1Establishing a hydrogen fuel cell collaboration program;
2providing for powers and duties of the Department of
3Environmental Protection and for grants; requiring a report
4by the department; and making an appropriation.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Short title.

8This act shall be known and may be cited as the Hydrogen Fuel
9Cell Collaboration Act.

10Section 2. Definitions.

11The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13context clearly indicates otherwise:

14"Department." The Department of Environmental Protection of 
15the Commonwealth.

16"Hydrogen fuel cell." Any electrochemical device that 
17converts chemical energy in a hydrogen-rich fuel directly into 
18electricity, heat and water without combustion.

1"Institution of higher education." Any public or private 
2institution within this Commonwealth authorized by the 
3Department of Education to grant an associate of arts degree or 
4higher academic degree.

5"Nonprofit corporation." Any business entity organized under 
615 Pa.C.S. Pt. II Subpt. C (relating to nonprofit corporations) 
7located in this Commonwealth.

8"Qualified business." Any business, located within this 
9Commonwealth, engaged in the research, development or production 
10of hydrogen fuel cells.

11Section 3. Hydrogen fuel cell collaboration program.

12(a) Establishment.--A hydrogen fuel cell collaboration
13program is established in the department for the purpose of
14research into the technical and cost barriers associated with
15the commercialization and adaptation of hydrogen fuel cell
16technology. The collaboration shall consist of a partnership
17among one or more qualified businesses and one or more nonprofit
18corporations or institutions of higher education.

19(b) Appropriation.--The sum of $5,000,000 is hereby
20appropriated from the General Fund to the department to award
21grants under this act.

22(c) Grant limits.--Grant funding under this act may not
23exceed $500,000 per partnership and are to be matched on a ratio
24of one to one by the grant recipients.

25(d) Application.--On or before January 1, 2015, a
26partnership may submit to the department an application for
27funding under this act. The application shall be on a form
28provided by the department and shall include all of the
29following:

30(1) A list of partners in the collaboration.

1(2) The name and address of each partner.

2(3) The name and address of the coordinator or executive
3director of the partnership.

4(4) Such other information as the department may
5require.

6(e) Review and award.--The department shall review the
7application. Upon being satisfied that the application is
8complete and accurate, the department shall approve the
9application and award the grant money to the partnership.

10Section 4. Report and recommendations.

11The committee shall make a report of the program listing the
12collaborations that were funded under this act, a brief
13description of the nature of their research and the amount of
14funding each collaboration received, as well as recommendations
15for improving upon the program within one year of awarding the
16first grants under this act and each subsequent year thereafter,
17to the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Minority Leader
18of the Senate, the chairman and minority chairman of the
19Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate, the
20Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of
21the House of Representatives and the chairman and minority
22chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of
23the House of Representatives.

24Section 5. Effective date.

25This act shall take effect immediately.