Pennsylvania SB 753: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, establishing the Put Down Roots PA Pilot Program; and providing for duties of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 789
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 753
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SANTARSIERO, MILLER, HUGHES, SAVAL, HAYWOOD, KANE,
KEARNEY, COSTA, CAPPELLETTI AND MALONE, MAY 12, 2025
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MAY 12, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled
"An act relating to the finances of the State government;
providing for cancer control, prevention and research, for
ambulatory surgical center data collection, for the Joint
Underwriting Association, for entertainment business
financial management firms, for private dam financial
assurance and for reinstatement of item vetoes; providing for
the settlement, assessment, collection, and lien of taxes,
bonus, and all other accounts due the Commonwealth, the
collection and recovery of fees and other money or property
due or belonging to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
including escheated property and the proceeds of its sale,
the custody and disbursement or other disposition of funds
and securities belonging to or in the possession of the
Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims against the
Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and appeals to the
courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to the
Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth and
all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes
to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of
section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of
certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every
department, board, commission, and officer of the State
government, every political subdivision of the State, and
certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,
association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or
collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws
imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
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Commonwealth," establishing the Put Down Roots PA Pilot
Program; and providing for duties of Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known
as The Fiscal Code, is amended by adding an article to read:
ARTICLE I-M
PUT DOWN ROOTS PA PILOT PROGRAM
Section 101-M. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency.
"Manufactured home." Any of the following:
(1) A manufactured home as defined in 42 U.S.C. §
5402(6) (relating to definitions).
(2) A mobile home as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102
(relating to definitions).
"Program." The Put Down Roots PA Pilot Program established
under section 102-M(a).
Section 102-M. Establishment of program.
(a) Establishment.--The Put Down Roots PA Pilot Program is
established within the agency.
(b) Purpose.--The program shall provide student loan relief
for an individual who purchases a home in this Commonwealth for
the first time.
Section 103-M. Duties of agency.
The agency shall have the following duties:
(1) Administer the program and, in the agency's sole
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discretion, award a grant under the program to an individual
who submits a completed application to the agency and meets
the eligibility criteria under section 104-M.
(2) Develop an application form that an individual may
use to apply for a grant award under the program.
(3) Award grants under the program in a geographically
diverse manner throughout this Commonwealth.
Section 104-M. Program eligibility.
An individual who meets all of the following criteria shall
be eligible to submit an application to the agency for a grant
award under the program:
(1) Has purchased a home within this Commonwealth.
(2) Lives in or intends to live in the home as the
individual's primary residence.
(3) Has never purchased or owned a home in this
Commonwealth prior to the purchase of the home under
paragraph (1).
(4) Agrees to reside in the home for a minimum of three
years.
(5) Has an annual household income that does not exceed
$200,000.
Section 105-M. Limitations on grants.
(a) Amount.--The agency may award a grant under the program
to an individual who submits a completed application to the
agency and meets the eligibility requirements under section 104-
M in an amount not to exceed $40,000.
(b) Prohibition.--The agency may not award any of the
follo