HARRISBURG – When state Rep. Matt Gabler (R-Clearfield/Elk) asked – and was appointed – to serve on the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, one of his focal points was making a difference for our emergency responders. Now, he’s one step closer to achieving that goal.
“I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to amend a key piece of legislation (House Bill 1834) that would give our fire companies much-needed flexibility when it comes to the funding they receive,” Gabler said.
“Fiscal responsibility oftentimes means loosening some of the reins we’ve put into place and giving those individuals on the front lines the ability and time to make the hard decisions when it comes to how best to serve their communities.”
On Wednesday, the House sent to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk legislation Gabler successfully amended to help fire companies better plan for long-term projects.
“Under current law, the fire grant system operates under a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ concept where the allocated money must be spent within a 12-month period or be forfeited,” added Gabler.
“Doing away with that restriction and allowing fire companies to bank that grant money for up to five years makes it easier to plan for larger projects and purchases such as building construction or acquisition of apparatus.”
House Bill 1673 also includes the language from Gabler’s previously approved House Bill 1705 that would give school districts the option of offering a property tax credit for volunteer first responders.
“It is one way we can say thank you to the men and women who make sacrifices for our communities and often put their lives on the line in the name of public safety,” Gabler commented.
Questions about this legislation or any state-related matter may be directed to Gabler’s DuBois office at 814 375-4688, his St. Marys office at 814-781-6301 or his Clearfield office at 814-765-0593.