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PRINTER'S NO. 2348
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1887
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY GREEN, HILL-EVANS, KINKEAD, SANCHEZ, KAZEEM, KHAN,
CERRATO, GIRAL, PROBST, OTTEN, D. WILLIAMS, MAYES,
HOHENSTEIN, BOYD, PARKER, CIRESI, K.HARRIS AND WAXMAN,
SEPTEMBER 26, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Safe Communities
Grant Program and the Safe Communities Grant Program Fund;
and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime
and Delinquency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 58A
SAFE COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM
Sec.
58A01. Definitions.
58A02. Grant program.
58A03. Safe Communities Grant Program Fund.
58A04. Applications.
58A05. Award of program grants.
58A06. Reports.
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§ 58A01. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"C ommission." The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
Delinquency.
"Eligible applicant." A municipality located within this
Commonwealth that has not received a grant from the program in
the previous five years.
"Fund." The Safe Communities Grant Program Fund established
under section 58A03 (relating to Safe Communities Grant Program
Fund).
"Municipality." A county, city, borough, incorporated town,
township, home rule municipality, optional plan municipality,
optional charter municipality or similar general purpose unit of
government that may be created or authorized by statute or
school district.
"Program." The Safe Communities Grant Program established
under section 58A02 (relating to grant program).
§ 58A02. G rant program.
(a) Establishment.--The Safe Communities Grant Program is
established as a competitive grant program within the
commission.
(b) Deposits.--Money appropriated to the program by the
General Assembly shall be deposited into the fund.
(c) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to award grants
to improve public health and safety around this Commonwealth
through the installation and maintenance of lighting or security
cameras, or both, in and around high crime areas, as determined
by the commission, with priority to be given to schools,
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playgrounds and recreation and senior centers .
(d) Administration.--The commission shall administer the
program.
(e) Public notice.--The commission shall provide information
regarding the availability and award of program grant money on
the commission's publicly accessible Internet website.
§ 58A03. Safe Communities Grant Program Fund.
(a) E stablishment.--The Safe Communities Grant Program Fund
is established as a separate fund in the State Treasury.
(b) Appropriation.--All money deposited into the fund and
interest earned on the money in the fund are appropriated to the
commission on a continuing basis to award grants under this
chapter.
§ 58A04. Applications.
(a) Forms.-- The commission shall develop annual grant
application forms for any eligible applicants that seek a
program grant. At a minimum, the forms shall contain the
following information:
(1) The name, address and contact information of the
municipality.
(2) The amount of program grant money requested.
(3) The proposed use for the requested program grant
money.
(4) If applicable, a detailed plan describing the
monitoring of any security cameras installed with money from
the program.
(5) If applicable, a detailed maintenance plan for any
lighting installed with money from the program.
(6) Any other information that the commission deems
necessary and appropriate.
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(b) Application period.--Beginning no later than 180 days
after the effective date of this section, the commission shall
begin accepting and processing applications. For all subsequent
years, the commission shall establish an application period
during which applications for grants under this chapter are
accepted.
§ 58A05. Award of program grants.
(a) Review.--After review of the information provided under
each applicant's submitted application form, the commission
shall determine whether to award grant program money to the
applicant and, if so, the amount of the program grant money
awarded.
(b) Allocation.--The commission may not award a grant in
excess of $25,000 nor provide grants in excess of the amount in
the fund.
(c) Competitive nature of awards.--Program grants shall be
awarded on a competitive basis to eligible applicants. In
awarding program grants, the commission shall:
(1) Give preference to applicants whose grant proposals
demonstrate the greatest likelihood of reducing the number of
persons victimized by gun violence in their community.
(2) Consider the scope of the applicant's proposal and
the applicant's demonstrated need for additional resources to
effectively reduce gun violence in the affected municipality.
(d) Time periods.--
(1) The commission shall approve or deny an application
no later than 60 days after the receipt of the application.
(2) If the commission fails to approve or deny within 60
days after the receipt of the application, the application
shall be deemed denied.
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(e) N otice.--
(1) The commission shall provide written notice to the
applicant of the award or denial of the program grant money.
(2) Notice of the award of program grant money shall
include the amount of the program grant money awarded and any
conditions or restrictions on the use of the program grant
money.
(3) Notice of the denial of all or part of the program
grant money requested shall include the reasons for the full
or partial denial.
§ 58A06. Reports.
No less than every three years, the commission shall prepare
and submit a report to the General Assembly regarding the rate
of gun violence in municipalities that received grants from the
program.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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