HB 1719 — An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in disaster emergency assistance, further providing for legislative purpose, for definitions and for construction, establishing the Individual Property Disaster Assistance Fund, renaming the Public Disaster Assistance Grant Program and providing for definitions relating to Public Facilities Disaster Assistance Grant Program; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; making interfund transfers; and making editorial changes.

PRINTER'S NO.   2115

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1719
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY RUSNOCK, DAVIDSON, SANCHEZ, NEILSON, T. DAVIS,
        KHAN, WARREN, GIRAL, D. WILLIAMS, GREEN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
        CONKLIN, K.HARRIS AND INGLIS, JULY 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, JULY 10, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in disaster emergency assistance,
 3      further providing for legislative purpose, for definitions
 4      and for construction, establishing the Individual Property
 5      Disaster Assistance Fund, renaming the Public Disaster
 6      Assistance Grant Program and providing for definitions
 7      relating to Public Facilities Disaster Assistance Grant
 8      Program; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Emergency
 9      Management Agency; making interfund transfers; and making
10      editorial changes.
11      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12   hereby enacts as follows:
13      Section 1.    Section 7902 of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania
14   Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
15   § 7902.   Legislative purpose.
16      It is the purpose of this chapter to [create a program to]
17   provide assistance to persons, political subdivisions and
18   municipal authorities directly affected by natural disasters and
19   man-made disasters. Assistance will be limited to grants for
20   projects that do not qualify for Federal assistance to help
21   repair damages to public facilities[. Grants will be made
 1   available by the agency in a disaster emergency area only when a
 2   Presidential disaster declaration is not covering the area.] and
 3   individual properties.
 4      Section 2.    The definitions of "eligible loss" and "program"
 5   in section 7903 of Title 35 are amended to read:
 6   § 7903.    Definitions.
 7      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
 8   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 9   context clearly indicates otherwise:
10      * * *
11      "Eligible loss."       Damage to a public facility caused by a
12   natural disaster or man-made disaster in a disaster emergency
13   area.
14      * * *
15      ["Program."    The Public Disaster Assistance Grant Program
16   established under Subchapter B (relating to Public Disaster
17   Assistance Grant Program).]
18      * * *
19      Section 3.    Section 7904 of Title 35 is amended to read:
20   § 7904.    Construction.
21      Grants and other payments shall be made to persons, political
22   subdivisions or municipal authorities in a disaster emergency
23   area for which no Presidential disaster declaration has been
24   issued.
25      Section 4.    Chapter 79 of Title 35 is amended by adding a
26   subchapter to read:
27                                 SUBCHAPTER A.1
28                 INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY DISASTER ASSISTANCE
29   Sec.
30   7911.   Definitions.

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 1   7912.    Establishment of fund.
 2   7913.    General purpose of fund.
 3   7914.    Specific uses of fund money.
 4   7915.    Application process.
 5   7916.    Limitations.
 6   7917.    Administration.
 7   7918.    Fund sources.
 8   7919.    Operation of fund.
 9   § 7911.    Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
11   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Flood."    As defined in section 104 of the act of October 4,
14   1978 (P.L.851, No.166), known as the Flood Plain Management Act.
15      "Flood plain."       As defined in section 104 of the Flood Plain
16   Management Act.
17      "Fund."    The Individual Property Disaster Assistance Fund
18   established under section 7912 (relating to establishment of
19   fund).
20      "Municipality."       A county, city, borough, incorporated town,
21   township, home rule municipality, optional plan municipality,
22   optional charter municipality or similar general purpose unit of
23   government of this Commonwealth that may be created or
24   authorized by statute.
25   § 7912.    Establishment of fund.
26      The Individual Property Disaster Assistance Fund is
27   established within the State Treasury as a restricted revenue
28   account for use by the agency in accordance with this
29   subchapter.
30   § 7913.    General purpose of fund.

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 1      Subject to section 7914 (relating to specific uses of fund
 2   money), the agency shall use money in the fund to assist with
 3   the following:
 4             (1)   A disaster emergency declared by executive order or
 5      proclamation of the Governor in accordance with section
 6      7301(c) (relating to general authority of Governor).
 7             (2)   A local disaster emergency declared by the governing
 8      body of a political subdivision in accordance with section
 9      7501(b) (relating to general authority of political
10      subdivisions).
11   § 7914.    Specific uses of fund money.
12      (a)    Persons.--
13             (1)   Subject to paragraph (2), money in the fund shall be
14      made available to any person affected by a disaster emergency
15      or local disaster emergency described in section 7913
16      (relating to general purpose of fund).
17             (2)   In the case of a disaster emergency or local
18      disaster emergency described in section 7913 involving damage
19      to real property in this Commonwealth that is caused by a
20      flood:
21                   (i)    Money in the fund shall be made available to the
22             person owning the real property if:
23                          (A)   the real property is not located in a flood
24                   plain; and
25                          (B)   the person is not required to purchase flood
26                   insurance for the real property.
27                   (ii)    Money in the fund shall not be made available
28             to the person owning the real property if:
29                          (A)   the real property is located in a flood
30                   plain; and

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 1                          (B)   the person did not purchase required flood
 2                   insurance for the real property.
 3      (b)    Municipalities.--Money in the fund shall be made
 4   available to any municipality affected by a disaster emergency
 5   or local disaster emergency described in section 7913 that
 6   occurred within one year prior to the effective date of this
 7   subsection.
 8   § 7915.    Application process.
 9      (a)    Form.--
10             (1)   The agency shall develop an application form for
11      persons and municipalities to use to request money from the
12      fund.
13             (2)   The application form shall be posted on the publicly
14      accessible Internet website of the agency.
15      (b)    Information.--A completed application form under this
16   section must include the following information:
17             (1)   In the case of a person requesting money from the
18      fund:
19                   (i)    The name, location and contact information of
20             the person.
21                   (ii)    The location of the real property.
22                   (iii)    The date of the damage caused by the flood.
23                   (iv)    The amount of money requested.
24                   (v)    The specific purposes to be achieved as a result
25             of receiving the money requested.
26                   (vi)    Verification of eligibility to receive the
27             money requested.
28                   (vii)    Any other information or documentation
29             required by the agency.
30             (2)   In the case of a municipality requesting money from

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 1      the fund:
 2                   (i)     The name, location and contact information of
 3             the municipality.
 4                   (ii)    The areas of the municipality affected by the
 5             disaster or emergency.
 6                   (iii)    The specific circumstances that prompted the
 7             request for money from the fund.
 8                   (iv)    The date of the disaster or emergency.
 9                   (v)    The amount of money requested.
10                   (vi)    The specific purposes to be achieved as a
11             result of receiving the money requested.
12                   (vii)    Verification of eligibility to receive the
13             money requested.
14                   (viii)    Any other information or documentation
15             required by the agency.
16      (c)    Review and determination.--After receipt of a completed
17   application under subsection (b), the agency shall review the
18   submitted application and shall determine whether to award money
19   from the fund and, if so, the amount to be awarded.
20      (d)    Notice of determination.--The following apply to notice
21   of the determination under subsection (c):
22             (1)   The agency shall provide written notice to an
23      applicant of the award or denial, in whole or in part, of the
24      money requested.
25             (2)   Notice of the award of money shall include the
26      amount of the money awarded and any conditions or
27      restrictions on the use of the money.
28             (3)   Notice of the denial of money requested, in whole or
29      in part, shall include the reasons for the denial.
30   § 7916.    Limitations.

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 1      (a)    Disbursements.--Money from the fund shall be disbursed
 2   on a first-come, first-served basis determined by the agency and
 3   until all money in the fund is exhausted.
 4      (b)    Cap.--The agency may set a cap on the amount of money
 5   awarded from the fund.
 6      (c)    Conditions or restrictions.--The agency may set
 7   conditions or restrictions on the use of the money awarded from
 8   the fund.
 9   § 7917.    Administration.
10      The agency shall implement any necessary policy or procedure
11   to administer this subchapter.
12   § 7918.    Fund sources.
13      (a)    Appropriation.--Money shall be appropriated by the
14   General Assembly to the fund for the purposes of this
15   subchapter.
16      (b)    Other sources.--
17             (1)   The agency may solicit and accept money from other
18      sources, including State appropriations, Federal money,
19      grants, donations, gifts and other payments from any source.
20             (2)   Money from the other sources shall be deposited into
21      the fund.
22   § 7919.    Operation of fund.
23      (a)    Continuing basis.--All money transferred or otherwise
24   deposited into the fund, including any interest and other
25   earnings on the money in the fund, shall be appropriated to the
26   agency on a continuing basis to provide assistance in accordance
27   with this section.
28      (b)    No lapse.--Any money remaining in the fund at the end of
29   each fiscal year, including any interest and other earnings on
30   the money in the fund, shall not lapse or otherwise revert to

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 1   the General Fund but shall remain in the fund.
 2      Section 5.     Subchapter B heading of Chapter 79 of Title 35 is
 3   amended to read:
 4                                 SUBCHAPTER B
 5         PUBLIC FACILITIES DISASTER ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM
 6      Section 6.     Subchapter B of Chapter 79 of Title 35 is amended
 7   by adding a section to read:
 8   § 7920.    Definitions.
 9      The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
10   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11   context clearly indicates otherwise:
12      "Program."     The Public Facilities Disaster Assistance Grant
13   Program established under section 7921 (relating to
14   establishment).
15      Section 7.     Section 7921 of Title 35 is amended to read:
16   § 7921.    Establishment.
17      The Public Facilities Disaster Assistance Grant Program is
18   established within the agency to provide grants to political
19   subdivisions and municipal authorities for assistance with
20   repair of disaster-related damage in a disaster emergency area
21   when the damages to public facilities are beyond the financial
22   capabilities of the political subdivision or authority.
23      Section 8.     The following apply to the renaming of the grant
24   program under 35 Pa.C.S. Ch. 79 Subch. B:
25             (1)   On or after the effective date of this paragraph, a
26      reference to the Public Disaster Assistance Grant Program in
27      a statute or regulation, or otherwise, shall be deemed a
28      reference to the Public Facilities Disaster Assistance Grant
29      Program.
30             (2)   On or after the effective date of this paragraph,

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1     the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency shall recycle or
2     continue to use any forms, stationery, business cards or
3     other office supplies or materials which contain references
4     to the Public Disaster Assistance Grant Program until the
5     time these existing supplies and materials are depleted.
6     Section 9.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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