PRINTER'S NO. 971

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

759

Session of

2019

INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, MUTH, BAKER, COSTA AND SCHWANK,

JUNE 13, 2019

REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,

Program; imposing duties on the State Fire Commissioner; and

making an appropriation.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 73 of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:

Sec.

7391. Scope of subchapter.

7398. Regulations.

7399. Expiration of authority.

§ 7391. Scope of subchapter.

This subchapter relates to student volunteer firefighter

housing grants.

§ 7392. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter

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

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Commissioner." The State Fire Commissioner of the

Commonwealth.

"Emergency medical service company." As follows:

(1) A nonprofit chartered corporation, association or

organization that:

(i) is located in this Commonwealth;

(ii) is licensed by the Department of Health;

(iii) is not associated or affiliated with a

hospital; and

(iv) is regularly engaged in the provision of

emergency medical services, including basic life support,

advanced life support services and advanced life support

or organization that is primarily engaged in the operation of

invalid coaches intended for the routine transport of persons

who are convalescent or otherwise nonambulatory and do not

ordinarily require emergency medical treatment while in

transit.

"Full-time basis." As defined in 22 Pa. Code § 121.1

(relating to definitions), except for purposes of the Federal

Stafford Loan and Federal PLUS Loan Programs.

"Grant program." The Student Volunteer Firefighter Housing

Grant Program established by this subchapter.

"Institution of higher education." As defined in section

transit. The vehicle shall not be considered an ambulance or

emergency medical services vehicle.

"Local program." A program established by a volunteer fire

company or an emergency medical services company to:

(1) Construct or renovate a facility to house eligible

students.

(2) Enroll and enter into contractual agreements with

students.

(3) House eligible students.

(4) Monitor and enforce eligible students' compliance

program.

"Student." A student who is a resident of this Commonwealth

and enrolled at an institution of higher education on a full-

time basis.

"Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,

association or organization located in this Commonwealth that

provides fire protection or rescue services and may offer other

voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary

emergency services provided by a volunteer fire company may

include voluntary emergency medical services.

§ 7393. Grant program.

for students in order to increase student membership in

sponsoring companies to maintain and improve the current level

of firefighting and rescue services and emergency medical

services.

(c) Applications.--A sponsoring company must submit an

application to the agency for a grant in a manner and a form to

be established by the commissioner. The application shall

include a certificate of occupancy issued for the housing units

and a written copy of the local program.

(d) Contents of local program.--A local program shall

compliance with relevant Federal, State and local building

codes.

(2) A requirement that an eligible student has completed

and received certification from:

(i) the Pennsylvania Fire Academy, or one of its

delegated authorities, for Firefighter I, II or III, Fire

Officer I or II or Fire Instructor I or II; or

(ii) the Department of Health, for certification as

an emergency medical technician.

(3) A contractual agreement in which a student agrees

to:

during vacation periods and other periods between

semesters;

(iii) comply with the requirement for providing

certain types of service and a minimum number of hours of

service, that on average equals 30 hours per week, and

any conditions for any time extension or modification of

the type of service, as determined by the agreement;

(iv) pay an amount equal to the total value of the

services, as determined by the agreement, if the eligible

student does not provide the types and minimum number of

with the sponsoring company in a review of the nature and

hours of service rendered by the eligible student by the

sponsoring company to determine compliance with the

minimum service requirement.

(4) A description of the remedies and procedures

contained in the agreement whereby the sponsoring company may

seek to recover the value of the hours of service not

provided by an eligible student, including any time

extensions for complying with the service requirements.

(5) A description of the manner in which the value of an

hour of service is determined.

construction of a new facility and renovation of an existing

facility owned by the sponsoring company for the housing of

eligible students.

(b) Second grants.--A sponsoring company shall be eligible

to apply for and receive one grant under the grant program. An

application from a sponsoring company for a second grant to

expand its local program may be submitted in any year following

the year when the initial grant was received and shall require

an additional showing to the satisfaction of the commissioner

that the initial grant received by the sponsoring company

(1) The maximum amount of a grant shall not exceed

$50,000. The total amount of grants awarded per fiscal year

shall not exceed $2,500,000.

(2) If the applications for a grant exceed the total

amount of funding for the program, the amount of the grant

shall not be reduced pro rata, and the total number of grants

awarded shall be accordingly reduced.

(d) Local program required.--The commissioner may award a

grant only to a sponsoring company that has established and

submitted to the commissioner a local program with its

application.

the receipt of the grant. The initial annual report shall be

submitted one year following the receipt of the grant and on

that date for the two subsequent years.

(2) The annual report shall include information as the

commissioner deems necessary to determine the effectiveness

of the grant program and shall include the number of eligible

students who participated, the number of students who did not

comply with the minimum service hour requirements and the

measures undertaken by the sponsoring company.

(b) Duty of commissioner.--The commissioner shall prepare

of the program to maintain and increase the number of volunteer

fire company members and volunteer emergency medical service

company members and the overall operation of the program. The

report shall include a statement as to whether the commissioner

recommends reenactment of the grant program.

§ 7396. Publication and notice.

The commissioner shall file notice of the grant program's

availability through the Legislative Reference Bureau for

publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin:

(1) within 90 days of the effective date of this section

for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019; and

(b) Continuing nature.--This appropriation shall be a

continuing appropriation and shall not lapse until the close of

the fiscal year on June 30, 2024, when the remaining unspent and

unencumbered funds shall lapse back to the General Fund.

(c) Restriction on use.--No money from the appropriation for

grants shall be used for expenses or costs incurred by the

commissioner for the administration of the grant program under

this subchapter.

§ 7398. Regulations.

The commissioner shall:

publish interim regulations to carry out the purposes of this

subchapter within 90 days of the effective date of this

section. The interim regulations shall not be subject to the

act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the

Commonwealth Attorneys Act, or the act of June 25, 1982

(P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act. The

interim regulations shall expire 18 months following the

effective date of this section or when final regulations are

promulgated, whichever occurs first. Final regulations shall

be promulgated no later than 18 months following the

effective date of this section.