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PRINTER'S NO. 690
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 676
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY KHAN, FLICK, O'MARA, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, HANBIDGE,
HILL-EVANS, HOWARD, SCHLOSSBERG, HARKINS, BOROWSKI, OTTEN,
CERRATO AND GREEN, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, establishing the First Responder
Resilience Grant Program and the First Responder Resilience
Grant Program Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency.
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 75B
FIRST RESPONDER RESILIENCE GRANTS
Subchapter
A. Preliminary Provisions
B. First Responder Resilience Grant Program
C. First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund
D. Miscellaneous Provisions
SUBCHAPTER A
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
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Sec.
75B01. Scope of chapter.
75B02. Definitions.
§ 75B01. Scope of chapter.
This chapter relates to first responder resilience grants.
§ 75B02. 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:
"Agency." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
"Evidence-based tool." As follows:
(1) A service or program that is designed for a first
responder to withstand, recover from and grow in the face of
stressors, trauma and the changing demands resulting from the
unique work of the first responder.
(2) The term includes:
(i) Peer mentoring.
(ii) Training and assistance regarding emotional and
mental health.
(iii) Integrative medicine, physical relaxation and
mindfulness techniques, including massage therapy, talk
therapy, yoga and meditation.
(iv) Suicide prevention.
(v) Stress reduction techniques.
(vi) Support services for the first responder and
the family of the first responder.
"First responder." As defined in paragraphs (1), (2), (3),
(4), (5) and (7) of the definition of "first responder" under
section 79C11 (relating to definitions).
"First responder organization." An entity in this
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Commonwealth for which a first responder is employed or
volunteers for service.
"Fund." The First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund
established under section 75B21 (relating to establishment of
fund).
"Mental health care." Any care, treatment, service or
procedure to maintain, diagnose, treat or provide for mental
health, including any medication program or therapeutic
treatment.
"Mental health provider." A person that is licensed,
certified or otherwise authorized by the laws of this
Commonwealth to administer or provide mental health care in the
ordinary course of business or practice of a profession.
"Program." The First Responder Resilience Grant Program
established under section 75B11 (relating to establishment of
program).
"Resilience coach." An individual who:
(1) Is a mental health provider.
(2) Supports the mental health and wellness of the first
responders within a first responder organization by providing
the first responders with evidence-based tools to withstand,
recover and grow in the face of stressors, trauma and the
changing demands of the unique work of first responders.
SUBCHAPTER B
FIRST RESPONDER RESILIENCE GRANT PROGRAM
Sec.
75B11. Establishment of program.
75B12. Purpose of program.
75B13. Application form.
75B14. Review and determination.
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75B15. Distribution of grants.
§ 75B11. Establishment of program.
The First Responder Resilience Grant Program is established
within the agency, which shall implement and administer the
program in accordance with this chapter.
§ 75B12. Purpose of program.
The purpose of the program is to award grants to first
responder organizations, on a competitive basis, to defray
personnel costs, including salaries and overtime, involved in
embedding resilience coaches into first responder organizations.
§ 75B13. Application form.
(a) Development.--The agency shall develop an application
form for first responder organizations to apply for grants under
the program.
(b) Contents.--The application form for a grant under the
program must include at least the following information:
(1) The name, address and contact information of the
first responder organization requesting the grant.
(2) The amount of the requested grant.
(3) The proposed use for the requested grant.
(4) Any other information that the agency deems
necessary and appropriate.
§ 75B14. Review and determination.
(a) Process generally.--The agency shall prescribe the
process to submit and review completed application forms in
accordance with this section.
(b) Acceptance of completed application forms.--
(1) Beginning no later than 180 days after the effective
date of this paragraph, the agency shall begin accepting and
processing applications for grants under the program.
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(2) For all subsequent years, the agency shall establish
an application period during which applications for grants
under the program are accepted.
(c) Review.--After receiving a completed application for a
grant under the program from a first responder organization, the
agency shall review the application and determine:
(1) Whether to award the grant to the first responder
organization, in whole or in part.
(2) The amount of any grant awarded, along with any
conditions for or restrictions on the use of the grant.
(d) Consideration and preference.--
(1) Grants under the program shall be awarded on a
competitive basis.
(2) In awarding grants under the program, the agency
shall give preference to first responder organizations whose
application demonstrates the greatest likelihood to fulfill
the purposes of the program.
(e) Time periods.--
(1) The agency shall approve or deny an application
under the program no later than 60 days after the receipt of
the application.
(2) If the agency fails to approve or deny the
application in accordance with paragraph (1), the application
shall be deemed denied.
(f) Notice.--The agency shall provide notice of the
determination under subsection (c), including:
(1) In the case of approval of the application, the
amount of the grant and any conditions for or restrictions on
the use of the grant.
(2) In the case of a full or partial disapproval of the
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application, the reasons for the full or partial disapproval.
§ 75B15. Distribution of grants.
(a) Amount.--The agency may establish limits on the amount
of a grant for a first responder organization.
(b) First-come, first-served basis.--The agency shall
distribute grants under the program on a first-come, first-
served basis determined by the agency and until all the money in
the fund is exhausted.
SUBCHAPTER C
FIRST RESPONDER RESILIENCE GRANT PROGRAM FUND
Sec.
75B21. Establishment of fund.
75B22. Operation of fund.
75B23. Fund sources.
§ 75B21. Establishment of fund.
The First Responder Resilience Grant Program Fund is
established as a nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury to carry
out the purposes of the program.
§ 75B22. Operation of fund.
(a) Appropriation.--All money deposited into the fund and
interest and other earnings on the money in the fund are
appropriated to the agency on a continuing basis to award grants
under the program.
(b) End of fiscal year.--Any money remaining in the fund at
the end of each fiscal year, including interest and other
earnings, shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain
in the fund.
§ 75B23. Fund sources.
The agency may solicit and accept funding for the program,
including money appropriated by the General Assembly, Federal
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money, grants, donations, gifts and other payments from any
source, which shall be deposited into the fund.
SUBCHAPTER D
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec.
75B31. Educational materials.
75B32. Posting of information.
75B33. Reports.
75B34. Guidelines, rules and regulations.
§ 75B31. Educational materials.
The agency shall ensure the development of educational
materials about best practices regarding mental health care and
evidence-based tools.
§ 75B32. Posting of information.
The agency shall post the following on its publicly
accessible Internet website:
(1) Information regarding the availability of grants
under the program.
(2) The application form under section 75B13 (relating
to application form).
(3) Recipients of grants under the program.
(4) The educational materials described under section
75B31 (relating to educational materials).
§ 75B33. Reports.
(a) Annual reports required.--No later than the first
September 1 that is at least one year after the effective date
of this subsection, and each September 1 thereafter, the agency
shall issue an annual report detailing the operation of the
program and fund during the preceding year.
(b) Contents.--Each annual report under this section must
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include the following:
(1) The number of first responder organizations that
sought a grant under the program, including the total amount
of the grants sought under the program.
(2) The number of first responder organizations that
received a grant under the program, including the amount of
the grant that each first responder organization received
under the program.
(3) The number of first responder organizations that
were denied, in whole or in part, a grant under the program,
including the reasons for the full or partial denial.
(4) The money remaining in the fund.
(5) Any other information deemed necessary by the
agency.
(c) Transmittal.--Each annual report under this section
shall be transmitted to the following:
(1) The Governor.
(2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
(3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
(d) Posting.--The agency shall post each annual report under
this section on the publicly accessible Internet website of the
agency.
§ 75B34. Guidelines, rules and regulations.
The agency shall adopt or promulgate any guideline, rule or
regulation necessary to implement and administer the provisions
of this chapter.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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