Bill Text: PA HB946 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishing a grant program for shared municipal services; conferring powers and duties upon the Department of Community and Economic Development; and making an appropriation.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-17 - Referred to COMMERCE [HB946 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB946-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1084
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 946 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY YUDICHAK, BRENNAN, FLECK, GIBBONS, GRUCELA, K. SMITH, MANN, PAYNE, SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, STABACK, VULAKOVICH AND WHITE, MARCH 17, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, MARCH 17, 2009
AN ACT
Establishing a grant program for shared municipal services;
conferring powers and duties upon the Department of Community
and Economic Development; and making an appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
CHAPTER 1
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
Section 101. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Shared
Municipal Services Grant Act.
Section 102. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Community and Economic
Development of the Commonwealth.
"Eligible municipality." A city of the first class, second
class, second class A or third class, township of the first
class or second class, borough or incorporated town located
within this Commonwealth.
"Grant program." The Shared Municipal Services Grant Program
established by this act.
"Shared service agreement." Any agreement, by contract,
between two or more municipalities whereby the municipalities
involved cooperatively share one or more public services.
"Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered
corporation, association or organization located in this
Commonwealth, not associated or affiliated with any volunteer
fire company or hospital and which is regularly engaged in the
provision of emergency medical services, including basic life
support or advanced life support services and the transportation
of patients. The term does not include any corporation,
association or organization that is primarily engaged in the
operation of invalid coaches which are intended for the routine
transport of persons who are convalescent or otherwise
nonambulatory and do not ordinarily require emergency medical
treatment while in transit.
"Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
association or organization located in this Commonwealth which
provides fire protection services and which may offer other
voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary
emergency services provided by a volunteer fire company may
include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue services.
CHAPTER 3
SHARED MUNICIPAL SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM
Section 301. Establishment.
The Shared Municipal Services Grant Program is established
and shall be administered by the department. Grants provided
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under this program shall be used to improve and enhance the
quality and reduce the cost of municipal services by providing
financial assistance for the sharing of services.
Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
The department shall promulgate the rules, regulations,
guidelines, procedures and all applications necessary to
implement the grant program. The department shall submit the
rules, regulations, guidelines, procedures and applications to
the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
Pennsylvania Bulletin and Pennsylvania Code within 90 days of
the effective date of this section.
Section 303. Award of grants.
(a) Authorization.--
(1) The department may make grant awards to an eligible
municipality for the purpose of providing financial
assistance for implementing a shared service agreement.
(2) Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent an
eligible municipality from using funds from a grant program
award for a shared service agreement for volunteer fire
company, volunteer ambulance or other emergency services.
(b) Limits.--
(1) No more than one grant award shall be provided for
each shared service agreement.
(2) Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent
any municipality from receiving the direct benefit of more
than one grant award, provided that municipality has entered
into more than one shared service agreement.
(c) Time for filing application and department action.--The
agency shall make available applications for grants under this
act to be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the fiscal
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year.
CHAPTER 11
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 1101. Appropriation.
The sum of $10,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
necessary, is appropriated to the Department of Community and
Economic Development for the fiscal year July 1, 2009, to June
30, 2010, to carry out the provisions of this act. No moneys
from this appropriation may be used for expenses or costs
incurred by the department for the administration of the grant
program.
Section 1102. Effective date.
This act shall take effect July 1, 2009, or immediately,
whichever is later.
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