Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 13, 2022 11:11 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Patrick J. Stefano |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Fire Relief Fix |
| For years, volunteer fire companies throughout the Commonwealth have relied upon State Fire Relief funding to help pay for important safety and health programming (including life insurance), personnel protective equipment, and vehicles.. Over the past decade, there have been major fluctuations in the amount of funds that fire companies receive from Fire Relief, which is funded through a Foreign Casualty Insurance tax. These fluctuations have made it very difficult for fire companies when it comes to planning and budget purposes. In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that will help ensure that a baseline amount of funds are going to Fire Relief. Specifically, my legislation would amend the Tax Reform Code by depositing all Insurance Premium Taxes into the General Fund and then transferring a fixed percentage with a baseline floor amount of the total revenue to Fire Relief Fund and the Municipal Pension Aid Fund. This change guarantees the Fire Relief and Municipal Pension Funds a specific funding amount each fiscal year to protect against unforeseen declining revenues and provides greater transfer amounts with the fixed percentage when Insurance premium receipts increase. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation which is supported by the PA Fire & Emergency Services Institute. The PA Department of Revenue is working with me on this issue and is also supportive of these changes. |