Pennsylvania SB 146: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, in emergency COVID-19 response, providing for extension of use of certain funds; in Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, further providing for Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program; in cigarette sales and licensing, further providing for definitions and providing for allowable mode of operations for licensed cigarette stamping agents; in joint underwriting association, further providing for fund transfers; providing for food processing residuals; in financially distressed municipalities, further providing for financial recovery; in oil and gas wells, further providing for Oil and Gas Lease Fund and providing for deep wells and Utica Shale permits and for well plugging; providing for manufacturing and investment tax credit, for Innovate in PA 2.0 Tax Credit and for design build best value; in human services, further providing for medical assistance payments for institutional care, for resident care and related costs and for LIFE Program and providing for transition to chip-enabled access cards, for Medical Assistance Reentry Program, for Children's Trust Fund and for medical assistance pharmacy services; in additional keystone opportunity expansion zones, providing for additional zone for shipbuilding and for additional zones; providing for residential revitalization keystone opportunity zones and for violent incident clearance and technological investigative methods; in special funds, further providing for funding and for Pennsylvania Convention Center; in additional special funds and restricted accounts, providing for Veterans' Trust Fund Board and further providing for establishment of special fund and account, for use of fund and for distributions from Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund; in additional special funds and restricted accounts, further providing for deposits and providing for Professional Licensure Augmentation Account; in general budget implementation, further providing for Executive Offices, for Department of Agriculture, for Department of Corrections, for Department of Labor and Industry and for Department of Transportation, providing for Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and further providing for Commonwealth Financing Authority, for Federal and Commonwealth use of forest land, for Multimodal Transportation Fund, for School Safety and Security Fund, for State Gaming Fund, for State Employees' Retirement System Restricted Account and for Public School Employees' Retirement System Restricted Account; in retirement, providing for 2026 special ad hoc municipal police and firefighter postretirement adjustment, for supplemental annuities for public school employees commencing 2026, for supplemental annuities for State employees commencing 2026 and for payment of supplemental annuity and special ad hoc postretirement adjustment; in electricity load forecast accountability, providing for energy and water reporting and for advanced transmission technologies; in 2025-2026 budget implementation, further providing for Department of Agriculture, for Department of Human Services and for Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency; providing for 2026-2027 budget implementation and for 2026-2027 restrictions on appropriations for funds and accounts; in fiscal supplements to statutory programs, providing for amusement tax clarification, for situs for local sales tax for cities of the first class, for situs for local sales tax for counties of the second class, for net income and for housing; abrogating a regulation; making repeals; providing for suspension of pension actuarial notes; and making editorial changes.

Bill Text

HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 93, 131, 1222,
1290, 1320, 1831 PRINTER'S NO. 1888
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 146
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, BROOKS, BARTOLOTTA, FONTANA, BROWN,
PENNYCUICK, COSTA, STEFANO AND ROBINSON, JANUARY 22, 2025
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JULY 11, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in State Veterans' Commission and
Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans' Affairs, further
providing for DEFINITIONS AND FOR Veterans' Trust Fund; and
establishing the Veterans' Trust Fund Board.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1721(e) of Title 51 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
adding a subsection to read:
§ 1721. Veterans' Trust Fund.
* * *
SECTION 1. SECTION 1701 OF TITLE 51 OF THE PENNSYLVANIA
CONSOLIDATED STATUTES IS AMENDED BY ADDING DEFINITIONS TO READ:
§ 1701. DEFINITIONS.
THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES WHEN USED IN THIS CHAPTER
SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SECTION UNLESS THE
CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE:
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"BOARD." THE VETERANS' TRUST FUND BOARD ESTABLISHED UNDER
SECTION 1721(E) (RELATING TO VETERANS' TRUST FUND).
* * *
"FUND." THE VETERANS' TRUST FUND ESTABLISHED UNDER SECTION
1701-A.1 OF THE ACT OF APRIL 9, 1929 (P.L.343, NO.176), KNOWN AS
THE FISCAL CODE.
SECTION 2. SECTION 1721(A) INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH, (C)
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH, (E) AND (F) OF TITLE 51 ARE AMENDED AND
THE SECTION IS AMENDED BY ADDING A SUBSECTION TO READ:
§ 1721. VETERANS' TRUST FUND.
(A) SOURCE OF REVENUE.--IN ADDITION TO TRANSFERS UNDER
SECTION 1719-G OF THE ACT OF APRIL 9, 1929 (P.L.343, NO.176),
KNOWN AS THE FISCAL CODE, THE [VETERANS' TRUST FUND] FUND SHALL
INCLUDE FUNDS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:
* * *
(C) AUTHORIZED PURPOSES.--THE DEPARTMENT MAY EXPEND MONEY
FROM THE [VETERANS' TRUST FUND] FUND FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
* * *
(e) Operation.--
(1) The department shall adopt a statement of policy for
the maintenance and use of the fund within 60 days of the
effective date of this section. The policy shall be published
as a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, but shall not be
subject to review under section 205 of the act of July 31,
1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the Commonwealth
Documents Law, sections 204(b) and 301(10) of the act of
October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth
Attorneys Act or the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181),
known as the Regulatory Review Act.
(2) The Veterans' Trust Fund Board is established as an
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advisory board within the department. The following shall
apply:
(i) The purpose of the Veterans' Trust Fund Board
BOARD is to increase donations to ensure the effective
management and impactful distribution of THE FUND,
PROVIDE FOR THE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND AND
EFFECTUATE AN EQUITABLE AND BROAD DISTRIBUTION OF money
in the Veterans' Trust Fund FUND .
(ii) The Veterans' Trust Fund Board BOARD shall have
the following duties:
(A) Advise the department on the priorities of
the Veterans' Trust Fund grants.
(B) Re view Veterans' Trust Fund grant
applications.
(C) Raise public awareness of the Veterans'
Trust Fund FUND TO ENCOURAGE DONATIONS AND
ORGANIZATION PARTICIPATION .
(D) Recommend performance audit metrics for
REVIEW FUND AUDITS AND REPORTS AND RECOMMEND
PERFORMANCE AUDIT METRICS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
AUDITOR GENERAL TO BE UTILIZED AND IMPLEMENTED BY
organizations receiving Veterans' Trust Fund grants.
(E) Recommend legislative or policy changes
NECESSARY to enhance the Veterans' Trust Fund FUND
AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF MONEY FROM THE FUND .
(F) Review audits and reports with the
department and the chairperson and minority
chairperson of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the
chairperson and minority chairperson of the Veterans
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Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the
House of Representatives.
(II.1) THE DUTIES OF THE BOARD UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH
(II) RELATING TO GRANTS SHALL NOT APPLY TO FUNDS
DISTRIBUTED UNDER CHAPTER 85 (RELATING TO VETERANS'
TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE).
(iii) M embers of the Veterans' Trust Fund Board
BOARD shall be veterans, family members of veterans and
OR individuals who have extensive experience in serving
veterans. In determining who to appoint to the Veterans'
Trust Fund Board BOARD , consideration shall be given to
subject matter experts in veterans issues regarding
behavioral health, mental health, posttraumatic stress
disorder injuries, physical disabilities, EMPLOYMENT,