Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB1306

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/1/26
• Refer: 5/1/26

Caption

In public safety, providing for Hospital Security Grant Fund.

Summary

SB1306 creates a new Hospital Security Grant Fund within the State Treasury to help nonprofit hospitals pay for security-related improvements. The bill defines eligible projects broadly to include physical security assessments, safety planning, security equipment and technology, training, structural upgrades, threat-response measures, and other projects that improve hospital safety. Grants would be administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Health, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The fund would be initially capitalized by a $10 million transfer from unexpended, unencumbered, or uncommitted prior-year General Fund money, with additional funding possible through future legislative transfers or appropriations. The bill sets a maximum award of $150,000 per eligible applicant per fiscal year, limits indirect costs to 10%, and caps administrative expenses at 3% of program funding. It also gives priority to hospitals that have experienced violence or threats and to hospitals in designated medically underserved areas in rural counties. The chapter would expire on July 1, 2031.

Impact

If enacted, SB1306 would amend Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new chapter establishing a dedicated grant program for hospital security. It would create a continuing appropriation for the fund, authorize a one-time transfer of state General Fund dollars into the program, and direct the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to administer grants for nonprofit hospitals. The bill would affect nonprofit hospitals statewide, especially those in rural or medically underserved areas, by providing state support for security upgrades and related planning and training.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a public safety and hospital protection initiative rather than a controversial policy change. Its structure suggests broad support for improving security at hospitals, particularly in response to violence, threats, and vulnerabilities in underserved communities. No formal vote history or transcript is available here to indicate opposition or amendments.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are fiscal and administrative rather than ideological. The bill uses $10 million in prior-year General Fund money for the initial transfer, which could raise budget concerns about diverting unused state funds and about whether the transfer could affect other appropriations. There may also be debate over prioritization criteria, including whether rural medically underserved hospitals should receive preference and whether the $150,000 cap is sufficient for larger security projects. In addition, some stakeholders could question the limits on indirect costs and the short-lived nature of the program, which expires in 2031.