- Provides that the Office of State Fire Commissioner shall use the $250,000 directed in Act 74 of 2022 for a public safety campaign on the precautions of using fireworks. The office may use up to $50,000 for administrative costs. (Act 74- Fireworks Implementation)
- Provides that the Office of State Fire Commissioner administer capital grants in an amount totaling $500,000 as provided in Act 74 of 2022 to municipal and combination fire departments to be used for modernization of facilities that house equipment or vehicles, acquire or renovate structures to house equipment or vehicles or repair or purchase equipment. The office may use up to $50,000 for administrative costs. (Act 74- Fireworks Implementation)
- Provides that the Office of State Fire Commissioner administer capital grants in the amount totaling $500,000 as provided in Act 74 of 2022 for EMS training centers for modernization of facilities that house equipment or vehicles, acquire or renovate structures to house equipment or vehicles or repair or purchase equipment. The office may use up to $50,000 for administrative costs. (Act 74- Fireworks Implementation)
- Provides that the Office of State Fire Commissioner utilize $250,000 made available in Act 74 of 2022 for online training for firefighters. (Act 74- Fireworks Implementation)
- Provides for $500,000 made available in Act 74 of 2022 for reimbursement to bomb squads for the removal, transportation, storage and destruction of fireworks. The Office of State Fire Commissioner may utilize up to 3% of these funds for administrative costs. (Act 74- Fireworks Implementation)
- Provides $1,000,000 made available in Act 74 of 2022 for the Department of Health to provide scholarships to EMS providers who completed EMS training, reimburse EMS agencies for recruitment and retention cost and make available a pilot program for high school students to increase the number of individuals capable of becoming EMS providers. The department may use up to $50,000 for administrative costs. (Act 74- Fireworks Implementation)
- Provides for the Active Volunteer Tuition and Loan Assistance program. The program requires eligible participants to be an active volunteer at least one year prior to submitting an application, be enrolled in an approved institution of higher learning and commit to serving for five years after completing the approved educational program. Full-time student participants shall be eligible to receive $1,000 per academic year, and part-time students’ assistance shall be eligible for an amount not to exceed $500 per academic year. The legislation establishes the Active Volunteer Tuition and Loan Assistance Program Fund that receives $1,000,000 as provided in Act 74 of 2022. The Office of State Fire Commissioner may utilize an amount not exceeding 3.5% of dedicated funds for administrative costs. (HB 2725- Rep. Sainato, D-Lawrence/ Tuition & Loan Assistance/ fireworks implementation)
- Allows a governing body to expand the process by which a municipality may reject a tax credit claim to include adoption of a resolution. (HB 397- Rep. Owlett, R-Tioga/ tax credit against the property tax of active volunteers of a fire or EMS company.)
- Requires the Office of State Fire Commissioner to develop a fire and emergency services training and education certification management system. The system must also incorporate training records and allow a trainee to download and print a certificate of completion. The system shall provide access to all available training courses through an internet website. A fee of not more than $1 per course may be established to be used for administration within the office. (SB 1265- Sen. Stefano, R-Fayette/ Fire Registry)
- Increases the maximum grant awards to fire companies from the Fire Company Grant program from $15,000 to $20,000 per fire company. It also increases, from 10 years to 20 years, the amount of time in which consolidated companies may receive grants amounts not exceeding the amount each company would have received before consolidation. The legislation provides that when a fire and EMS company consolidate, the consolidated entity may receive grant awards of not more than the amount received prior to consolidation for 20 years. (HB 1178- Rep. Knowles, R-Schuylkill)
- Increases the maximum grant awards to EMS companies from the Emergency Medical Services Grant program from $10,000 to $15,000 per EMS company. The legislation provides that when a fire and EMS company consolidate, the consolidated entity may receive grant awards of not more than the amount received prior to consolidation for 20 years. (HB 1178- Rep. Knowles, R-Schuylkill)
- Extends the date for the Fire Relief Formula Study being compiled by the State Fire Advisory Board until December 31, 2023.
- Extends the expiration date of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program from 2024 to 2029.
On October 26th, the House and Senate wrapped up the two-year, 2021-2022 legislative session and it was a very strong finish for the PA Fire Service. The legislature sent all of the remaining, fire service supported legislation to the Governor’s desk:
JR FIREFIGHTERS
SB 1027 – Sen. Stefano (R-Fayette)- This legislation proposes to allow a 17-year-old Junior Firefighter to attend and complete the Interior Firefighting Module with Live Burns and Vehicle Rescue Technician training programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Fire Training System. The intention is that once the Junior Firefighter turns 18 years old, they would then have the necessary training to be “interior qualified.” Rep. Torren Ecker’s (R-Abbottstown) HB 2268 was a companion piece of legislation to SB 1027, and while SB 1027 ultimately was the bill that got to the Governor’s desk, both Sen. Stefano and Rep. Ecker were leaders in supporting this effort. The House and Senate both passed SB 1027 and as of October 25th the legislation is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature into law.
FIRE & EMS OMNIBUS BILL
As time in the legislative session got short, and there were a lot of legislative issues to consider, the legislature condensed a variety of different legislative initiatives by amending them all into one bill. Ultimately, this bill was HB 397. It contains FASP’s major end-of-the-session legislative initiatives including the fireworks funding implementation from Act 74, which was passed this past July, tax credits for active first responders, and the establishment of a fire registry.
HB 397- Summary:
The legislature passed HB 397 on October 26th and it is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature into law.
MOVING FORWARD
The General Assembly will come back into session one final time, the House on November 14th and the Senate on November 15th, to officially close the legislative session and hold leadership elections for the next session. The General Assembly will then reconvene in January to begin the 2023-2024 legislative session.