HR 136 — A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study and establish an advisory committee to determine the impact on Pennsylvania taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police full or partial police services for municipalities that do not maintain full police coverage.

PRINTER'S NO.   1066

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 136
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, HANBIDGE, KENYATTA, PIELLI, SANCHEZ,
        GIRAL, BURGOS, HILL-EVANS, DELLOSO, HADDOCK, SCHLOSSBERG,
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, BOROWSKI, MALAGARI, DONAHUE, DEASY AND GREEN,
        MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 19, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
 2      study and establish an advisory committee to determine the
 3      impact on Pennsylvania taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police
 4      full or partial police services for municipalities that do
 5      not maintain full police coverage.
 6      WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police provides full-time and
 7   part-time police coverage to municipalities that do not maintain
 8   a local police department; and
 9      WHEREAS, In 2017, Colonel Tyree Blocker, Commissioner of the
10   Pennsylvania State Police, disclosed that the per capita cost of
11   those services was $234 per person, per year for the 2.5 million
12   Pennsylvanians who live in municipalities that rely on some
13   level of Pennsylvania State Police coverage; and
14      WHEREAS, In 2013, the Pennsylvania State Police supplied 417
15   municipalities with part-time police coverage and 1,266 with
16   full-time service; and
17      WHEREAS, That amount has continued to increase, and in 2021,
18   the Pennsylvania State Police provided 428 municipalities with
 1   part-time police coverage and 1,293 with full-time service; and
 2         WHEREAS, The Motor License Fund, intended to be dedicated to
 3   funding infrastructure projects, has historically been tapped as
 4   an additional source of revenue to fund the Pennsylvania State
 5   Police, including to provide police coverage for municipalities
 6   with a limited police department or no police department at all;
 7   and
 8         WHEREAS, In the current budget and in expected future
 9   budgets, hundreds of millions of dollars of Motor License Fund
10   revenues are being redirected back from the Pennsylvania State
11   Police to the original intended purpose of funding
12   transportation infrastructure, just as more and more
13   municipalities are relying on the Pennsylvania State Police for
14   coverage; and
15         WHEREAS, Pennsylvania legislators have an obligation to
16   protect all Pennsylvania communities, law enforcement and
17   infrastructure in an equitable manner; therefore be it
18         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
19   State Government Commission to conduct a study and establish an
20   advisory committee to determine the impact on Pennsylvania
21   taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police full or partial police
22   services for municipalities that do not maintain full police
23   coverage; and be it further
24         RESOLVED, That the advisory committee be composed of the
25   following members:
26             (1)     The Secretary of Revenue or a designee.
27             (2)     The Commissioner of Pennsylvania State Police or a
28         designee.
29             (3)     The Secretary of Transportation or a designee.
30             (4)     A representative of an organization that advocates

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 1      for chiefs of police.
 2          (5)   A representative of an organization that advocates
 3      for municipal governments.
 4          (6)   Other individuals or representatives from
 5      organizations selected by the Joint State Government
 6      Commission;
 7   and be it further
 8      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission, in
 9   conducting the study, include findings and recommendations
10   regarding:
11          (1)   The cost of Pennsylvania State Police full-time and
12      part-time police coverage to municipalities that do not have
13      their own local police department.
14          (2)   The impact of that cost on the tax burden borne by
15      Pennsylvania taxpayers.
16          (3)   The impact on police costs of municipalities which
17      do maintain a local police department regarding providing
18      police responses or services to neighboring municipalities
19      that do not maintain a local police department.
20          (4)   The impact of an increasing number of municipalities
21      relying on Pennsylvania State Police for police coverage on
22      the ability of the Pennsylvania State Police to sustainably
23      provide services throughout this Commonwealth.
24          (5)   An estimation of the level of fee that would be
25      necessary to cover the cost of Pennsylvania State Police
26      coverage to municipalities that do not have their own local
27      police department and municipalities that provide only
28      partial coverage if the State required a per capita fee to be
29      paid by municipalities relying entirely on the Pennsylvania
30      State Police coverage and to require municipalities and

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 1      individuals that receive part-time coverage to pay a fee
 2      equal to one-third the per capita rate.
 3          (6)     The revenue and policy implications for police and
 4      infrastructure if the Commonwealth were to impose the fee
 5      calculated in the previous finding.
 6          (7)     The number of residents that rely entirely on the
 7      Pennsylvania State Police for police service or that receive
 8      part-time coverage from the Pennsylvania State Police.
 9          (8)     The comparative millage rates in municipalities that
10      pay for local police coverage and millage rates in towns that
11      rely solely on the Pennsylvania State Police for police
12      coverage.
13          (9)     Any other costs or factors the Joint State
14      Government Commission considers appropriate in understanding
15      the impact on taxpayers of Pennsylvania State Police coverage
16      of municipalities that do not maintain a local police
17      department;
18   and be it further
19      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission issue a
20   report of its findings and recommendations to the House of
21   Representatives no later than one year from the adoption of this
22   resolution.




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