Committee Approves Grove Law Enforcement Grant Legislation
HARRISBURG – Legislation, sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) to help enhance public safety was approved in the House Finance Committee today.
House Bill 176 would provide grants to eligible police departments across the Commonwealth to defray costs for: vehicle purchases, camera purchases, speed timing devices, training, personnel costs and community law enforcement efforts. The legislation would further clarify of a previous grant program, which authorized the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to award similar grants under the Local Law Enforcement Grant program.
A February audit from state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale reported that the Gaming Control Board only awarded 25 percent of the $4 million eligible to be awarded to law enforcement agencies between 2013-15. Grove’s legislation would move the grant program under the purview of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DCED), which handles other grant programs for the Commonwealth. The grant program would be funded by an annual $2 million transfer from the State Gaming Fund to DCED.
“My legislation would ensure that needed funds to help support our local law enforcement officials would be awarded on an annual basis, by moving it from the purview of the Gaming Control Board to DCED. As the auditor general’s report noted, between 2013-15, nearly $3 million that was meant to support law enforcement was unused. By moving the management of the grant DCED, we can be certain that our emergency responders receive the level of support they were eligible to receive,” said Grove.
The legislation will now be considered by the full House of Representatives.
For more information visit
repgrove.com or
Facebook.com/RepSethGrove.
Representative Seth Grove
196th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Eric Reath
717.260-6187
ereath@pahousegop.com
RepGrove.com /
Facebook.com/RepSethGrove