SB 379 — An Act providing for reimbursement of Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls for certain companies; establishing the Pennsylvania Turnpike-to- Port Freight Reimbursement Fund; providing for duties of the Department of Transportation; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   326

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 379
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY TARTAGLIONE, STREET, KANE AND COSTA, MARCH 6, 2025

     REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 6, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for reimbursement of Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls for
 2      certain companies; establishing the Pennsylvania Turnpike-to-
 3      Port Freight Reimbursement Fund; providing for duties of the
 4      Department of Transportation; and imposing penalties.
 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 Pennsylvania
 9   Turnpike-to-Port Freight Reimbursement 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      "Company."    Either of the following:
15          (1)   A business that is a licensee of the Pennsylvania
16      Preferred® trademark under 3 Pa.C.S. Ch. 46 (relating to
17      Pennsylvania Preferred® trademark).
18          (2)   A business that meets all of the following
19      requirements:
 1                  (i)    Has a physical headquarters located in this
 2            Commonwealth.
 3                  (ii)    Is registered with the Department of State of
 4            the Commonwealth.
 5                  (iii)    Grows or manufactures products in this
 6            Commonwealth.
 7                  (iv)    Uses the Pennsylvania Turnpike to transport
 8            products to the Port of Philadelphia for the purpose of
 9            shipping.
10      "Department."       The Department of Transportation of the
11   Commonwealth.
12      "Fund."     The Pennsylvania Turnpike-to-Port Freight
13   Reimbursement Fund established under section 3(a).
14      "Turnpike."        The Pennsylvania Turnpike.
15   Section 3.     Pennsylvania Turnpike-to-Port Freight Reimbursement
16                  Fund.
17      (a)   Establishment.--The Pennsylvania Turnpike-to-Port
18   Freight Reimbursement Fund is established in the State Treasury
19   for the purpose of reimbursing companies that pay tolls on the
20   turnpike to transport products to the Port of Philadelphia for
21   shipping. The money in the fund is appropriated on a continuing
22   basis to the department.
23      (b)   Application for reimbursement.--A company may apply to
24   the department for reimbursement from the fund. The department
25   shall provide an application form. A company shall submit all of
26   the following with the application:
27            (1)   An itemized inventory of the products transported
28      via the turnpike.
29            (2)   The place of origin of the products.
30            (3)   The name and address of any shipping contractor used

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 1      for transporting the products via the turnpike.
 2            (4)   Proof of payment of turnpike tolls by the company or
 3      shipping contractor.
 4            (5)   The date and time of the arrival of the products to
 5      the Port of Philadelphia.
 6            (6)   Documentation that the products were shipped from
 7      the Port of Philadelphia, including the date of shipping, the
 8      name of the ship and the destination of the products.
 9            (7)   The number of full-time, part-time and contract
10      employees with the company.
11            (8)   The annual revenues of the company.
12            (9)   The history of the company, including when and where
13      it was founded and how it has grown from founding to the
14      present in terms of number of employees, revenues and
15      locations.
16      (c)     Investigation of application.--The department shall
17   investigate and confirm the accuracy of an application under
18   subsection (b). The department may confer with the Pennsylvania
19   Turnpike Commission and the Port of Philadelphia to confirm the
20   accuracy of an application.
21      (d)     Timing.--An application for reimbursement to the
22   department shall be submitted on a quarterly basis. If
23   sufficient money is available in the fund, the department shall
24   reimburse a company within 60 days of the date that an
25   application is confirmed to be accurate under subsection (c).
26   Section 4.     Penalties.
27      (a)     Penalties.--If the department determines that a company
28   has submitted a false application or if the department
29   erroneously paid a reimbursement due to false information, the
30   company:

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 1            (1)   shall pay back the reimbursement, if any;
 2            (2)   is prohibited from seeking reimbursement from the
 3      fund; and
 4            (3)   is subject to a $5,000 fine.
 5      (b)   Deposit of fines.--Any fines collected under subsection
 6   (a) shall be deposited into the fund.
 7   Section 5.     Fund balance.
 8      The fund balance shall be limited to $2,500,000, and any
 9   amount in excess of $2,500,000 shall be transferred to the
10   General Fund.
11   Section 6.     Reporting.
12      Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the
13   department shall submit an annual report of the fund to the
14   General Assembly.
15   Section 7.     Regulations.
16      The department, in consultation with the Pennsylvania
17   Turnpike Commission, may promulgate rules and regulations
18   necessary to administer and enforce this act.
19   Section 8.     Effective date.
20      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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