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Committee reports grant program to bolster municipal police consolidation and accreditation to the House
Summary
The House Local Government Committee voted 14–12 to report HB 973, which would create a PCCD-administered Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program (caps: $100,000 per award; 3% admin cap) and require a study on program effectiveness.
The House Local Government Committee on the floor reported House Bill 973 to the full House after adopting an omnibus amendment that expands eligibility and sets program limits.
Representative Brennan, the bill sponsor, said HB 973 “is intended to save tax dollars and expand local police coverage,” arguing the measure would help municipalities that are moving to part-time policing or disbanding departments. The bill would establish a Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to support consolidation, accreditation and related equipment, technology and personnel costs.
Committee staff summarized amendment A03100, which the committee adopted. The amendment clarifies that a municipality or a municipal police department may apply; requires grant applications to explain how funds support accreditation or consolidation goals; instructs PCCD to review applications in consultation with the governor’s Office of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Community and Economic Development; and directs PCCD to ensure awards are geographically dispersed across the Commonwealth. The amendment also expands eligible uses to include shared equipment, facility modifications, personnel costs, information-technology upgrades (including body-worn and vehicle cameras), policy development, community engagement programs and other activities that directly support consolidation or accreditation. It limits individual grants to no more than $100,000 and caps administrative costs at 3% of the program funding. The amendment requires the Local Government Commission to report on program funding and effectiveness by Dec. 31 following the end of the third fiscal year that grants are available.
Chairman Miller urged the committee to add clearer criteria to the bill for how grants would be awarded, warning the current text left selection criteria unspecified and raised the risk of favoritism. “I think we need some specific criteria outlined in this bill to define who gets the grant so that no favoritism or other criteria could be used,” he said. Miller also expressed concern about municipalities “double-dipping” by obtaining multiple grants for the same activity.
Supporters, including Brennan, said consolidation and accreditation produce economies of scale and reduce insurance exposure while improving professional standards and morale. Brennan said the proposal is aimed at helping local governments preserve public safety and avoid shifting burdens onto the Pennsylvania State Police.
Chairman Freeman noted the amendment language came from PCCD and said the administration supports the recommendations. After debate on perfecting amendments, the committee defeated a Miller amendment (which would have moved the program into the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Municipal Assistance Program) in a roll-call vote, 14–12.
The committee then reported HB 973 to the House for consideration by a roll-call vote of 14–12. The report to the floor does not enact the program; it moves the bill to the next legislative stage for full House consideration.
