HB 674 — An Act amending Title 74 (Transportation) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sustainable mobility options, establishing the Supplemental Public Transportation Operating Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program.

PRINTER'S NO.   688

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 674
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY McNEILL, GIRAL, WAXMAN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI,
        SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, CERRATO, RIVERA, D. WILLIAMS, SCHWEYER
        AND CIRESI, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 74 (Transportation) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in sustainable mobility options,
 3      establishing the Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
 4      Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.      Title 74 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 8   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 9   § 1517.2.      Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
10                  Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant
11                  Program.
12      (a)   Establishment.--The Supplemental Public Transportation
13   Operating Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant
14   Program is established in the department.
15      (b)   Powers and duties of department.--The department:
16            (1)    Shall administer the program.
17            (2)    Shall establish an annual operating assistance grant
18      application process for applicants.
 1          (3)   To the extent that money is appropriated or
 2    otherwise made available to the department for the program,
 3    shall provide operating assistance to eligible entities.
 4          (4)   May develop guidelines specifying additional
 5    requirements for grants available under the program.
 6    (c)   Eligible entities.--
 7          (1)   The following entities are eligible to apply for a
 8    grant under the program:
 9                (i)    an entity that is a recipient of grants awarded
10          by the department under section 1513 (relating to
11          operating program) or 1516 (relating to programs of
12          Statewide significance) and meets the criteria for a
13          county growing in population under subsection (e); or
14                (ii)   an entity that is a recipient of grants awarded
15          by the department under section 1513 or 1516 and meets
16          the criteria for a county growing in employment under
17          subsection (d).
18          (2)   An eligible entity that meets the requirements under
19    subsection (d) or (e), or both, may submit one application
20    annually for grants under the program.
21    (d)   Grants to county growing in employment.--
22          (1)   Total employment growth for each county for the
23    application grant year shall be calculated by the department
24    using the most recent complete annual data for local area
25    unemployment statistics from the Department of Labor and
26    Industry for the previous year and the same figure from five
27    years prior, calculated on a percentage basis.
28          (2)   The amount of grant money awarded to an eligible
29    entity shall be determined on the basis of the overall
30    percentage growth for that county over the subject

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 1      calculation period and awarded to each eligible entity as a
 2      proportional share of the overall amount available for
 3      distribution to counties growing in employment.
 4      (e)   Grants to county growing in population.--
 5            (1)   Total population for each county for the application
 6      grant year and for the five years prior shall be determined
 7      by the department using the most recent complete annual data
 8      from the American Community Survey conducted by the United
 9      States Census Bureau.
10            (2)   The amount of money awarded to an eligible entity
11      shall be determined on the basis of the overall percentage
12      growth for that county over the subject calculation period
13      and awarded to each eligible entity as a proportional share
14      of the overall amount available for distribution to counties
15      growing in population.
16      (f)   Appropriations.--
17            (1)   Money appropriated for the purpose of awarding
18      grants under the program shall be in addition to any money
19      allocated under section 1513 or 1516.
20            (2)   Money appropriated to the department for the program
21      shall be allocated annually, based upon eligible applications
22      as follows:
23                  (i)    Fifty percent to eligible entities within
24            counties growing in employment.
25                  (ii)    Fifty percent to eligible entities within
26            counties growing in population.
27      (g)   Use of grant money.--Grants awarded under the program
28   are subject to the same purposes, limitations, conditions and
29   requirements specified in section 1513 or 1516.
30      (h)   Local match requirement limitation.--The department may

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 1   not require a local match requirement greater than the match
 2   requirement under section 1513(d).
 3      (i)   Definitions.--The following words and phrases when used
 4   in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this
 5   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 6      "American Community Survey."     An ongoing annual survey by the
 7   United States Census Bureau that publishes and collects data on
 8   the population of the United States in accordance with 13 U.S.C.
 9   §§ 141 (relating to population and other census information) and
10   193 (relating to preliminary and supplemental statistics).
11      "County growing in employment."    A county with a total number
12   of employed individuals in the preceding calendar year which is
13   higher than the total number of employed individuals in that
14   county over the preceding five years.
15      "County growing in population."    A county with a total
16   population in the grant application year which is higher than
17   the total population of that over the preceding five years.
18      "Local area unemployment statistics."    A program that is a
19   Federal-State cooperative effort between the Bureau of Labor
20   Statistics of the United States Department of Labor and the
21   Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth in which
22   monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment are
23   prepared and published on a periodic basis.
24      "Program."   The Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
25   Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program
26   established under subsection (a).
27      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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