PRINTER'S NO. 1317

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

913

Session of

2019

INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, COLLETT, FONTANA, HAYWOOD, LEACH,

TARTAGLIONE, BREWSTER AND BROWNE, OCTOBER 25, 2019

REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, OCTOBER 25, 2019

business financial management firms, for private dam

financial assurance and for reinstatement of item vetoes;

providing for the settlement, assessment, collection, and

lien of taxes, bonus, and all other accounts due the

Commonwealth, the collection and recovery of fees and other

money or property due or belonging to the Commonwealth, or

any agency thereof, including escheated property and the

proceeds of its sale, the custody and disbursement or other

disposition of funds and securities belonging to or in the

possession of the Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims

authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes

to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of

section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of

Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of

certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every

department, board, commission, and officer of the State

government, every political subdivision of the State, and

certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,

association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or

collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Article XVII-A.1 of the act of April 9, 1929

(P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, is amended by

adding a subarticle to read:

Section 1760-A.1. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this subarticle

(relating to definitions). The term includes a culturally

specific organization that has a substantive partnership with a

domestic violence program.

"Fund." The Survivor-Centered, Accessible, Fair and

Empowering (SAFE) Housing Trust Fund established under section

1761-A.1.

"Housing program." A project designed to provide emergency,

transitional and permanent housing, along with related support

services to facilitate movement toward living as independently

as possible.

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"Rape crisis program." A nonprofit organization or program

which has a primary purpose to provide confidential services to

sexual violence victims, which include, but are not limited to,

the following:

(1) Survivor services, such as crisis intervention,

crisis hotlines, counseling and therapy, legal and medical

advocacy.

(2) Community services, such as information and

referrals, prevention education, community awareness,

professional training and outreach and institutional advocacy

in legal, medical, educational, housing and employment areas.

the State Treasury known as the Survivor-Centered, Accessible,

Fair and Empowering (SAFE) Housing Trust Fund.

(b) Purpose.--The fund is established for the following

purposes:

(1) To provide the target population with access to

emergency, transitional and permanent housing programs in

order to reduce homelessness and housing instability. Housing

programs and services shall be available to the target

population regardless of an individual's sex, gender identity

or sexual orientation.

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Section 1762-A.1. Sources of revenue.

(a) Transfer.--No later than July 30, 2019, the sum of

$1,000,000 shall be transferred from the General Fund to the

fund.

(b) Additional surcharge.--The following shall apply:

(1) In addition to any fee, charge or cost authorized by

law, an additional fee of $10 shall be charged and collected

by the recorder of deeds and clerks of court or by any

official designated to perform similar functions on each

filing of a deed or mortgage.

(2) All money received under paragraph (1) shall be

section, the department shall provide for all of the

following:

(i) The ability of an individual renewing a driver's

license or identification card electronically through the

department's publicly accessible Internet website to make

a contribution of $5 to the fund.

(ii) The ability of a person renewing a vehicle

registration electronically through the department's

publicly accessible Internet website to make a

contribution of $5 to the fund.

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of a driver's license or identification card and a

renewal of a vehicle registration.

(ii) A contribution under paragraph (1) may be made

for each renewal of a driver's license or identification

card and each renewal of a vehicle registration.

(3) Contributions under paragraph (1) shall be used

exclusively for the purposes of the fund under section 1761-

A.1(b).

(4) The department shall determine on a monthly basis

the total amount collected under this subsection and report

that amount to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall

concerning the contribution to the fund in its instructions

for the renewal applicants under paragraph (1). The

information shall include the listing of an address furnished

by the agency to which contributions may be sent by

individuals wishing to make additional contributions.

(d) Other contributions.--Any grants, gifts, donations and

other payments from an individual or government entity may be

accepted as a contribution to the fund.

Section 1763-A.1. Use of fund.

(a) Authorization.--

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(2) The agency shall allocate revenue from the fund to

reimburse the Motor License Fund as provided under

section 1762-A.1(c)(5).

(b) Grants.--

(1) The agency shall allocate revenue from the fund to

provide grants to domestic violence programs or rape crisis

programs that operate housing programs for the target

population. A domestic violence program or rape crisis

program receiving a grant under this paragraph shall offer

any of the following to the target population:

(i) Affordable housing.

provide housing options.

(2) When allocating revenue from the fund under

paragraph (1), the agency shall address and identify

geographical areas where populations have been underserved,

disadvantaged and prevented from accessing safe, stable and

permanent housing.

(c) Operation.--The following shall apply:

(1) The agency shall adopt a statement of policy

consistent with this subarticle within 60 days of the

effective date of this section. The statement of policy shall

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(i) Section 205 of the act of July 31, 1968

(P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the Commonwealth

Documents Law.

(ii) Sections 204(b) and 301(10) of the act of

October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the

Commonwealth Attorneys Act.

(iii) The act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181),

known as the Regulatory Review Act.

(2) At a minimum, the statement of policy shall provide

information on the maintenance of the fund, the criteria used

by the agency to determine eligibility for the allocation of

any person or entity, including a government entity.

(d) Report.--By July 31, 2020, and every year thereafter,

the agency shall submit a report to the chairperson and minority

chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, the

chairperson and minority chairperson of the Urban Affairs and

Housing Committee of the Senate, the chairperson and minority

chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of

Representatives and the chairperson and minority chairperson of

the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee of the House of

Representatives. The report shall specify all of the following:

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from the fund and the number of individuals assisted.

(3) The number of individual grants awarded and the

county of residence of the grantees.

(4) A breakdown of total money spent by county, type of

services provided and outcomes related to housing permanency.

(e) Audit.--The Auditor General shall conduct an audit of

the revenues and expenditures of the fund no later than three

years after the effective date of this subsection. The Auditor

General shall conduct subsequent audits of the revenues and

expenditures of the fund no more than once every three years

from the date of the preceding audit. The Auditor General shall

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