HB 1560 — An Act establishing the Municipal Grant Assistance Program and the Municipal Grant Assistance Program Fund; and imposing duties on the Department of Community and Economic Development.

PRINTER'S NO.   1844

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 1560
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY SALISBURY, KUZMA, McNEILL, MADDEN, VENKAT, DEASY,
        SANCHEZ, SAPPEY, KHAN, SCHLOSSBERG, FREEMAN, BOROWSKI,
        CERRATO, MALAGARI, BOYD, DAVIDSON, STEELE, GREEN AND INGLIS,
        JUNE 4, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JUNE 5, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Municipal Grant Assistance Program and the
 2      Municipal Grant Assistance Program Fund; and imposing duties
 3      on the Department of Community and Economic Development.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal
 8   Grant Assistance Program Act.
 9   Section 2.   Declarations.
10      The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
11          (1)   Many municipalities lack the expertise and resources
12      to effectively seek grants for which they may be qualified.
13          (2)   This gap in expertise and resources creates a
14      disparity in the opportunity to pursue economic development
15      and community enhancement opportunities between those
16      municipalities obtaining State funds and those that may have
17      a greater need.
 1          (3)   The availability of professional grant writers
 2      increases the opportunities for a municipality to obtain
 3      grant funding.
 4   Section 3.   Definitions.
 5      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
 6   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 7   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Department."    The Department of Community and Economic
 9   Development of the Commonwealth.
10      "Eligible grant writer."    An individual registered with the
11   Bureau of Charitable Organizations within the Department of
12   State under section 8 of the act of December 19, 1990 (P.L.1200,
13   No.202), known as the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable
14   Purposes Act.
15      "Fund."   The Municipal Grant Assistance Program Fund
16   established under section 6.
17      "Low-income census tract."    A census tract where:
18          (1)   the poverty rate is at least 20%;
19          (2)   for tracts not located within a metropolitan area,
20      the median family income does not exceed 80% of Statewide
21      median family income; or
22          (3)   for tracts located within a metropolitan area, the
23      median family income does not exceed 80% of the greater of
24      Statewide median family income or the metropolitan area
25      median family income.
26      "Municipality."    A city of the third class, borough,
27   incorporated town or township.
28      "Program."   The Municipal Grant Assistance Program
29   established under section 4.
30   Section 4.   Establishment.

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 1      The Municipal Grant Assistance Program is established within
 2   the department and shall be administered by the department. The
 3   department may establish the program within existing
 4   departmental municipal technical assistance programs in whole or
 5   in part. The program shall consist of financial assistance to
 6   municipalities to obtain grant writing services and to develop a
 7   training program to teach municipal employees and officials how
 8   to develop projects, find grant application opportunities and
 9   apply for grants.
10   Section 5.     Administration of program.
11      (a)   Personnel.--The department may hire new personnel,
12   dedicate current personnel or contract with third parties for
13   the implementation and administration of the program.
14      (b)   Guidelines.--The department shall, within 90 days of the
15   effective date of this section, develop and publish guidelines
16   for the implementation and administration of the program, which
17   shall include:
18            (1)   a listing of eligible grant writers participating in
19      the program within this Commonwealth;
20            (2)   application procedures and guidelines for
21      municipalities;
22            (3)   the development and delivery of grant writing
23      training to commence within six months following the
24      effective date of this section;
25            (4)   criteria for fund allocations and municipal matching
26      fund requirements;
27            (5)   limitations on fund use; and
28            (6)   disbursements from the fund.
29      (c)   Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant to obtain
30   grant-writing services, a municipality may not have an employee

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 1   whose primary responsibility is grant writing. In addition, a
 2   municipality must meet at least one of the following
 3   qualifications:
 4            (1)   Adopted and is implementing an active Strategic
 5      Management Planning Program plan, recovery plan, exit plan or
 6      receivership plan adopted under the act of July 10, 1987
 7      (P.L.246, No.47), known as the Municipalities Financial
 8      Recovery Act.
 9            (2)   At least 25% of all census tracts within the
10      municipality are designated as low-income census tracts.
11      (d)   Contracts.--A municipality or the department may enter
12   into a contract with an eligible grant writer for a single grant
13   or multiple grants. Grant writers shall be paid according to the
14   department's funding criteria under subsection (b)(4).
15      (e)   Advisory committee.--The department may establish an
16   advisory committee to accept stakeholder input on the
17   administration of the program, to include municipal officials,
18   representatives from the Bureau of Charitable Organizations
19   within the Department of State, municipal associations, economic
20   development agencies and chambers of business and industry.
21   Section 6.     Municipal Grant Assistance Program Fund.
22      The Municipal Grant Assistance Program Fund is established in
23   the State Treasury. The money in the fund is appropriated on a
24   continuing basis to the department for the purposes of this act.
25   Any interest earned on money in the fund shall be deposited into
26   the fund.
27   Section 7.     Reports.
28      Within five years of the effective date of this section, the
29   Local Government Commission shall provide a report to the
30   General Assembly on the funding and effectiveness of the

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 1   program.
 2   Section 8.    Administrative expenses.
 3      The expenses of the department's administration of the
 4   program may be paid wholly or in part from the fund. If the
 5   department establishes the program within an existing
 6   departmental municipal technical assistance program, money from
 7   the fund may not be used for other programs within the
 8   department.
 9   Section 9.    Effective date.
10      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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