Pennsylvania Statutes Title 72 P.S. Taxation and Fiscal Affairs § 1735-A.1. COVID-19 response transfers for assistance to the Commonwealth's health care system

(a) Transfers.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Secretary of the Budget may transfer the sum of $50,000,000 from special funds under the Governor's jurisdiction to a restricted account as provided under subsection (b). These funds shall be used to acquire medical equipment and supplies for health care entities to meet urgent patient and staff needs to address surge demand. Health care entities shall include, but not be limited to, hospitals, nursing facilities and emergency medical services.

(b) Deposit.--The funds transferred under subsection (a) shall be deposited by the Secretary of the Budget into a restricted account within the General Fund of the State Treasury as necessary to make payments under this section and, when transferred, are hereby appropriated to carry out the provisions of this section related to the Commonwealth's COVID-19 response.

(c) Deficit.--The Secretary of the Budget may not make a transfer of funds if the transfer would result in a deficit in any of the funds.

(d) Authorization.--The Secretary of the Budget shall only be authorized to make transfers under subsection (a) to the extent that funding authorized by the Federal Government and the Governor’s disaster proclamation are insufficient to meet the needs of the Commonwealth's COVID-19 response.

(e) Notification.--The Secretary of the Budget shall provide notification to the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives 24 hours prior to making any transfers under subsection (a). The notification shall include the name of the special fund and the dollar amount to be transferred.

(f) Report.--Beginning June 1, 2020, and the first day of each month thereafter, the Secretary of the Budget shall provide a report detailing all spending related to the COVID-19 response the Commonwealth has made during the preceding month, including any funding made available through the Federal Government, the Governor's disaster proclamation, an agency budget or the transfers under this section. The report shall include the recipient, the dollar amount and a detailed explanation of the purpose of the spending. The Secretary of the Budget shall provide the report to the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.

(g) Expiration.--The authority to transfer funds under subsection (a) shall expire on September 30, 2020.

(h) Definitions.--As used in this section, the term “COVID-19” shall mean the novel coronavirus as identified in the Governor's Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 6, 2020.