Section 1735-E. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
The following shall apply to appropriations for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency:
(1) Money appropriated for State disaster assistance shall be used to provide disaster recovery assistance for emergencies and declared disasters. Amounts under this paragraph shall be used as follows:
(i) Registration and disaster case management for impacted individuals, temporary housing for individuals, repair of residential property and immediate serious-needs assistance after an emergency or declared disaster. One-time serious-needs payments may be made to eligible households per disaster upon a verified damage assessment and in compliance with eligibility rules issued by the agency. A household shall not be eligible under this subparagraph if the household received compensation from insurance or another funding source.
(ii) Assistance to county and municipal governments to restore public infrastructure to predisaster condition, remove debris and take emergency protective measures that are not compensated by insurance or another funding source in compliance with eligibility rules issued by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
(iii) Administrative costs of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency directly related to administering this paragraph in an amount not more than 2% of the appropriation.
(2) The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency shall develop guidelines to implement paragraph (1) and submit the guidelines to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(3) Paragraph (1) shall apply to all money appropriated prior to the 2026-2027 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter.
(4) Assistance to fire companies and EMS companies shall be as follows:
(i) Notwithstanding 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364(a)(1) (relating to assistance to fire companies and EMS companies), the amount of a loan for establishing or modernizing facilities made to any one fire company or EMS company may not exceed 50% of the total cost of facilities or modernization or $750,000, whichever is less.
(ii) Notwithstanding 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364(a)(2), and subject to paragraph (3), the amount of a loan made for purchasing firefighting apparatus to any one fire company may not exceed $375,000 for a single firefighting apparatus equipment or utility or special service vehicle or heavy duty rescue vehicle as defined by regulation or guideline of the Office of the State Fire Commissioner or 50% of the total cost of the equipment or vehicle, whichever is less.
(iii) A loan for firefighting aerial apparatus as defined by regulation or guideline of the agency may not exceed $750,000.
(iv) The amount of a loan made to any one fire company or EMS company for any ambulance or light duty rescue vehicle as defined by regulation or guideline of the agency may not exceed $200,000 and, for a watercraft rescue vehicle, may not exceed $75,000 or 50% of the cost of the ambulance or rescue vehicle, whichever is less.
(v) Protective equipment obtained through loans under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364 must meet standards adopted by the State Fire Commissioner to ensure that the protective equipment does not contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
(vi) Notwithstanding 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364(a)(3), a notarized financial statement must be filed and a loan under this subchapter for the purchase of protective, accessory or communicative equipment may not exceed $75,000.
(vii) Notwithstanding 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364(a)(5), a loan for repair or rehabilitation of a single apparatus equipment that no longer meets the standards of the National Fire Protection Association and the repair or rehabilitation of which will bring the equipment into compliance with the standards shall be for at least $3,000 and may not exceed the lesser of $150,000 or 80% of the total cost of repair or rehabilitation.
(viii) Notwithstanding 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364(a)(6), a loan for the purchase of used single firefighting apparatus or equipment, used ambulances, used rescue vehicles, used communications equipment, used accessory equipment or used protective equipment, except that used vehicles and equipment shall meet standards of the National Fire Protection Association and the amount may not exceed $300,000 or 80% of the total cost of the equipment, whichever is less.
(ix) Notwithstanding 35 Pa.C.S. § 7364(b), a loan made by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner in:
(A) the amount of $50,000 or less shall be for a period of not more than 10 years;
(B) excess of $50,000 but not in excess of $300,000 shall be for a period of not more than 20 years; and
(C) excess of $300,000 may not exceed 30 years.
(x) Beginning January 1, 2028, and continuing each January 1 thereafter, all loan limits specified under this paragraph shall increase at the rate of inflation as outlined in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area for the most recent 12-month period for which the figures have been reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the rate of inflation does not increase, all loan limits shall remain the same as for the previous year. The Office of the State Fire Commissioner shall transmit notice of loan limit increases to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(1735-E added July 12, 2026, P.L.265, No.21)