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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY SWANGER, BARRAR, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GROVE, HORNAMAN, JOSEPHS, KILLION, MARSICO, MICOZZIE, MILLER, MURPHY, MURT, PETRI, RAPP, READSHAW, ROSS, TALLMAN, VULAKOVICH AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania |
2 | Consolidated Statutes, providing for volunteer quick response |
3 | services grant program. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby enacts as follows: |
6 | Section 1. Chapter 78 heading of Title 35 of the |
7 | Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, added November 23, 2010 |
8 | (P.L.1181, No.118), is amended to read: |
9 | CHAPTER 78 |
10 | GRANTS TO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES, |
11 | VOLUNTEER QUICK RESPONSE SERVICES |
12 | AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES |
13 | Section 2. Section 7801 of Title 35, added November 23, 2010 |
14 | (P.L.1181, No.118), is amended to read: |
15 | § 7801. Scope of chapter. |
16 | This chapter relates to grants to volunteer fire companies, |
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1 | volunteer quick response services and volunteer ambulance |
2 | services. |
3 | Section 3. Section 7802 of Title 35, added November 23, 2010 |
4 | (P.L.1181, No.118), is amended by adding a definition to read: |
5 | § 7802. Definitions. |
6 | The following words and phrases when used in this chapter |
7 | shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
8 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
9 | * * * |
10 | "Volunteer quick response service." Any nonprofit chartered |
11 | corporation, association or organization located in this |
12 | Commonwealth which is recognized by the Pennsylvania Department |
13 | of Health and which is regularly engaged in responding to |
14 | emergencies and providing emergency medical services pending the |
15 | arrival of ambulance service personnel. |
16 | * * * |
17 | Section 4. Sections 7831 and 7833 of Title 35, added |
18 | November 23, 2010 (P.L.1181, No.118), are amended to read: |
19 | § 7831. Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program and Volunteer |
20 | Quick Response Service Program. |
21 | The sum of $22,000,000 of the amount appropriated to the |
22 | agency for volunteer company grants under section 225 of the act |
23 | of March 20, 2003 (P.L.463, No.1A), known as the General |
24 | Appropriation Act of 2003, shall be expended for the purpose of |
25 | making grants to eligible volunteer fire companies under |
26 | Subchapter B (relating to volunteer fire company grant program) |
27 | and to eligible volunteer quick response services under |
28 | Subchapter E (relating to volunteer quick response service grant |
29 | program). |
30 | § 7833. Allocation of appropriated funds. |
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1 | (a) Prohibition.--No money from the appropriation for |
2 | volunteer company grants shall be used for expenses or costs |
3 | incurred by the agency for the administration of the grant |
4 | programs authorized under Subchapters B (relating to volunteer |
5 | fire company grant program) [and], C (relating to volunteer |
6 | ambulance service grant program) and E (relating to volunteer |
7 | quick response service grant program). |
8 | (b) Grant allocation.--Unless otherwise expressly stated, |
9 | money appropriated to the agency for purposes of volunteer |
10 | company grants shall be allocated as follows: |
11 | (1) Eighty-eight percent of the amount appropriated |
12 | shall be used for making grants to eligible volunteer fire |
13 | companies under Subchapter B and to eligible volunteer quick |
14 | response services under Subchapter E. |
15 | (2) Twelve percent of the amount appropriated shall be |
16 | used for making grants to eligible volunteer ambulance |
17 | companies under Subchapter C. |
18 | Section 5. Chapter 78 of Title 35 is amended by adding a |
19 | subchapter to read: |
20 | SUBCHAPTER D.1 |
21 | VOLUNTEER QUICK RESPONSE |
22 | SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM |
23 | Sec. |
24 | 7839.1. Establishment. |
25 | 7839.2. Publication and notice. |
26 | 7839.3. Award of grants. |
27 | § 7839.1. Establishment. |
28 | The Volunteer Quick Response Service Grant Program is hereby |
29 | established and shall be administered by the agency. Grants |
30 | provided under this program shall be used to improve and enhance |
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1 | the capabilities of the volunteer quick response services to |
2 | provide quick response services. |
3 | § 7839.2. Publication and notice. |
4 | The agency shall submit notice of the grant program |
5 | availability through the Legislative Reference Bureau for |
6 | publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin: |
7 | (1) within 30 days of the effective date of this section |
8 | for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2011, and July 1, |
9 | 2012; and |
10 | (2) by August 8 for fiscal years beginning after June |
11 | 30, 2013. |
12 | § 7839.3. Award of grants. |
13 | (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make |
14 | a grant award to each eligible volunteer quick response service |
15 | for the following: |
16 | (1) Construction and renovation of the volunteer quick |
17 | response service's facility and purchase or repair of |
18 | fixtures, furnishings, office equipment and support services |
19 | necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the quick |
20 | response service to provide quick response services. |
21 | (2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof. |
22 | (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2). |
23 | (4) Training and certification of members. |
24 | (b) Limits.-- |
25 | (1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more |
26 | than $10,000 per volunteer quick response service. |
27 | (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the |
28 | total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the |
29 | amount of funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this |
30 | purpose. |
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1 | (3) If two or more volunteer quick response services |
2 | consolidated their use of equipment, personnel and services |
3 | within five years preceding the date of the current year |
4 | application submission deadline, the consolidated entity |
5 | shall be deemed eligible to receive a grant not to exceed the |
6 | amount of the combined total for which the individual |
7 | companies would have been eligible had they not consolidated. |
8 | (c) Time for filing application and department action.-- |
9 | (1) Within 30 days of the effective date of this |
10 | paragraph for the fiscal years commencing July 1, 2011, and |
11 | July 1, 2012, and by September 1 of each year thereafter, the |
12 | agency shall provide written instructions for grants under |
13 | this chapter to the president of every volunteer quick |
14 | response service in this Commonwealth. |
15 | (2) Within 45 days of the effective date of this |
16 | paragraph for the fiscal years commencing July 1, 2011, and |
17 | July 1, 2012, and by September 8 of each year, the agency |
18 | shall provide applications to the president of every |
19 | volunteer quick response service. The application for the |
20 | fiscal years commencing July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, shall |
21 | be a combined application. Volunteer ambulance services |
22 | seeking grants under this subchapter shall submit completed |
23 | applications to the agency. The application period shall |
24 | remain open for 45 days each year. The agency shall act to |
25 | approve or disapprove applications within 60 days of the |
26 | application submission deadline each year. Applications which |
27 | have not been approved or disapproved by the agency within 60 |
28 | days after the close of the application period each year |
29 | shall be deemed approved. |
30 | Section 6. Sections 7841 and 7842 of Title 35, added |
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1 | November 23, 2010 (P.L.1181, No.118), are amended to read: |
2 | § 7841. Expiration of authority. |
3 | The authority of the agency to award grants under Subchapters |
4 | B (relating to volunteer fire company grant program) [and], C |
5 | (relating to volunteer ambulance service grant program) and |
6 | (D.1) (relating to volunteer quick response service grant |
7 | program) shall expire June 30, 2012. |
8 | § 7842. Special provisions. |
9 | (a) Claim.--An applicant for a grant under this chapter who |
10 | failed to return a signed agreement for the preceding year shall |
11 | not be permitted to apply for a grant in the current year unless |
12 | the applicant has provided the commissioner with a reasonable |
13 | written explanation as to why it did not claim its grant. |
14 | (b) Delinquency.--An applicant for a grant under this |
15 | chapter who is delinquent in loan payments to the Pennsylvania |
16 | Volunteer Loan Assistance Program established under the act of |
17 | July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire |
18 | Company, Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, |
19 | shall agree to use its grant funds to pay any arrears to the |
20 | Commonwealth or it will not be qualified to receive a grant. Any |
21 | organization agreeing to this arrangement who fails to make the |
22 | payment to the Commonwealth shall be disqualified from applying |
23 | to the grant program for a period of three years. |
24 | (c) Demonstration.--An applicant for a grant under this |
25 | chapter must demonstrate that it complied with all of the terms |
26 | of its grant agreement in the previous year regarding the use of |
27 | the grant money it received in previous years or it shall not be |
28 | eligible to receive a grant in the current year. |
29 | (d) Approval.--An applicant shall not be approved for a |
30 | grant to be used for purposes other than those stated in section |
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1 | 7813(a) (relating to award of grants) [or], 7823(a) (relating to |
2 | award of grants) or 7839.3(a) (relating to award of grants). |
3 | Section 7. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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