PRINTER'S NO. 1299
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
994
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY PITTMAN, ARGALL, FONTANA, J. WARD, HUTCHINSON,
BAKER, CAPPELLETTI, MENSCH AND BROOKS, DECEMBER 29, 2021
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
DECEMBER 29, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled
"An act relating to the finances of the State government;
providing for cancer control, prevention and research, for
ambulatory surgical center data collection, for the Joint
Underwriting Association, for entertainment 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 against the
Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and appeals to the
courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to the
Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth and
all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
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
imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
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every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
Commonwealth," providing for American Rescue Plan EMS Agency
Financial Loss Grant Program; and making an appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known
as The Fiscal Code, is amended by adding an article to read:
ARTICLE I-I
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN EMS AGENCY
FINANCIAL LOSS GRANT PROGRAM
Section 101-I. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"American Rescue Plan Act." American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
(Public Law 117-2, 135 Stat. 4).
"Bureau." The Bureau of Emergency Medical Services in the
Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"EMS agency." A career or volunteer emergency medical
services company.
"Program." The American Rescue Plan EMS Agency Financial
Loss Grant Program established under section 102-I.
Section 102-I. American Rescue Plan EMS Agency Financial Loss
Grant Program.
(a) Establishment.--The American Rescue Plan EMS Agency
Financial Loss Grant Program is established within the bureau.
The program shall provide a grant to eligible EMS agencies that
sustained a loss of revenue during the period of March 2020
through December 2020, as compared to the period of March 2019
through December 2019.
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(b) Use of grant money.--
(1) Grant money received by an eligible EMS agency under
this article shall be used for the provision of emergency
medical services.
(2) An eligible EMS agency may not use the grant money
received as the non-State match for other State money,
programs or grants.
(c) Distribution.-- The bureau shall determine the amount of
a grant to an eligible EMS agency based on the dollar amount of
the loss of revenue. If the aggregate dollar amount of the loss
of revenue requested by eligible EMS agencies exceeds the amount
appropriated for the grants, the bureau shall distribute the
grant money to the eligible EMS agencies on a pro rata basis.
(d) Transfer prohibited.--The bureau shall use funding from
the program only for the purpose of providing services under
subsection (b) consistent with the American Rescue Plan Act. The
funding may not be transferred to other programs within the
bureau or department.
Section 103-I. Powers and duties of bureau.
The bureau shall have the power and duty to:
(1) Implement and administer the program in accordance
with Federal law or guidance. The department shall compile
and transmit information necessary to implement the program
and comply with programmatic and eligibility requirements
under Federal law and guidance. The department is prohibited
from placing additional stipulations on eligible EMS agencies
that are not in accordance with Federal law or guidance or
this article.
(2) Monitor administration of grants to ensure
compliance with Federal and State requirements.
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(3) Allocate and disburse grant money to eligible EMS
agencies.
(4) Require eligible EMS agencies to submit reports
containing information required by the bureau and as
necessary for compliance with the American Rescue Plan Act in
the form and by the deadline prescribed by the bureau.
(5) Monitor, inspect or audit the financial, operating
and accounting records of an eligible EMS agency that
receives grant money, if deemed necessary by the bureau.
(6) Prepare a quarterly consolidated report with
information from all eligible EMS agencies that received a
grant under this article, which report shall be submitted on
a quarterly basis to the chairperson and minority chairperson
of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the
chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations
Committee of the House of Representatives. The report shall
also be posted and maintained on the bureau's or department's
publicly accessible Internet website.
(7) Ninety days after December 31, 2025, or any updated
Federal deadline for the use of money under the American
Rescue Plan Act, whichever is later, issue a report to the
chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations
Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and minority
chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of
Representatives and shall post the report to the bureau's or
department's publicly accessible Internet website. The report
shall include the following information:
(i) The total amount of money received by eligible
EMS agencies.
(ii) The total amount of money spent by eligible EMS
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agencies for services.
(iii) An itemization of all expenditures for
administrative costs.
Section 104-I. Appropriation.
From the money received by the Commonwealth from the Federal
Government under the American Rescue Plan Act, the sum of
$50,000,000 is appropriated to the department for the purposes
of awarding grants under the program.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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