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PA SB646

PA SB646
In additional special funds and restricted accounts, establishing the Survivor-Centered, Accessible, Fair and Empowering Housing Trust Fund; and making an interfund transfer.


summary

Introduced
04/21/2025
In Committee
04/21/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

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 Commonwealth," in additional special funds and restricted accounts, establishing the Survivor-Centered, Accessible, Fair and Empowering Housing Trust Fund; and making an interfund transfer.

AI Summary

This bill establishes the Survivor-Centered, Accessible, Fair and Empowering Housing Trust Fund, a new fund in the State Treasury designed to support victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, human trafficking, and stalking. The fund will be administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and will be financed through multiple sources, including an initial $1,000,000 transfer from the General Fund, a $10 fee on each deed or mortgage filing, and optional $5 contributions during driver's license, identification card, and vehicle registration renewals. The fund's primary purpose is to provide access to emergency, transitional, and permanent housing programs for survivors and their immediate family members, regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Grant recipients, such as domestic violence and rape crisis programs, can use the funds for various housing-related services including affordable housing, relocation services, rent subsidies, security deposit stipends, and homeownership financing. The bill requires the agency to report annually on the fund's revenues, expenditures, and impact, and mandates that the Auditor General conduct an audit every three years. The legislation emphasizes a "housing as a right" approach, focusing on providing housing without requiring survivors to demonstrate housing readiness.

Committee Categories

Housing and Urban Affairs

Sponsors (14)

Last Action

Referred to Urban Affairs & Housing (on 04/21/2025)

bill text


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