Regular Session 2019-2020 House Bill 2435 P.N. 3611

PRINTER'S NO. 3611

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2435

Session of

2020

INTRODUCED BY KOSIEROWSKI, ULLMAN, DRISCOLL, FLYNN, PASHINSKI,

WILLIAMS, SCHWEYER, FREEMAN, KENYATTA, GALLOWAY, HOWARD,

SANCHEZ, DERMODY, FRANKEL, CIRESI, MADDEN AND MALAGARI,

APRIL 24, 2020

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,

APRIL 24, 2020

AN ACT

Amending Title 3 (Agriculture) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes, providing for Food Establishment Personal

Protective Equipment Reimbursement Grant Program.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Part IX of Title 3 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:

CHAPTER 112

FOOD ESTABLISHMENT PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENT REIMBURSEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

Sec.

11201. Scope of chapter.

11202. Legislative intent.

11203. Definitions.

11204. Program.

11205. Application and award process.

11206. Funding.

§ 11201. Scope of chapter.

This chapter establishes the Food Establishment Personal

Protective Equipment Reimbursement Grant Program.

§ 11202. Legislative intent.

It is the intent of the General Assembly to establish a

reimbursement grant program under which food establishments may

obtain reimbursement of some portion of the costs incurred in

purchasing personal protective equipment for use by its

employees.

§ 11203. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Eligible PPE costs." Costs that are both:

(1) incurred by a food establishment in purchasing PPE

for use by its employees; and

(2) paid by the applicant food establishment during the

period specified in the standards and requirements for the

program as published by the department.

"Food establishment." As defined in section 5722 (relating

to definitions).

"Food Safety Act." Subchapter B of Chapter 57 (relating to

food safety).

"Person." An individual, partnership, association, firm,

corporation or any other legal entity.

"Personal protective equipment" or "PPE." Gloves,

respirators, face masks, gowns, face shields and other

protective equipment designed to be worn by individuals to

prevent or contain contact with, or to prevent transmission of,

a communicable illness or the pathogens that cause communicable

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illness.

"Program." The Food Establishment Personal Protective

Equipment Reimbursement Grant Program established under section

11204 (relating to program).

§ 11204. Program.

(a) Availability.--Grants under this chapter shall only be

offered in a fiscal year in which funding is made available to

the department. The following apply:

(1) If funding is exhausted or otherwise unavailable,

the department shall be under no obligation to provide grants

under this chapter.

(2) The standards and requirements for the program shall

be established by order of the secretary. The secretary shall

transmit this order to the Legislative Reference Bureau for

publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

(3) Grant money may be prorated or offered as a

percentage of actual costs, as determined by the department,

and set forth in the order under paragraph (2), to spread

available money to a larger number of grant recipients.

(b) Grant limitations.--In addition to any limitation placed

upon grants in the published standards and requirements for the

program referenced under subsection (a)(2), the following shall

apply:

(1) Grant funds shall only be used to reimburse eligible

PPE costs. The amount of reimbursement shall be based on

eligible PPE costs incurred by an approved applicant during

any fiscal year, or portion of the costs, in which grants are

offered.

(2) Grant reimbursement money shall not exceed the

lesser of 50% of the eligible PPE purchase costs or a lower

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amount consistent with the published standards and

requirements for the program described in subsection (a).

(3) Grant money may not be used to reimburse any portion

of the eligible PPE costs which are being paid or reimbursed

under another Federal or State grant program.

is registered with the department in accordance with the Food

Safety Act is eligible to apply for a grant under the program.

§ 11205. Application and award process.

(a) Application procedure.--A food establishment that

desires to receive a program grant shall submit a grant

application on a form provided by the department, unless

otherwise prescribed in the published standards and requirements

for the program described in section 11204 (relating to

program). The department may, in the referenced standards and

requirements, require that all applicants submit applications

via an online application system and provide the details of this

online application process.

(b) Application contents.--The application shall contain the

following information and other information as required by the

department:

(1) The applicant's name, business address and contact

information.

(2) A detailed statement of the PPE costs, which must

include copies of paid invoices clearly identifying the items

purchased in enough detail to demonstrate the items are PPE.

(3) Other information as the department may reasonably

require.

applicants in accordance with this chapter and the applicable

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program standards and requirements.

§ 11206. Funding.

The department shall use money as appropriated by the General

Assembly for grants under this chapter and may also use any

other money that is made available to the department for grants

under this chapter, by Federal appropriation, State

appropriation, donation or from any other source.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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