HB 973 — An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to area government and intergovernmental cooperation, providing for Municipal Police Enhancement and Consolidation Grant Program and establishing the Municipal Police Enhancement and Consolidation Grant Program Fund.

PRINTER'S NO.   1056

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 973
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, KENYATTA, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, GIRAL, BURGOS,
        HILL-EVANS, SCHLOSSBERG, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, DOUGHERTY AND GREEN,
        MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 19, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to area
 3      government and intergovernmental cooperation, providing for
 4      Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program and
 5      establishing the Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation
 6      Grant Program Fund.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    Chapter 23 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
10   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:
11                               SUBCHAPTER D
12                       MUNICIPAL POLICE ENHANCEMENT
13                        CONSOLIDATION GRANT PROGRAM
14   Sec.
15   2351.   Definitions.
16   2352.   Establishment of program.
17   2353.   Publication and notice of program.
18   2354.   Award of grants.
19   2355.   Applications for grants.
 1   2356.   Accreditation or consolidation incentives.
 2   2357.   Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program
 3                Fund.
 4   § 2351.   Definitions.
 5      The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
 6   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 7   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Application."     An application submitted under section
 9   2355(c) (relating to applications for grants) for a grant under
10   the program.
11      "Commission."     The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
12   Delinquency.
13      "Consolidation."      The process of consolidating two or more
14   municipal police departments under Subchapter A (relating to
15   intergovernmental cooperation) or by a contract for services.
16      "Fund."     The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant
17   Program Fund established under section 2357(a) (relating to
18   Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program Fund).
19      "Municipal police department."        A police department that has
20   been organized and established by a municipality.
21      "Municipality."     A city of the second class A, city of the
22   third class, borough, township of the first class or township of
23   the second class.
24      "Program."    The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation
25   Grant Program established under section 2352 (relating to
26   establishment of program).
27   § 2352.   Establishment of program.
28      The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program
29   is established and shall be administered by the commission.
30   Grants provided under the program shall be used to improve and

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 1   enhance the capabilities of municipal police departments,
 2   incentivize consolidation and provide training and other
 3   appropriate resources to municipal police officers.
 4   § 2353.    Publication and notice of program.
 5      The commission shall transmit notice of the availability of
 6   grants under the program to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
 7   publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania
 8   Bulletin within 120 days from June 30, 2026, for grants under
 9   the program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and by
10   August 8 for grants under the program for each fiscal year
11   thereafter.
12   § 2354.    Award of grants.
13      (a)    Authorization.--The commission may award grants under
14   the program to municipal police departments for any of the
15   following:
16             (1)   Consolidation and improvements to infrastructure,
17      including expanding or modifying municipal police buildings
18      for the purpose of consolidation.
19             (2)   Achieving accreditation standards of the
20      International Association of Chiefs of Police.
21             (3)   Training and certification of municipal police
22      officers.
23             (4)   Community outreach programs.
24      (b)    Additional grants.--A municipal police department with
25   not more than 10 police officers shall be eligible to receive
26   additional grants under the program in accordance with the
27   certification bonus point system under section 2356 (relating to
28   accreditation or consolidation incentives) for any of the
29   following:
30             (1)   Consolidation.

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 1             (2)   Achieving accreditation standards of the
 2      International Association of Chiefs of Police.
 3      (c)    Grant limits.--
 4             (1)   A grant under the program shall be:
 5                   (i)    Not less than $5,000 nor more than $100,000 per
 6             municipal police department for the purpose of
 7             consolidation.
 8                   (ii)    Not less than $5,000 nor more than $50,000 per
 9             municipal police department for the purpose of achieving
10             accreditation standards of the International Association
11             of Chiefs of Police.
12                   (iii)   Not less than $5,000 nor more than $15,000 per
13             municipal police department for the purposes of training
14             and certification of municipal police officers or for the
15             purpose of community outreach programs.
16             (2)   Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
17      total dollar amount of applications submitted under section
18      2355(c) (relating to applications for grants) exceeds the
19      amount of money appropriated by the General Assembly for the
20      program.
21   § 2355.    Applications for grants.
22      (a)    Instructions.--Within 120 days of June 30, 2026, for
23   applications for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and by
24   September 1 for applications for each fiscal year thereafter,
25   the commission shall provide written notice of the application
26   instructions to the chief of each municipal police department or
27   the chief executive of each municipality.
28      (b)    Applications.--Within 180 days of June 30, 2026, for
29   applications for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and by
30   October 1 for applications for each fiscal year thereafter, the

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 1   commission shall provide applications to the chief of each
 2   municipal police department or the chief executive of each
 3   municipality.
 4      (c)    Submission.--A municipal police department seeking a
 5   grant under the program shall submit a completed application to
 6   the commission within an application period prescribed by the
 7   commission. The application period shall remain open for 60 days
 8   each year.
 9      (d)    Approval or disapproval.--The commission shall approve
10   or disapprove an application received under subsection (c)
11   within 120 days after the close of the application period. An
12   application which has not been approved or disapproved by the
13   commission within 120 days after the close of the application
14   period shall be deemed approved.
15   § 2356.   Accreditation or consolidation incentives.
16      The commission shall establish a certification bonus point
17   system to provide additional grant funding to a municipal police
18   department which has achieved accreditation or consolidation.
19   § 2357.   Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant
20                Program Fund.
21      (a)    Establishment.--The Municipal Police Enhancement
22   Consolidation Grant Program Fund is established as a separate
23   fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of making grants
24   under the program.
25      (b)    Funding.--Grants under the program may be awarded from
26   money appropriated, allocated or otherwise made available to the
27   fund.
28      (c)    Continuing appropriation.--All money deposited into the
29   fund and all interest accrued is appropriated to the commission
30   on a continuing basis for the purposes provided under this

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 1   section.
 2      (d)     Administration.--The commission may not allocate more
 3   than $500,000 of money in the fund for the administrative costs
 4   of the program.
 5      (e)     Grant allocations.--After payment of administrative
 6   costs under subsection (d), the money in the fund shall be
 7   allocated as follows:
 8            (1)   Twenty-five percent of the money shall be used for
 9      grants to municipal police departments that have achieved
10      consolidation.
11            (2)   Seventy-five percent of the money shall be used for
12      grants to municipal police departments for the following
13      purposes:
14                  (i)    Achieving accreditation standards of the
15            International Association of Chiefs of Police.
16                  (ii)    Training and certification of municipal police
17            officers.
18                  (iii)    Community outreach programs.
19      Section 2.        This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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