HB 199 — An Act establishing the State Emergency Supplemental Grant Program; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; establishing the State Emergency Supplemental Assistance Fund; and making a transfer.

PRINTER'S NO.   145

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 199
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, CONKLIN, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, HOWARD,
        GUENST, DONAHUE AND SCHLOSSBERG, JANUARY 16, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
        PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 16, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Establishing the State Emergency Supplemental Grant Program;
 2      imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
 3      Agency; establishing the State Emergency Supplemental
 4      Assistance Fund; and making a transfer.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the State
 9   Emergency Supplemental Grant Program Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Disaster."   An event that causes substantial damage in this
15   Commonwealth, including a natural disaster, that requires a
16   disaster declaration.
17      "Eligible item."     An essential item that is covered under the
18   program if damaged in a Federal disaster declaration or State
 1   disaster declaration, including:
 2          (1)    Housing.
 3          (2)    Temporary rental assistance.
 4          (3)    Personal property.
 5          (4)    Medical or dental care.
 6          (5)    Transportation.
 7          (6)    Funeral costs.
 8          (7)    Any other essential item.
 9      "Eligible person."    A person who:
10          (1)    If an individual, is a resident of this Commonwealth
11      or, if an entity, has its principal place of business in this
12      Commonwealth.
13          (2)    Experiences damage as the direct result of a
14      disaster in this Commonwealth that received a disaster
15      declaration.
16          (3)    For a Federal disaster declaration, has applied for
17      a grant through the Federal agency and has received the
18      maximum grant from the Federal agency's individual assistance
19      grant programs.
20      "Federal agency."     The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
21      "Federal disaster declaration."      A federally declared
22   disaster declaration granted by the President of the United
23   States at the request of the Governor that indicates a disaster
24   situation exists in this Commonwealth and allows for the
25   implementation of individual assistance programs.
26      "Federally appraised loss."     The assessed value of damage
27   sustained from a disaster as determined by the Federal
28   Government.
29      "Fund."    The State Emergency Supplemental Assistance Fund
30   established under section 6.

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 1      "Program."      The State Emergency Supplemental Grant Program
 2   established under section 3.
 3      "State agency."      The Pennsylvania Emergency Management
 4   Agency.
 5      "State disaster."      A declaration by the Governor of disaster
 6   emergency under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c) (relating to general
 7   authority of Governor).
 8      "Supplemental grant."      A grant award provided by the program
 9   through the State agency to an eligible person.
10   Section 3.      State Emergency Supplemental Grant Program.
11      (a)    Establishment.--The State Emergency Supplemental Grant
12   Program is established within the State agency.
13      (b)    Administration.--The State agency shall administer the
14   program for the purpose of providing supplemental grants to
15   eligible persons who have:
16             (1)   for a Federal disaster declaration, received the
17      maximum grant allowance from the Federal agency's programs;
18      or
19             (2)   for a State disaster declaration, sustained loss of
20      an eligible item.
21   Section 4.      Program guidelines.
22      (a)    Application.--The State agency shall coordinate with the
23   Federal agency on a procedure that permits an application from
24   an eligible person for assistance from the Federal agency to be
25   automatically transmitted to the State agency for processing
26   after the individual receives the maximum grant award from the
27   Federal agency. The State agency shall:
28             (1)   Use information obtained from the Federal agency to
29      award supplemental grants.
30             (2)   Follow the Federal agency's guidelines to determine

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 1      and administer supplemental grants under the program.
 2      (b)     Use of supplemental grant money.--Supplemental grant
 3   money may only be used for eligible items and shall be spent on
 4   the eligible items for which the funding was specifically
 5   awarded.
 6      (c)     Grant amounts.--
 7            (1)   For a Federal disaster declaration, an eligible
 8      person may receive a supplemental grant equal to the
 9      difference between the grant amount received from the Federal
10      agency and the federally appraised loss, provided that the
11      supplemental grant award does not exceed $10,000.
12            (2)   For a State disaster declaration, an eligible person
13      who is:
14                  (i)    An individual may receive a supplemental grant
15            not to exceed an amount determined by the State agency.
16                  (ii)   An entity may receive a supplemental grant not
17            to exceed an amount determined by the State agency.
18            (3)   In determining the amounts under paragraph (2), the
19      State agency may consider the number of applications, the
20      amount of loss of eligible items and the amount of available
21      money in the fund.
22      (d)     Exclusions.--The following items shall not be covered
23   under the program:
24            (1)   Home improvements, additions and upgrades on real or
25      personal property.
26            (2)   Preexisting conditions on housing or personal
27      property.
28            (3)   Landscaping.
29            (4)   Recreational real or personal property.
30            (5)   Debts or other financial obligations that a person

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 1      incurred prior to the disaster.
 2          (6)   Luxury, nonessential and decorative items.
 3          (7)   Cash.
 4          (8)   Other items determined by the State agency to be
 5      nonessential.
 6   Section 5.   Repayment of grants.
 7      An eligible person may not be required to repay a
 8   supplemental grant unless the supplemental grant money was not
 9   spent according to the program guidelines or was obtained
10   fraudulently. In such case, the total amount of the supplemental
11   grant received shall be repaid to the State agency under such
12   terms as specified by the State agency.
13   Section 6.   State Emergency Supplemental Assistance Fund.
14      The State Emergency Supplemental Assistance Fund is
15   established in the State Treasury. The money in the fund is
16   appropriated on a continuing basis to the State agency for the
17   purposes of supplemental grants under the program.
18   Section 7.   Funding.
19      Beginning in fiscal year 2025-2026 and each fiscal year
20   thereafter, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board shall transfer
21   $5,000,000 to the fund.
22   Section 8.   Regulations.
23      The State agency shall promulgate regulations necessary to
24   administer this act.
25   Section 9.   Effective date.
26      This act shall take effect in 90 days.




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