PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 151 PRINTER'S NO. 1629
No. 5 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BOYES, SOLOBAY, SAYLOR, DeLUCA, ALLEN, ARGALL,
ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, J. BAKER, BARD, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-
JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, CAPPABIANCA, CASORIO,
CIVERA, CLYMER, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, CREIGHTON, CURRY,
DAILEY, DALLY, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FLICK,
FORCIER, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GODSHALL, GORDNER, GRUCELA,
HALUSKA, HARHAI, HASAY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY,
HUTCHINSON, JADLOWIEC, KREBS, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LEH,
LESCOVITZ, LEVDANSKY, LEWIS, LYNCH, MARSICO, MAYERNIK,
McCALL, McILHATTAN, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER,
S. MILLER, NAILOR, ORIE, PETRARCA, PETRONE, PHILLIPS,
RAYMOND, ROSS, RUFFING, SANTONI, SATHER, SCHRODER, SCRIMENTI,
SHANER, S. H. SMITH, STABACK, STEELMAN, STERN, T. STEVENSON,
SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO,
WANSACZ, WASHINGTON, WATSON, J. WILLIAMS, C. WILLIAMS, WILT,
WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT, YUDICHAK, ZUG, EACHUS, McGILL,
YOUNGBLOOD, PIPPY AND SAINATO, JANUARY 24, 2001
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED,
APRIL 23, 2001
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies and
2 volunteer ambulance services; AND MAKING APPROPRIATIONS. <--
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 CHAPTER 1
6 PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
7 Section 101. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
9 Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Act.
1 Section 102. Definitions.
2 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
3 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
4 context clearly indicates otherwise:
5 "Advanced life support services." The term shall have the
6 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
7 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
8 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
9 "Basic life support services." The term shall have the
10 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
11 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
12 "Commissioner." The State Fire Commissioner.
13 "Facility." A structure or portion thereof intended for the
14 purpose of storage or protection of firefighting apparatus,
15 ambulances and rescue vehicles and related equipment and gear.
16 The term does not include meeting halls, social halls, social
17 rooms, lounges or any other facility not directly related to
18 firefighting or the furnishing of ambulance or rescue services.
19 "Grant program." The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program
20 established in Chapter 3 or the Volunteer Ambulance Service
21 Grant Program established in Chapter 5.
22 "Invalid coach." The term shall have the meaning given to it
23 in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the
24 Emergency Medical Services Act.
25 "Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered
26 corporation, association or organization located in this
27 Commonwealth, WHICH IS LICENSED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT <--
28 OF HEALTH AND IS not associated or affiliated with any volunteer <--
29 fire company or hospital and which is regularly engaged in the
30 provision of emergency medical services, including basic life
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1 support or advanced life support services and the transportation
2 of patients. The term shall not include any corporation,
3 association or organization that is primarily engaged in the
4 operation of invalid coaches which are intended for the routine
5 transport of persons who are convalescent or otherwise
6 nonambulatory and do not ordinarily require emergency medical
7 treatment while in transit.
8 "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
9 association or organization located in this Commonwealth which
10 provides fire protection OR RESCUE services and which may offer <--
11 other voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth.
12 Voluntary emergency services provided by a volunteer fire
13 company may include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue
14 services.
15 "VOLUNTEER RESCUE COMPANY." A NONPROFIT CHARTERED <--
16 CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION OR ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES RESCUE
17 SERVICES AS PART OF THE RESPONSE TO FIRES AND/OR VEHICLE
18 ACCIDENTS.
19 CHAPTER 3
20 VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY GRANT PROGRAM
21 Section 301. Establishment.
22 The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program is hereby
23 established and shall be administered by the agency in
24 consultation with the commissioner. Grants provided under this
25 program shall be used to improve and enhance the capabilities of
26 the volunteer fire company to provide firefighting, ambulance
27 and rescue services.
28 Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
29 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
30 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
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1 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
2 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
3 Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin within 30 days of the effective
4 date of this act.
5 Section 303. Award of grants.
6 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
7 a one-time grant award to each eligible volunteer fire company
8 for the following:
9 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the fire company's
10 facility and purchase or repair of fixtures and furnishings
11 necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
12 company to provide fire, ambulance and rescue services.
13 (2) Repair of firefighting, ambulance or rescue
14 equipment or purchase thereof.
15 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
16 (4) TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF MEMBERS. <--
17 (b) Limits.--
18 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall be
19 not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per volunteer
20 fire company.
21 (2) Grants shall MAY be awarded on a pro rata basis if <--
22 the total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
23 amount of funds allocated in section 701.
24 (3) In a municipality where there are two or more
25 volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
26 consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
27 services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
28 this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
29 created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
30 consolidated.
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1 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
2 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
3 under this act to the fire chief and president of every
4 volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
5 7 31, 2001. <--
6 (2) Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
7 act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
8 before September 1 NOVEMBER 30, 2001. The agency shall act to <--
9 approve or disapprove the application by October 4, 2001 <--
10 MARCH 1, 2002. Applications which have not been approved or <--
11 disapproved by the agency by October 4, 2001 MARCH 1, 2002, <--
12 shall be deemed approved.
13 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2001, <--
14 deadline shall be accepted by the agency and grants may be
15 awarded, at the discretion of the agency, from the reserve
16 fund set aside under section 304.
17 (d) Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this act, a
18 volunteer fire company shall have actively responded to one or
19 more fire OR RESCUE emergencies since July 1, 2000 2001, AND <--
20 MUST SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE
21 PENNSYLVANIA FIRE INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM WHICH IS
22 ADMINISTERED BY THE AGENCY.
23 Section 304. Reserve funds. <--
24 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
25 of the funds allocated in section 701 for the grant program
26 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
27 grants to volunteer fire companies that submit applications
28 after September 1, 2001, that would have otherwise been
29 eligible for and been awarded a grant under the grant
30 program.
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1 (2) No volunteer fire company may receive a grant from
2 reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that it
3 would have received had it applied in a timely manner.
4 Section 305 304. Consolidation incentive. <--
5 If, after the effective date of this act, two or more
6 volunteer fire companies consolidate their use of facilities,
7 equipment, firefighters and services, the consolidated entity
8 may, upon notification of the agency, be eligible for a
9 reduction of the interest rate payable on any outstanding
10 principal balance owed, as of the date of consolidation, by any
11 or all of the consolidating companies to the Volunteer Companies
12 Loan Fund for loans made under the act of July 15, 1976
13 (P.L.1036, No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company,
14 Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act. The reduction
15 in the interest rate payable shall be from 2% to 1%. Upon
16 receipt of such notification, the agency, in conjunction with
17 the State Fire Commissioner, shall determine and verify that the
18 consolidated entity is in fact a bona fide consolidated
19 volunteer fire company. If the agency determines that the
20 consolidated entity is a bona fide consolidated volunteer fire
21 company, it shall reduce the interest rate payable on any
22 outstanding principal balance owed to the Volunteer Companies
23 Loan Fund for loans made under the Volunteer Fire Company,
24 Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, for which the
25 consolidating companies or the consolidated entity may be
26 individually or jointly responsible. The agency may promulgate
27 such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the
28 provisions of this section.
29 CHAPTER 5
30 VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM
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1 Section 501. Establishment.
2 The Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program is hereby
3 established and shall be administered by the agency. Grants
4 provided under this program shall be used to improve and enhance
5 the capabilities of the volunteer ambulance services to provide
6 ambulance, emergency medical, basic life support and advanced
7 life support services.
8 Section 502. Guidelines and procedures.
9 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
10 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
11 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
12 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
13 Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin within 30 days of the effective
14 date of this act.
15 Section 503. Award of grants.
16 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
17 a one-time grant award to each eligible volunteer ambulance
18 service for the following:
19 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the volunteer
20 ambulance service's facility and purchase or repair of
21 fixtures and furnishings, FURNISHINGS, OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND <--
22 SUPPORT SERVICES necessary to maintain or improve the
23 capability of the ambulance service to provide ambulance,
24 emergency medical, basic life support and advanced life
25 support services.
26 (2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof.
27 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
28 (4) TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF MEMBERS. <--
29 (b) Limits.--
30 (1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more
20010H0005B1629 - 7 -
1 than $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service.
2 (2) Grants shall MAY be awarded on a pro rata basis if <--
3 the total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
4 amount of funds allocated in section 702.
5 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
6 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
7 under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
8 service in this Commonwealth on or before July 7 31, 2001. <--
9 (2) Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
10 this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
11 agency on or before September 1 NOVEMBER 30, 2001. The agency <--
12 shall act to approve or disapprove the application by October <--
13 4, 2001 MARCH 1, 2002. Applications which have not been <--
14 approved or disapproved by the agency by October 4, 2001 <--
15 MARCH 1, 2002, shall be deemed approved. <--
16 (3) Applications submitted after the September 1, 2001, <--
17 deadline shall be accepted by the agency and grants may be
18 awarded, at the discretion of the agency, from the reserve
19 fund set aside under section 504.
20 Section 504. Reserve funds.
21 (1) The agency shall reserve an amount not to exceed 3%
22 of the funds allocated in section 702 for the grant program
23 established under this chapter for the purposes of awarding
24 grants to volunteer ambulance services that submit
25 applications after September 1, 2001, that would have
26 otherwise been eligible for and been awarded a grant under
27 the grant program.
28 (2) No volunteer ambulance service may receive a grant
29 from reserve funds in an amount greater than the amount that
30 it would have received had it applied in a timely manner.
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1 CHAPTER 7
2 GRANT FUNDING PROVISIONS
3 Section 701. Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program.
4 The sum of $35,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
5 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
6 Management Agency for the purpose of making grants to eligible
7 volunteer fire companies pursuant to Chapter 3.
8 Section 702. Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program.
9 The sum of $5,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
10 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
11 Management Agency for the purpose of making grants to eligible
12 volunteer ambulance services pursuant to Chapter 5.
13 Section 703. Restriction. <--
14 No moneys from the appropriation for grants to volunteer fire
15 companies and volunteer ambulance companies authorized under
16 this act shall be used
17 SECTION 703. AGENCY FUNDING. <--
18 THE SUM OF $100,000, OR AS MUCH THEREOF AS MAY BE NECESSARY,
19 IS HEREBY APPROPRIATED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
20 AGENCY for expenses or costs incurred by the agency for the
21 administration of the grant programs authorized under Chapters 3
22 and 5.
23 CHAPTER 9
24 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
25 Section 901. Expiration of authority.
26 The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapters 3
27 and 5 shall expire June 30, 2002.
28 Section 902. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect July 1, 2001, or immediately,
30 whichever is later.
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