HB 676 — An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, establishing the First Responder Resilience Grant Program and the First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

PRINTER'S NO.   690

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 676
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY KHAN, FLICK, O'MARA, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, HANBIDGE,
        HILL-EVANS, HOWARD, SCHLOSSBERG, HARKINS, BOROWSKI, OTTEN,
        CERRATO AND GREEN, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
        PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, establishing the First Responder
 3      Resilience Grant Program and the First Responder Resilience
 4      Grant Program Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania
 5      Emergency Management Agency.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.    Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 9   Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
10                                CHAPTER 75B
11                     FIRST RESPONDER RESILIENCE GRANTS
12   Subchapter
13      A.   Preliminary Provisions
14      B.   First Responder Resilience Grant Program
15      C.   First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund
16      D.   Miscellaneous Provisions
17                               SUBCHAPTER A
18                          PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
 1   Sec.
 2   75B01.   Scope of chapter.
 3   75B02.   Definitions.
 4   § 75B01.   Scope of chapter.
 5      This chapter relates to first responder resilience grants.
 6   § 75B02.   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      "Agency."     The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
11      "Evidence-based tool."       As follows:
12            (1)   A service or program that is designed for a first
13      responder to withstand, recover from and grow in the face of
14      stressors, trauma and the changing demands resulting from the
15      unique work of the first responder.
16            (2)   The term includes:
17                  (i)    Peer mentoring.
18                  (ii)    Training and assistance regarding emotional and
19            mental health.
20                  (iii)    Integrative medicine, physical relaxation and
21            mindfulness techniques, including massage therapy, talk
22            therapy, yoga and meditation.
23                  (iv)    Suicide prevention.
24                  (v)    Stress reduction techniques.
25                  (vi)    Support services for the first responder and
26            the family of the first responder.
27      "First responder."       As defined in paragraphs (1), (2), (3),
28   (4), (5) and (7) of the definition of "first responder" under
29   section 79C11 (relating to definitions).
30      "First responder organization."         An entity in this

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 1   Commonwealth for which a first responder is employed or
 2   volunteers for service.
 3      "Fund."     The First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund
 4   established under section 75B21 (relating to establishment of
 5   fund).
 6      "Mental health care."     Any care, treatment, service or
 7   procedure to maintain, diagnose, treat or provide for mental
 8   health, including any medication program or therapeutic
 9   treatment.
10      "Mental health provider."     A person that is licensed,
11   certified or otherwise authorized by the laws of this
12   Commonwealth to administer or provide mental health care in the
13   ordinary course of business or practice of a profession.
14      "Program."    The First Responder Resilience Grant Program
15   established under section 75B11 (relating to establishment of
16   program).
17      "Resilience coach."    An individual who:
18            (1)   Is a mental health provider.
19            (2)   Supports the mental health and wellness of the first
20      responders within a first responder organization by providing
21      the first responders with evidence-based tools to withstand,
22      recover and grow in the face of stressors, trauma and the
23      changing demands of the unique work of first responders.
24                                SUBCHAPTER B
25                  FIRST RESPONDER RESILIENCE GRANT PROGRAM
26   Sec.
27   75B11.   Establishment of program.
28   75B12.   Purpose of program.
29   75B13.   Application form.
30   75B14.   Review and determination.

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 1   75B15.   Distribution of grants.
 2   § 75B11.    Establishment of program.
 3      The First Responder Resilience Grant Program is established
 4   within the agency, which shall implement and administer the
 5   program in accordance with this chapter.
 6   § 75B12.    Purpose of program.
 7      The purpose of the program is to award grants to first
 8   responder organizations, on a competitive basis, to defray
 9   personnel costs, including salaries and overtime, involved in
10   embedding resilience coaches into first responder organizations.
11   § 75B13.    Application form.
12      (a)     Development.--The agency shall develop an application
13   form for first responder organizations to apply for grants under
14   the program.
15      (b)     Contents.--The application form for a grant under the
16   program must include at least the following information:
17            (1)   The name, address and contact information of the
18      first responder organization requesting the grant.
19            (2)   The amount of the requested grant.
20            (3)   The proposed use for the requested grant.
21            (4)   Any other information that the agency deems
22      necessary and appropriate.
23   § 75B14.    Review and determination.
24      (a)     Process generally.--The agency shall prescribe the
25   process to submit and review completed application forms in
26   accordance with this section.
27      (b)     Acceptance of completed application forms.--
28            (1)   Beginning no later than 180 days after the effective
29      date of this paragraph, the agency shall begin accepting and
30      processing applications for grants under the program.

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 1            (2)   For all subsequent years, the agency shall establish
 2      an application period during which applications for grants
 3      under the program are accepted.
 4      (c)   Review.--After receiving a completed application for a
 5   grant under the program from a first responder organization, the
 6   agency shall review the application and determine:
 7            (1)   Whether to award the grant to the first responder
 8      organization, in whole or in part.
 9            (2)   The amount of any grant awarded, along with any
10      conditions for or restrictions on the use of the grant.
11      (d)   Consideration and preference.--
12            (1)   Grants under the program shall be awarded on a
13      competitive basis.
14            (2)   In awarding grants under the program, the agency
15      shall give preference to first responder organizations whose
16      application demonstrates the greatest likelihood to fulfill
17      the purposes of the program.
18      (e)   Time periods.--
19            (1)   The agency shall approve or deny an application
20      under the program no later than 60 days after the receipt of
21      the application.
22            (2)   If the agency fails to approve or deny the
23      application in accordance with paragraph (1), the application
24      shall be deemed denied.
25      (f)   Notice.--The agency shall provide notice of the
26   determination under subsection (c), including:
27            (1)   In the case of approval of the application, the
28      amount of the grant and any conditions for or restrictions on
29      the use of the grant.
30            (2)   In the case of a full or partial disapproval of the

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 1      application, the reasons for the full or partial disapproval.
 2   § 75B15.    Distribution of grants.
 3      (a)     Amount.--The agency may establish limits on the amount
 4   of a grant for a first responder organization.
 5      (b)     First-come, first-served basis.--The agency shall
 6   distribute grants under the program on a first-come, first-
 7   served basis determined by the agency and until all the money in
 8   the fund is exhausted.
 9                                 SUBCHAPTER C
10               FIRST RESPONDER RESILIENCE GRANT PROGRAM FUND
11   Sec.
12   75B21.   Establishment of fund.
13   75B22.   Operation of fund.
14   75B23.   Fund sources.
15   § 75B21.    Establishment of fund.
16      The First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund is
17   established as a nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury to carry
18   out the purposes of the program.
19   § 75B22.    Operation of fund.
20      (a)     Appropriation.--All money deposited into the fund and
21   interest and other earnings on the money in the fund are
22   appropriated to the agency on a continuing basis to award grants
23   under the program.
24      (b)     End of fiscal year.--Any money remaining in the fund at
25   the end of each fiscal year, including interest and other
26   earnings, shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain
27   in the fund.
28   § 75B23.    Fund sources.
29      The agency may solicit and accept funding for the program,
30   including money appropriated by the General Assembly, Federal

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 1   money, grants, donations, gifts and other payments from any
 2   source, which shall be deposited into the fund.
 3                                SUBCHAPTER D
 4                          MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
 5   Sec.
 6   75B31.   Educational materials.
 7   75B32.   Posting of information.
 8   75B33.   Reports.
 9   75B34.   Guidelines, rules and regulations.
10   § 75B31.    Educational materials.
11      The agency shall ensure the development of educational
12   materials about best practices regarding mental health care and
13   evidence-based tools.
14   § 75B32.    Posting of information.
15      The agency shall post the following on its publicly
16   accessible Internet website:
17            (1)   Information regarding the availability of grants
18      under the program.
19            (2)   The application form under section 75B13 (relating
20      to application form).
21            (3)   Recipients of grants under the program.
22            (4)   The educational materials described under section
23      75B31 (relating to educational materials).
24   § 75B33.    Reports.
25      (a)     Annual reports required.--No later than the first
26   September 1 that is at least one year after the effective date
27   of this subsection, and each September 1 thereafter, the agency
28   shall issue an annual report detailing the operation of the
29   program and fund during the preceding year.
30      (b)     Contents.--Each annual report under this section must

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 1   include the following:
 2             (1)   The number of first responder organizations that
 3      sought a grant under the program, including the total amount
 4      of the grants sought under the program.
 5             (2)   The number of first responder organizations that
 6      received a grant under the program, including the amount of
 7      the grant that each first responder organization received
 8      under the program.
 9             (3)   The number of first responder organizations that
10      were denied, in whole or in part, a grant under the program,
11      including the reasons for the full or partial denial.
12             (4)   The money remaining in the fund.
13             (5)   Any other information deemed necessary by the
14      agency.
15      (c)     Transmittal.--Each annual report under this section
16   shall be transmitted to the following:
17             (1)   The Governor.
18             (2)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
19      Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
20             (3)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
21      Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
22      (d)     Posting.--The agency shall post each annual report under
23   this section on the publicly accessible Internet website of the
24   agency.
25   § 75B34.    Guidelines, rules and regulations.
26      The agency shall adopt or promulgate any guideline, rule or
27   regulation necessary to implement and administer the provisions
28   of this chapter.
29      Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.



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