HB 571 — An Act establishing the Rebuild Pennsylvania Board, the Rebuild Pennsylvania Program and the Rebuild Pennsylvania Fund; providing for powers and duties of the board and for use of program money; and making an interfund transfer.

PRINTER'S NO.   575

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 571
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, GIRAL, GREEN, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN,
        KENYATTA, NEILSON, OTTEN AND SANCHEZ, FEBRUARY 12, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
        PROTECTION, FEBRUARY 12, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Rebuild Pennsylvania Board, the Rebuild
 2      Pennsylvania Program and the Rebuild Pennsylvania Fund;
 3      providing for powers and duties of the board and for use of
 4      program money; and making an interfund 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 Rebuild
 9   Pennsylvania 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      "Board."    The Rebuild Pennsylvania Board established under
15   section 3.
16      "Commonwealth agency."    A department, board, commission,
17   authority or other officer or agency of the Commonwealth. The
18   term does not include any court or other officer or agency of
 1   the unified judicial system or the General Assembly or an
 2   officer or agency of the General Assembly.
 3      "Fund."     The Rebuild Pennsylvania Fund established under
 4   section 6.
 5      "Program."     The Rebuild Pennsylvania Program established
 6   under section 4.
 7   Section 3.     Rebuild Pennsylvania Board.
 8      (a)   Establishment.--The Rebuild Pennsylvania Board is
 9   established as an independent administrative board. The
10   Department of Community and Economic Development shall provide
11   administrative assistance to the board.
12      (b)   Composition.--The board shall be composed of the
13   following members:
14            (1)   One individual appointed by the Governor.
15            (2)   One individual appointed by the President pro
16      tempore of the Senate.
17            (3)   One individual appointed by the Minority Leader of
18      the Senate.
19            (4)   One individual appointed by the Speaker of the House
20      of Representatives.
21            (5)   One individual appointed by the Minority Leader of
22      the House of Representatives.
23      (c)   Chairperson.--The Governor shall select a member of the
24   board to serve as chairperson. The members of the board shall
25   select from among themselves any other officers as they shall
26   determine.
27      (d)   Meetings.--The board shall meet at the call of the
28   chairperson.
29      (e)   Quorum.--All members of the board shall be necessary to
30   constitute a quorum. The consent of all members of the board

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 1   shall be necessary to take an action of the board.
 2      (f)   Bylaws.--The board shall adopt bylaws as the board deems
 3   necessary governing the conduct of the board.
 4      (g)   Participation and voting.--
 5            (1)   Members of the board may participate in a meeting by
 6      telephone conference or other electronic technology by means
 7      in which all individuals participating in the meeting can
 8      hear each other.
 9            (2)   Members of the board may delegate votes to designees
10      acting on their behalf only after informing the chairperson
11      in writing.
12      (h)   Compensation.--The members of the board shall receive no
13   compensation for service as members of the board but shall be
14   reimbursed for all necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in
15   connection with the performance of duties as members of the
16   board.
17      (i)   Appointments.--Appointing authorities shall appoint
18   initial members to the board within 30 days of the effective
19   date of this subsection. Any appointee to the board may be
20   removed with or without cause by the appointing authority. When
21   a vacancy occurs in the board, the appointing authority shall
22   appoint a successor member within 30 days of the vacancy.
23      (j)   Dissolution.--The board shall dissolve when all money
24   available for the purposes of this act has been exhausted and
25   all applicable duties and responsibilities under law have been
26   completed. Prior to dissolution, the board shall transmit notice
27   of the dissolution to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
28   publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania
29   Bulletin.
30   Section 4.     Establishment of program.

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 1      The Rebuild Pennsylvania Program is established in the board.
 2   The program shall provide financial assistance in the form of
 3   grants, loans or other forms of financing or funding for the
 4   eligible uses specified under section 5.
 5   Section 5.     Use of program money.
 6      (a)   Allocation of program money.--
 7            (1)   The board shall allocate program money among all of
 8      the following categories:
 9                  (i)    Flood control infrastructure.
10                  (ii)    Disaster response.
11                  (iii)    Green infrastructure.
12                  (iv)    Redevelopment, repairs and blight demolition.
13                  (v)    Storm water infrastructure.
14                  (vi)    Brownfield cleanup.
15                  (vii)    Contaminant remediation in schools and child-
16            care centers.
17                  (viii)    Business development and site selection.
18                  (ix)    Energy efficiency.
19                  (x)    Transportation infrastructure.
20            (2)   Within 15 days of the determination of the
21      allocations under paragraph (1), the board shall provide the
22      Secretary of the Budget with a written notification of the
23      allocations of program money.
24      (b)   Financial assistance.--After the board provides the
25   written notification required under subsection (a)(2), program
26   money shall be used to provide financial assistance in the form
27   of grants, loans or other forms of financing or funding as
28   provided under subsection (c).
29      (c)   Use.--
30            (1)   For flood control infrastructure, program money may

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 1    be used as follows:
 2               (i)    For the Stream Improvement Program administered
 3        by the Department of Environmental Protection, to provide
 4        grants to municipalities and county conservation
 5        districts for stream restoration and maintenance
 6        projects.
 7               (ii)    For grants from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure
 8        Investment Authority, to Commonwealth agencies and
 9        political subdivisions for acquisition, construction and
10        improvement, including the installation of security
11        measures, expansion, repair or rehabilitation of all or
12        part of a flood control system. As used in this
13        subparagraph, the term "flood control system" includes
14        levees, dikes, walls, culverts, revetment and dams,
15        including high-hazard unsafe dams, lakes, reservoirs and
16        other works and improvements deemed necessary to prevent
17        floods or control, preserve, restore and regulate the
18        flow of rivers and streams.
19        (2)    For disaster response measures, program money may be
20    used by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency as
21    follows:
22               (i)    To establish the Disaster Assistance Program for
23        the purpose of providing grants, limited to expenses or
24        needs that are not covered by private insurance or do not
25        qualify for Federal assistance, to:
26                      (A)   Meet disaster-related necessary expenses or
27               serious needs of individuals or families directly
28               affected by a declared disaster emergency under 35
29               Pa.C.S. Ch. 73 Subch. A (relating to the Governor and
30               disaster emergencies), regardless of whether a

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 1              presidential disaster declaration was issued for the
 2              area or the disaster emergency declaration remains in
 3              effect at the time of the grant award.
 4                     (B)   Address landslide damage where damages to
 5              private property collectively exceed $500,000,
 6              regardless of whether a disaster emergency was
 7              declared.
 8              (ii)    To establish the Pipeline Preparedness and
 9        Response Fund for the following purposes:
10                     (A)   Funding State-administered emergency
11              response training, planning and coordination for
12              county or municipal employees, volunteer firefighters
13              or volunteer emergency medical technicians.
14                     (B)   Providing grants to counties, municipalities
15              and school districts where a natural gas or hazardous
16              liquid pipeline is located in a high-consequence area
17              as determined by the Pennsylvania Emergency
18              Management Agency. Grants under this clause shall be
19              awarded for emergency planning, coordination,
20              communication and implementation, training and
21              equipment acquisition.
22              (iii)    To provide reimbursement for the costs
23        incurred by a county or municipality during a response to
24        an emergency relating to pipelines within the county or
25        municipality. The costs eligible for reimbursement may
26        include police and fire protection costs for the county
27        or municipality during the response.
28        (3)   For green infrastructure, program money may be used
29    as follows:
30              (i)    By the Department of Environmental Protection

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 1        for existing programs for watershed protection.
 2              (ii)    By the Department of Conservation and Natural
 3        Resources for existing programs to improve State parks
 4        and State forests, watershed restoration and open space
 5        preservation and to provide community park and recreation
 6        grants.
 7              (iii)    By the Department of Agriculture for existing
 8        programs for county-based farmland preservation and for
 9        transfer to the State Conservation Commission to provide
10        financial and technical assistance grants to conservation
11        districts for the implementation of best management
12        practices on farms within this Commonwealth.
13              (iv)    By the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
14        for capital improvement projects for existing lands and
15        facilities.
16              (v)    By the Pennsylvania Game Commission for capital
17        improvement projects to existing lands and facilities.
18              (vi)    By the Department of Transportation and the
19        Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the
20        purpose of funding the development of new all-terrain
21        vehicle trails, connectors and feasibility studies.
22        (4)   For redevelopment, repairs and blight demolition,
23    program money may be used by the Department of Community and
24    Economic Development for:
25              (i)    Main Street and downtown redevelopment.
26              (ii)    A program to develop and maintain affordable
27        housing.
28              (iii)    The Keystone Communities program.
29              (iv)    Establishing a whole home repair program.
30              (v)    Establishing the Blight Demolition and

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 1        Redevelopment Fund for the purpose of providing grants,
 2        loans or other forms of financing to local entities,
 3        including land banks, counties, cities, municipalities,
 4        redevelopment authorities, economic development groups,
 5        community development agencies and others for the
 6        planning, demolition, remediation and redevelopment of
 7        blighted areas.
 8        (5)   For storm water infrastructure, program money may be
 9    used by the Department of Environmental Protection for the
10    establishment of the Storm Water Control Grant Program for
11    the purpose of providing grants to authorities and
12    municipalities with separate storm sewers as defined by 40
13    CFR 122.26(b)(8) (relating to storm water discharges) to
14    implement pollution reduction plans and for compliance with
15    the act of October 4, 1978 (P.L.864, No.167), known as the
16    Storm Water Management Act. Priority for participation in the
17    Storm Water Control Grant Program shall be given to eligible
18    applicants that are currently subject to a Federal or State
19    court or agency order, consent decree or new permit discharge
20    requirements and eligible applicants that propose to work to
21    achieve cost-effective compliance as part of a regional
22    collaborative approach.
23        (6)   For brownfield cleanup, program money may be
24    deposited into the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund established
25    under section 1761-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343,
26    No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, and for uses consistent
27    with the act of October 18, 1988 (P.L.756, No.108), known as
28    the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act.
29        (7)   For contaminant remediation in schools and child-
30    care centers, defined as the premises where care is provided

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 1    at any one time for seven or more children unrelated to the
 2    operator, program money may be used as follows:
 3               (i)    By the Department of Health to provide grants to
 4        abate lead contaminated paint found in schools, child-
 5        care centers and residences in this Commonwealth.
 6               (ii)    By the Department of Education and the
 7        Department of Human Services to provide grants to
 8        remediate lead contamination in the drinking water of
 9        schools and child-care centers in this Commonwealth.
10               (iii)    By the Department of Education to provide
11        grants for asbestos abatement in schools.
12        (8)    For business development and site selection, program
13    money may be used for the Business in Our Sites Program
14    established under 64 Pa.C.S. § 1551 (relating to Business in
15    Our Sites Program) to provide financial assistance.
16        (9)    For energy efficiency, program money may be used as
17    follows:
18               (i)    By the Department of Community and Economic
19        Development for the Alternative and Clean Energy Program
20        to provide grants or loans for the utilization,
21        development and construction of alternative and clean
22        energy projects in this Commonwealth.
23               (ii)    To provide money to the Natural Gas
24        Infrastructure Development Fund established under section
25        1742-A.1 of The Fiscal Code.
26        (10)    For transportation infrastructure, program money
27    may be used as follows:
28               (i)    By the Department of Transportation to provide
29        money to the Multimodal Transportation Fund for all of
30        the following purposes:

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 1                       (A)   The construction, reconstruction or
 2                maintenance of any roads and bridges owned or
 3                maintained by a county, municipality, person,
 4                association or corporation, other than a highway or
 5                bridge owned, controlled or maintained by the
 6                Department of Transportation or any tolling
 7                authority.
 8                       (B)   To increase bicycle and pedestrian paths and
 9                access.
10                (ii)    By the Department of Transportation to fund the
11          maintenance of State-owned four-digit roads in counties
12          with a population of less than 150,000 based on the 2020
13          Federal decennial census.
14                (iii)    By the Department of Conservation and Natural
15          Resources and the State Conservation Commission to
16          provide grants for dirt, gravel and low-volume road
17          maintenance as provided under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9106 (relating
18          to dirt, gravel and low-volume road maintenance).
19                (iv)    To provide money to the Public Transportation
20          Trust Fund to provide financial assistance for programs
21          of Statewide significance under 74 Pa.C.S. § 1516
22          (relating to programs of Statewide significance).
23    (d)   Diversity.--
24          (1)   In providing financial assistance in the form of
25    grants, loans or other forms of financing or funding under
26    subsection (b), a Commonwealth agency shall consider regional
27    and socioeconomic diversity. The board shall develop regional
28    and socioeconomic diversity guidelines for each Commonwealth
29    agency to consider when providing financial assistance.
30          (2)   When a Commonwealth agency uses a competitive grant

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 1      process as the method for providing financial assistance, the
 2      Commonwealth agency shall provide outreach and educational
 3      programming to encourage and support the submission of
 4      applications from varying types of communities.
 5      (e)   Matching funds.--Except as otherwise provided by the
 6   laws of this Commonwealth, the following apply:
 7            (1)   A Commonwealth agency may require that financial
 8      assistance provided under this section be matched with other
 9      funds. When matching is required, the Commonwealth agency
10      shall establish criteria for the amount and type of matching
11      funds.
12            (2)   An applicant or recipient of funding received as a
13      result of this act, or a Commonwealth agency, may use funding
14      resulting from this act as matching funds for other Federal
15      or State grant opportunities and may use other Federal or
16      State funds as matching funds for the funding resulting from
17      this section.
18      (f)   Applications.--To the extent feasible, Commonwealth
19   agencies may permit an applicant to apply to more than one grant
20   program in one application.
21   Section 6.     Rebuild Pennsylvania Fund.
22      (a)   Establishment.--The Rebuild Pennsylvania Fund is
23   established as a separate fund in the State Treasury for the
24   purpose of implementing the program. All money deposited into
25   the fund shall not lapse. The amount of loans repaid under
26   section 5 shall be deposited into the fund.
27      (b)   Appropriation and transfer.--All money deposited into
28   the fund is appropriated to the department under section 5 for
29   the purposes specified in section 5(c). The sum of
30   $3,000,000,000 is transfered from the General Fund to the fund

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1   for fiscal year 2024-2025.
2   Section 7.   Effective date.
3      This act shall take effect immediately.




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