The medical disability was incurred while
22the member was serving on active duty, other than
23active duty for training, or State active duty for a
24period of 30 or more consecutive days.

25(E) The former member received an honorable
26discharge for medical reasons.

27(F) The need for assistance is directly related
28to the former member's military service or the
29disability incurred as a result of the military
30service.

1(2) An eligible service member must be a resident of
2Pennsylvania at the time of the application for assistance.

3* * *

4Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.