HB450 aims to aid municipalities in revitalizing downtown commercial areas by supporting eligible applicants like local governments, nonprofit organizations, and business improvement districts. The bill permits various activities, including main street designation, planning grants, façade improvement grants, operational grants, anchor building grants, downtown reinvestment grants, and regional main street coordination designation.
The Pennsylvania State House of Representatives passed HB450 on June 6, 2023 by a vote of 166 to 47. We have assigned pluses to the nays because the government should not issue grants for multiple reasons, including the fact that government grants involve picking winners and losers, and they expand the size of government. Government grants interfere in commerce when they should let the free market work.