PRINTER'S NO. 1056
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.973
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, KENYATTA, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, GIRAL, BURGOS,
HILL-EVANS, SCHLOSSBERG, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, DOUGHERTY AND GREEN,
MARCH 19, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 19, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to area
government and intergovernmental cooperation, providing for
Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program and
establishing the Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation
Grant Program Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 23 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:
SUBCHAPTER D
MUNICIPAL POLICE ENHANCEMENT
CONSOLIDATION GRANT PROGRAM
Sec.
2351. Definitions.
2352. Establishment of program.
2353. Publication and notice of program.
2354. Award of grants.
2355. Applications for grants.
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19 2356. Accreditation or consolidation incentives.
2357. Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program
Fund.
§ 2351. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Application." An application submitted under section
2355(c) (relating to applications for grants) for a grant under
the program.
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
Delinquency.
"Consolidation." The process of consolidating two or more
municipal police departments under Subchapter A (relating to
intergovernmental cooperation) or by a contract for services.
"Fund." The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant
Program Fund established under section 2357(a) (relating to
Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program Fund).
"Municipal police department." A police department that has
been organized and established by a municipality.
"Municipality." A city of the second class A, city of the
third class, borough, township of the first class or township of
the second class.
"Program." The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation
Grant Program established under section 2352 (relating to
establishment of program).
§ 2352. Establishment of program.
The Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant Program
is established and shall be administered by the commission.
Grants provided under the program shall be used to improve and
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30 enhance the capabilities of municipal police departments,
incentivize consolidation and provide training and other
appropriate resources to municipal police officers.
§ 2353. Publication and notice of program.
The commission shall transmit notice of the availability of
grants under the program to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania
Bulletin within 120 days from June 30, 2026, for grants under
the program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and by
August 8 for grants under the program for each fiscal year
thereafter.
§ 2354. Award of grants.
(a) Authorization.--The commission may award grants under
the program to municipal police departments for any of the
following:
(1) Consolidation and improvements to infrastructure,
including expanding or modifying municipal police buildings
for the purpose of consolidation.
(2) Achieving accreditation standards of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police.
(3) Training and certification of municipal police
officers.
(4) Community outreach programs.
(b) Additional grants.--A municipal police department with
not more than 10 police officers shall be eligible to receive
additional grants under the program in accordance with the
certification bonus point system under section 2356 (relating to
accreditation or consolidation incentives) for any of the
following:
(1) Consolidation.
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International Association of Chiefs of Police.
(c) Grant limits.--
(1) A grant under the program shall be:
(i) Not less than $5,000 nor more than $100,000 per
municipal police department for the purpose of
consolidation.
(ii) Not less than $5,000 nor more than $50,000 per
municipal police department for the purpose of achieving
accreditation standards of the International Association
of Chiefs of Police.
(iii) Not less than $5,000 nor more than $15,000 per
municipal police department for the purposes of training
and certification of municipal police officers or for the
purpose of community outreach programs.
(2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
total dollar amount of applications submitted under section
2355(c) (relating to applications for grants) exceeds the
amount of money appropriated by the General Assembly for the
program.
§ 2355. Applications for grants.
(a) Instructions.--Within 120 days of June 30, 2026, for
applications for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and by
September 1 for applications for each fiscal year thereafter,
the commission shall provide written notice of the application
instructions to the chief of each municipal police department or
the chief executive of each municipality.
(b) Applications.--Within 180 days of June 30, 2026, for
applications for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and by
October 1 for applications for each fiscal year thereafter, the
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30 commission shall provide applications to the chief of each
municipal police department or the chief executive of each
municipality.
(c) Submission.--A municipal police department seeking a
grant under the program shall submit a completed application to
the commission within an application period prescribed by the
commission. The application period shall remain open for 60 days
each year.
(d) Approval or disapproval.--The commission shall approve
or disapprove an application received under subsection (c)
within 120 days after the close of the application period. An
application which has not been approved or disapproved by the
commission within 120 days after the close of the application
period shall be deemed approved.
§ 2356. Accreditation or consolidation incentives.
The commission shall establish a certification bonus point
system to provide additional grant funding to a municipal police
department which has achieved accreditation or consolidation.
§ 2357. Municipal Police Enhancement Consolidation Grant
Program Fund.
(a) Establishment.--The Municipal Police Enhancement
Consolidation Grant Program Fund is established as a separate
fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of making grants
under the program.
(b) Funding.--Grants under the program may be awarded from
money appropriated, allocated or otherwise made available to the
fund.
(c) Continuing appropriation.--All money deposited into the
fund and all interest accrued is appropriated to the commission
on a continuing basis for the purposes provided under this
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30 section.
(d) Administration.--The commission may not allocate more
than $500,000 of money in the fund for the administrative costs
of the program.
(e) Grant allocations.--After payment of administrative
costs under subsection (d), the money in the fund shall be
allocated as follows:
(1) Twenty-five percent of the money shall be used for
grants to municipal police departments that have achieved
consolidation.
(2) Seventy-five percent of the money shall be used for
grants to municipal police departments for the following
purposes:
(i) Achieving accreditation standards of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police.
(ii) Training and certification of municipal police
officers.
(iii) Community outreach programs.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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