SB 390 — An Act amending Title 74 (Transportation) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sustainable mobility options, establishing the Supplemental Public Transportation Operating Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program.

PRINTER'S NO.   336

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          SENATE BILL
                          No. 390
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, MILLER AND KEARNEY, MARCH 6, 2025

     REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 6, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 74 (Transportation) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in sustainable mobility options,
 3      establishing the Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
 4      Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.      Title 74 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 8   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 9   § 1517.2.      Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
10                  Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant
11                  Program.
12      (a)   Establishment.--The Supplemental Public Transportation
13   Operating Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant
14   Program is established in the department.
15      (b)   Powers and duties of department.--The department:
16            (1)    Shall administer the program.
17            (2)    Shall establish an annual operating assistance grant
18      application process for applicants.
19            (3)    To the extent that money is appropriated or
 1    otherwise made available to the department for the program,
 2    shall provide operating assistance to eligible entities.
 3          (4)   May develop guidelines specifying additional
 4    requirements for grants available under the program.
 5    (c)   Eligible entities.--
 6          (1)   The following entities are eligible to apply for a
 7    grant under the program:
 8                (i)    An entity that is a recipient of grants awarded
 9          by the department under section 1513 (relating to
10          operating program) or 1516 (relating to programs of
11          Statewide significance) and meets the criteria for a
12          county growing in population under subsection (e).
13                (ii)   An entity that is a recipient of grants awarded
14          by the department under section 1513 or 1516 and meets
15          the criteria for a county growing in employment under
16          subsection (d).
17          (2)   An eligible entity that meets the requirements under
18    subsection (d) or (e), or both, may submit one application
19    annually for grants under the program.
20    (d)   Grants to county growing in employment.--
21          (1)   Total employment growth for each county for the
22    application grant year shall be calculated by the department
23    using the most recent complete annual data for local area
24    unemployment statistics from the Department of Labor and
25    Industry for the previous year and the same figure from five
26    years prior, calculated on a percentage basis.
27          (2)   The amount of grant money awarded to an eligible
28    entity shall be determined on the basis of the overall
29    percentage growth for that county over the subject
30    calculation period and awarded to each eligible entity as a

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 1      proportional share of the overall amount available for
 2      distribution to counties growing in employment.
 3      (e)   Grants to county growing in population.--
 4            (1)   Total population for each county for the application
 5      grant year and for the five years prior shall be determined
 6      by the department using the most recent complete annual data
 7      from the American Community Survey conducted by the United
 8      States Census Bureau.
 9            (2)   The amount of money awarded to an eligible entity
10      shall be determined on the basis of the overall percentage
11      growth for that county over the subject calculation period
12      and awarded to each eligible entity as a proportional share
13      of the overall amount available for distribution to counties
14      growing in population.
15      (f)   Allocation of appropriations.--Money appropriated to the
16   department for grants awarded under the program shall be
17   allocated annually, based upon eligible applications as follows:
18            (1)   Fifty percent to eligible entities within counties
19      growing in employment.
20            (2)   Fifty percent to eligible entities within counties
21      growing in population.
22      (g)   Use of grant money.--Grants awarded under the program
23   are subject to the same purposes, limitations, conditions and
24   requirements specified in section 1513 or 1516.
25      (h)   Local match requirement limitation.--The department may
26   not require a local match requirement greater than the match
27   requirement under section 1513(d).
28      (i)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
29   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
30   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

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 1      "American community survey."     An ongoing annual survey by the
 2   United States Census Bureau that publishes and collects data on
 3   the population of the United States in accordance with 13 U.S.C.
 4   §§ 141 (relating to population and other census information) and
 5   193 (relating to preliminary and supplemental statistics).
 6      "County growing in employment."    A county with a total number
 7   of employed individuals in the preceding calendar year which is
 8   higher than the total number of employed individuals in that
 9   county over the preceding five years.
10      "County growing in population."    A county with a total
11   population in the grant application year which is higher than
12   the total population of that over the preceding five years.
13      "Local area unemployment statistics."    Information published
14   by a program that is a Federal-State cooperative effort between
15   the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department
16   of Labor and the Department of Labor and Industry of the
17   Commonwealth in which monthly estimates of total employment and
18   unemployment are prepared and published on a periodic basis.
19      "Program."   The Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
20   Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program
21   established under subsection (a).
22      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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