SB 510 — An Act amending Title 54 (Names) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Program and for powers and duties of the Department of Community and Economic Development; establishing the Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund; and making an appropriation.

PRINTER'S NO.   504

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 510
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY KEARNEY, CAPPELLETTI, L. WILLIAMS, MUTH, SAVAL,
        STREET, HAYWOOD AND KANE, MARCH 27, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
        MARCH 27, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 54 (Names) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, providing for Compassionate Name Change Assistance
 3      Grant Program and for powers and duties of the Department of
 4      Community and Economic Development; establishing the
 5      Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund; and making
 6      an appropriation.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    Title 54 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
10   Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
11                                 CHAPTER 7A
12             COMPASSIONATE NAME CHANGE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM
13   Sec.
14   7A01.   Definitions.
15   7A02.   Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Program.
16   7A03.   Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund.
17   7A04.   Administration.
18   § 7A01.    Definitions.
19      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
 1   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 2   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 3      "Department."     The Department of Community and Economic
 4   Development of the Commonwealth.
 5      "Eligible applicant."     A nonprofit organization or a county
 6   or municipal government.
 7      "Eligible assistance program."        A program providing support
 8   and guidance, which is informational, emotional, social, legal
 9   or otherwise in nature, to individuals who confront biases or
10   inequalities based on gender or sexual stereotypes in navigating
11   the name change process in this Commonwealth.
12      "Fund."      The Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund
13   established under section 7A03 (relating to Compassionate Name
14   Change Assistance Grant Fund).
15      "Grant program."     The Compassionate Name Change Assistance
16   Grant Program established under section 7A02 (relating to
17   Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Program).
18      "Nonprofit organization."     A corporation or other entity
19   based in this Commonwealth that is an exempt organization as
20   defined under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) (relating to exemption from
21   tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.).
22   § 7A02.    Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Program.
23      (a)    Establishment.--The Compassionate Name Change Assistance
24   Grant Program is established as a competitive grant program
25   within the department.
26      (b)    Eligible uses of grant money.--Grants under the grant
27   program may only be used for the costs of administering an
28   eligible assistance program.
29      (c)    Department powers and duties.--
30             (1)   The department shall provide grants under the grant

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 1      program in accordance with this chapter to eligible
 2      applicants to administer eligible assistance programs.
 3             (2)   The department shall determine the form and manner
 4      by which an eligible applicant may apply for funding under
 5      section 7A04 (relating to administration). The application
 6      shall be posted on the department's publicly accessible
 7      Internet website.
 8             (3)   The department may establish guidelines for
 9      implementing the grant program under this section. The
10      guidelines shall be posted on the department's publicly
11      accessible Internet website.
12   § 7A03.    Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund.
13      (a)     Establishment.--The Compassionate Name Change Assistance
14   Grant Fund is established in the State Treasury.
15      (b)     Appropriation.--All money deposited into the fund and
16   the interest the money accrues shall be appropriated to the
17   department on a continuing basis to award grants under this
18   chapter.
19      (c)     Transfers from General Fund.--In addition to any amounts
20   otherwise authorized to be appropriated or made available to the
21   fund for the grant program, the sum of $2,000,000 shall be
22   transferred to the fund from the General Fund for the purposes
23   of the grant program.
24      (d)     Administrative costs.--No more than 1% of the money in
25   the fund may be used for reasonable administrative costs.
26   § 7A04.    Administration.
27      (a)     Applications.--An application for a grant under this
28   chapter shall be submitted by an eligible applicant in the form
29   and manner prescribed by the department.
30      (b)     Application period.--Beginning no later than 180 days

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 1   after the effective date of this subsection, the department
 2   shall begin accepting and processing applications on a rolling
 3   basis until the grant program funding available for the fiscal
 4   year has been exhausted.
 5      (c)   Review process.--The department shall review
 6   applications and make awards subject to subsection (d) on a
 7   rolling basis. The department shall approve or deny an
 8   application no later than 30 days after the receipt of the
 9   application. An eligible applicant may revise and resubmit a
10   denied application to the department.
11      (d)   Allocation.--An eligible applicant may not receive more
12   than the following amounts in any fiscal year:
13            (1)   Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3):
14                  (i)    The minimum grant amount awarded may not be less
15            than $5,000.
16                  (ii)    The maximum grant amount awarded may not be
17            more than $100,000.
18            (2)   The department may award a grant of not more than
19      $75,000 to eligible applicants that are headquartered within
20      a city of the first class or second class.
21            (3)   The department may award a grant of between $75,001
22      and $100,000 inclusive to eligible applicants that are:
23                  (i)    headquartered outside of a city of the first
24            class or second class; or
25                  (ii)    implementing a new eligible assistance program
26            for the first time in the same fiscal year for which the
27            grant is awarded.
28      (e)   Limitations.--
29            (1)   The department may not provide grants in excess of
30      the amount of money in the fund.

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 1            (2)   The department may prorate the grant amount to an
 2      eligible applicant.
 3            (3)   The department may only award a grant to an eligible
 4      applicant that establishes to the department that the
 5      administration of its eligible assistance program involves at
 6      least one resident of this Commonwealth who identifies as
 7      transgender or nonbinary with specialized experience in
 8      assisting individuals who confront biases or inequalities
 9      based on gender or sexual stereotypes in navigating the name
10      change process in this Commonwealth.
11      (f)   Evaluation.--The department shall evaluate the
12   utilization of grant program money, including an analysis of the
13   total amount of grants awarded, each eligible applicant that
14   received a grant and the efficacy of the eligible assistance
15   programs funded through the grant program, based on
16   disaggregated data. The department shall conduct the evaluation,
17   at a minimum, every three years after the establishment of the
18   grant program and shall post the evaluation on the department's
19   publicly accessible Internet website.
20      Section 2.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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