Pennsylvania Act 2004-80 — VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT ACT - AWARD OF GRANTS, EXPENSES INCURRED BY PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND ALLOCATION OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS

Act text

VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT ACT - AWARD
 OF GRANTS, EXPENSES INCURRED BY PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
                   AND ALLOCATION OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS
                  Act of Jul. 15, 2004, P.L. 712, No. 80              Cl. 35
                             Session of 2004
                               No. 2004-80

     HB 2433

                                  AN ACT

     Amending the act of July 31, 2003 (P.L.73, No.17), entitled "An
        act establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies
        and volunteer ambulance services; and providing for grant
        funding," further providing for award of grants, for expenses
        incurred by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; and
        providing for allocation of appropriated funds.

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

        Section 1.  Sections 303, 503, 703, 901 and 902 of the act of
     July 31, 2003 (P.L.73, No.17), known as the Volunteer Fire
     Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Act, are amended
     to read:
      Section 303.  Award of grants.
        (a)  Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
     a [one-time] grant award to each eligible volunteer fire company
     for the following:
            (1)  Construction and/or renovation of the fire company's
        facility and purchase or repair of fixtures and furnishings
        necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
        company to provide fire, ambulance and rescue services.
            (2)  Repair of firefighting, ambulance or rescue
        equipment or purchase thereof.
            (3)  Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
            (4)  Training and certification of members.
        (b)  Limits.--
            (1)  Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall be
        not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per volunteer
        fire company.
            (2)  Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
        total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
        amount of funds [allocated in section 702] appropriated by
        the General Assembly for this purpose.
            (3)  In a municipality where there are two or more
        volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
        consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
        services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
        this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
        created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
        consolidated.
        (c)  Time for filing application and department action.--
            (1)  The agency shall provide applications for grants
        under this act to the fire chief and president of every
        volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
        31, [2003] 2004.
            (2)  Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
        act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
        before December 31, [2003] 2004. The agency shall act to
        approve or disapprove the application by May 1, [2004] 2005.
        Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by
        the agency by May 1, [2004] 2005, shall be deemed approved.
        (d)  Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this act, a
     volunteer fire company shall have actively responded to one or
     more fire or rescue emergencies since July 1, [2002] 2003, and
     must sign an agreement to actively participate in the
     Pennsylvania Fire Information Reporting System which is
     administered by the agency.
      Section 503.  Award of grants.
        (a)  Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
     a [one-time] grant award to each eligible volunteer ambulance
     service for the following:
            (1)  Construction and/or renovation of the volunteer
        ambulance service's facility and purchase or repair of
        fixtures, furnishings, office equipment and support services
        necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
        ambulance service to provide ambulance, emergency medical,
        basic life support and advanced life support services.
            (2)  Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof.
            (3)  Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
            (4)  Training and certification of members.
        (b)  Limits.--
            (1)  Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more
        than $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service.
            (2)  Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
        total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
        amount of funds [allocated in section 703] appropriated by
        the General Assembly for this purpose.
        (c)  Time for filing application and department action.--
            (1)  The agency shall provide applications for grants
        under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
        service in this Commonwealth on or before July 31, [2003]
        2004.
            (2)  Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
        this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
        agency on or before December 31, [2003] 2004. The agency
        shall act to approve or disapprove the application by May 1,
        [2004] 2005. Applications which have not been approved or
        disapproved by the agency by May 1, [2004] 2005, shall be
        deemed approved.
      Section 703.  [Prohibition] Allocation of appropriated funds.
        (a)  Prohibition.--No moneys from the appropriation for
     volunteer company grants [under section 225 of the act of March
     20, 2003 (P.L.463, No.1A), known as the General Appropriation
     Act of 2003,] shall be used for expenses or costs incurred by
     the agency for the administration of the grant programs
     authorized under Chapters 3 and 5.
        (b)  Grant allocation.--Unless otherwise expressly stated,
     moneys appropriated to the agency for purposes of volunteer
     company grants shall be allocated as follows:
            (1)  88% of the amount appropriated shall be used for
        making grants to eligible volunteer fire companies under
        Chapter 3.
            (2)  12% of the amount appropriated shall be used for
        making grants to eligible volunteer ambulance companies under
        Chapter 5.
      Section 901.  Expiration of authority.
        The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapters 3
     and 5 shall expire June 30, [2004] 2005.
      [Section 902.  Declaration.
        The General Assembly declares that this act satisfies the
     enabling legislation requirement contained in the appropriation
     to the agency for volunteer company grants under section 225 of
     the act of March 20, 2003 (P.L.463, No.1A), known as the General
     Appropriation Act of 2003, that no moneys from said
     appropriation may be expended until enabling legislation is
     enacted.]
        Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.

     APPROVED--The 15th day of July, A. D. 2004.

     EDWARD G. RENDELL