PRINTER'S NO. 1835
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1292
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, KEARNEY, MILLER AND COSTA, JULY 17, 2024
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, JULY 17, 2024
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.--The following apply:
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); or
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) Appropriations.--
16 (1) Money shall be appropriated on an annual basis for
17 the purpose of awarding grants under the program. The
18 appropriation under this paragraph shall be in addition to
19 any money allocated under section 1513 or 1516.
20 (2) Money appropriated to the department for the program
21 shall be allocated annually, based upon eligible applications
22 as follows:
23 (i) Fifty percent to eligible entities within
24 counties growing in employment.
25 (ii) Fifty percent to eligible entities within
26 counties growing in population.
27 (g) Use of grant money.--Grants awarded under the program
28 are subject to the same purposes, limitations, conditions and
29 requirements specified in section 1513 or 1516.
30 (h) Local match requirement limitation.--The department may
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 1 not require a local match requirement greater than the match
2 requirement under section 1513(d).
3 (i) Definitions.--The following words and phrases when used
4 in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this
5 subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
6 "American community survey." An ongoing annual survey by the
7 United States Census Bureau that publishes and collects data on
8 the population of the United States in accordance with 13 U.S.C.
9 §§ 141 (relating to population and other census information) and
10 193 (relating to preliminary and supplemental statistics).
11 "County growing in employment." A county with a total number
12 of employed individuals in the preceding calendar year which is
13 higher than the total number of employed individuals in that
14 county over the preceding five years.
15 "County growing in population." A county with a total
16 population in the grant application year which is higher than
17 the total population of that over the preceding five years.
18 "Local area unemployment statistics." A program that is a
19 Federal-State cooperative effort between the Bureau of Labor
20 Statistics of the United States Department of Labor and the
21 Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth in which
22 monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment are
23 prepared and published on a periodic basis.
24 "Program." The Supplemental Public Transportation Operating
25 Assistance Allocation for Growing Counties Grant Program
26 established under subsection (a).
27 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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