Pennsylvania Act 1995-55 — VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, AMBULANCE SERVICE AND RESCUE SQUAD ASSISTANCE ACT - AMEND

Act text

Session of 1995

No. 1995-55

HB 267

AN ACT

Amending the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, No.208), entitled, as amended, "An act authorizing the indebtedness, with the approval of the electors, of fifty million dollars for loans to volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance services and volunteer rescue squads for the purpose of establishing or modernizing facilities to house fire fighting apparatus equipment, ambulances, and rescue vehicles, and for purchasing new fire fighting apparatus equipment, ambulances, and rescue vehicles, protective and communications equipment, and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper performance of such organizations' duties," adding a definition; and further providing for the purposes for which loans may be made.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 3 of the act of July 15, 1976 (P.L.1036, No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company, Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, is amended by adding a definition to read:

Section 3. Definitions.--As used in this act:

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"Establishing," in the context of establishing or modernizing facilities, means both the construction of new buildings and the acquisition or renovation of existing structures.

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Section 2. Section 4(a)(1) and (d) of the act, amended June 13, 1980 (P.L.217, No.65) and March 5, 1992 (P.L.6, No.4), are amended to read:

Section 4. Assistance to Volunteer Fire Companies, Ambulance Service and Rescue Squads.--(a) The department is hereby authorized, upon application of any volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance service and volunteer rescue squad, to make loans to said volunteer companies for the following purposes:

(1) Establishing or modernizing facilities that house fire fighting equipment, ambulance or rescue vehicles. The amount of a loan for establishing or modernizing facilities made to any one volunteer fire company, ambulance service or rescue squad shall not exceed 50% of the total cost of the facilities or modernization or $200,000, whichever is less, and a notarized financial statement filed under subsection (c) shall show that the applicant has available 20% of the total cost of the facilities in unobligated funds. Proceeds of the loan shall be used only for purposes of structure or land acquisition or renovation or construction, and shall not be used for payment of fees for design, planning, preparation of applications, or any other cost not directly attributable to structure or land acquisition or renovation or construction.

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(d) Loans under this act shall be used for the acquisition by volunteer companies of new or used apparatus equipment, new or used ambulances, new or used rescue vehicles, new or used communications equipment, new or used accessory equipment or new or used protective equipment, or for the acquisition and renovation of existing structures to house fire fighting equipment, ambulance or rescue vehicles or construction or modernization of facilities and except as provided in subsection (a)(4), shall not be used for operating expenses or for the refinancing of renovated structures, refinancing of construction or modernization of facilities, apparatus equipment, communication equipment, accessory equipment, nor except as provided in subsection (a)(4) shall under this act be made or used to reduce any debt or other obligations issued prior to the effective date of this act.

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Section 3. This act shall be retroactive to July 1, 1993.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 31st day of October, A. D. 1995.

THOMAS J. RIDGE