PRINTER'S NO. 266
No. 246 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY A. K. HUTCHINSON AND PETRARCA, FEBRUARY 13, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 13, 1979
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
2 act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
3 welfare laws of the Commonwealth," adding a definition of
4 "local office" and further providing for powers of the
5 department as to public assistance, changing county boards to
6 advisory boards and redefining the powers and duties and
7 further defining public assistance administration at the
8 departmental and local levels.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Section 402, act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31,
12 No.21), known as the "Public Welfare Code," is amended by adding
13 a definition to read:
14 Section 402. Definitions.--As used in this article:
15 * * *
16 "Local office" means county assistance office.
17 * * *
18 Section 2. Subsection (b) of section 403 and sections 405,
19 406, 407, 409, the subdivision heading (c) of Article IV,
20 sections 415 and 416, the subdivision heading (d) of Article IV,
21 and sections 417, 418, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426
1 and 427 of the act, subsection (b) of section 403 amended July 2 15, 1976 (P.L.993, No.202), are amended to read: 3 Section 403. Uniformity in Administration of Assistance; 4 Regulations as to Assistance.--* * * 5 (b) The department shall administer a State-wide system of 6 assistance through local offices and shall establish rules, 7 regulations and standards, consistent with the law, as to 8 eligibility for assistance and as to its nature and extent. The 9 secretary or his designee in writing is the only person 10 authorized to adopt regulations, orders, or standards of general 11 application to implement, interpret, or make specific the law 12 administered by the department. The secretary shall issue 13 interim regulations whenever changes in Federal laws and 14 regulations supersede existing statutes. In adopting 15 regulations, orders or standards of general application, the 16 secretary shall strive for clarity of language which may be 17 readily understood by those administering aid and by those who 18 apply for or receive aid. 19 * * * 20 Section 405. Regulations as to Community Work and 21 Training.--The department shall establish rules, regulations and 22 standards, consistent with the Federal Social Security Act and 23 regulations issued thereunder, for administration by local 24 [boards] offices of community work and training programs for 25 employable recipients of assistance. The conditions applicable 26 to work performed by employable recipients of general assistance 27 shall be the same as those pertaining to recipients of 28 assistance for which Federal financial participation is 29 available to the Commonwealth, except that work required to be 30 performed by recipients of general assistance may be work for a 19790H0246B0266 - 2 -
1 public or nonprofit private agency. Any agency for which work is
2 performed under the provisions of this section shall reimburse
3 the persons performing such work for any additional expenses
4 reasonably attributable to such work, and for which provisions
5 are not made in the assistance grant or shall make provision for
6 meeting the needs for which such expenses would be incurred, to
7 the same extent and in the same manner that provision for
8 meeting such expenses or needs is made under rules and
9 regulations of the department in the case of other adult
10 assistance recipients who are employed. Such work shall be of a
11 constructive nature for the conservation of work skills and
12 development of new skills for individuals who have attained the
13 age of eighteen, and are receiving aid to families with
14 dependent children or general assistance under conditions which
15 are designed to assure protection of the health and welfare of
16 such individuals and the dependent children involved.
17 Section 406. Receipt and Allocation of Funds.--The
18 department shall have the duty:
19 (1) To receive and to supervise the disbursement of funds,
20 provided by the Federal government or from any other source for
21 use in this Commonwealth, for assistance.
22 (2) To allocate to the several assistance programs funds
23 with which to provide assistance and funds for administrative
24 expenses, and as may be needed, from time to time, to keep
25 reasonable emergency funds in the hands of local [boards]
26 offices, which shall be used, subject to the rules, regulations
27 and standards of the department, by the Executive Director for
28 the furnishing of assistance and pensions respectively in
29 emergency cases, upon application to him. [, or under the
30 direction of any member of the local board.]
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1 Section 407. [Supervision of County Boards.--The department 2 shall have the power to exercise general supervision of the 3 county boards of public assistance, and establish for such 4 boards, rules, regulations and standards.] Administration of 5 Local Offices.--The department shall administer assistance by 6 giving supervision and direction to the several local offices 7 and shall establish for such local offices rules, regulations 8 and standards relating to assistance and its administration. 9 Section 409. Collection of Information; Reports.--The 10 department shall have the duty: 11 (1) To gather and study current information constantly, and 12 to report, at least annually, to the Governor, as to the nature 13 and need of assistance, [as to the amounts expended under the 14 supervision of each county board, and as to the work of each 15 county board] in each county as to the amounts expended in each 16 county and the work of each local office and county advisory 17 board, and to cause such reports to be published for the 18 information of the public. 19 (2) To report, at least annually, to the Governor, as to the 20 cost of living in the various counties, as related to the 21 standards of assistance and the amounts expended for assistance, 22 and to cause such reports to be published for the information of 23 the public. 24 ARTICLE IV 25 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 26 * * * 27 (c) County Advisory Boards of Assistance; 28 Establishment 29 Section 415. Establishment of County Advisory Boards; 30 Expenses.--For each county of the Commonwealth, there is hereby 19790H0246B0266 - 4 -
1 established a county advisory board of assistance, to be known 2 as the County Advisory Board of Assistance and referred to in 3 this Article IV as the "county advisory board," which shall be 4 composed of men and women, to be appointed by the Governor with 5 the advice and consent of two-thirds of all members of the 6 Senate. The county advisory boards shall be composed as far as 7 possible of persons engaged or interested in business, social 8 welfare, labor, industry, education or public administration. 9 The members of the county advisory boards shall serve without 10 compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses. No 11 member of a county advisory board shall hold office in any 12 political party. Not all of the members of a county advisory 13 board shall belong to the same political party. 14 Section 416. Composition of County Advisory Boards; Terms; 15 Officers.--(a) Each county advisory board shall be composed of a 16 minimum of eleven members in counties of the first and second 17 classes, and of a minimum of seven members in other counties. 18 There shall be a maximum of fifteen members on any county 19 advisory board and, in addition thereto, the Governor shall 20 appoint as ex officio members two county commissioners, one from 21 each political party. Any vacancy caused by the expiration of a 22 term shall be filled by an appointment, in the manner above 23 provided, for a term of three years, and any vacancy, otherwise 24 caused, shall be filled for the duration of the unexpired term 25 by appointment, in the same manner. Any member of a county 26 advisory board who has served all or any portions of three 27 consecutive three-year terms, as above specified, shall be 28 ineligible for further reappointment until after one full term 29 has passed. 30 (b) Each county advisory board shall organize annually and 19790H0246B0266 - 5 -
1 elect from among its members a chairman, vice-chairman and a 2 secretary. 3 ARTICLE IV 4 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 5 * * * 6 [(d) County Boards; Powers and Duties] 7 Section 417. Personnel.--[Each county board] The department 8 shall: 9 (1) In accordance with the Civil Service Act, appoint, 10 transfer, lay off, suspend and remove its employes who shall, on 11 behalf of the [county board] department and under the 12 supervision of the Executive Director, provide assistance in the 13 territory under the jurisdiction of [the county board] each 14 local office in accordance with law. 15 (2) Determine the number of its employes and direct and 16 supervise their services so as to attain the maximum degree of 17 efficiency. 18 (3) From time to time, appoint such board of review as it 19 sees fit and proper, to hear and determine appeals by employes 20 from orders of demotion and of removal. 21 Section 418. [Conformity with Departmental Regulations; 22 Recommendations.-- Each county board shall conform to the rules, 23 regulations and standards, established by the department, and 24 may make recommendations to the department as to rules, 25 regulations and standards as to eligibility for assistance, and 26 as to the nature and extent of assistance.] County Advisory 27 Boards; Powers and Duties.--The county advisory boards in each 28 county shall: 29 (1) Give advice and make recommendations to the department 30 as to rules, regulations and standards relating to eligibility 19790H0246B0266 - 6 -
1 for assistance and as to the nature and extent of assistance. 2 (2) Advise the department with respect to the management and 3 operation of the local offices and any plans or programs for the 4 improvement of their operation. 5 (3) Keep under review all matters pertaining to the welfare 6 of assistance recipients, including former and potential 7 recipients, and to make recommendations to the department with 8 respect thereto. 9 (4) Develop and further means and methods of establishing 10 proper relations and understanding between the local office and 11 the community and to provide liaison between the local offices 12 and the community in order to serve the interests and needs of 13 both. 14 Section 419. Administration of Assistance and Related 15 Functions.--Each [county board] local office shall: 16 (1) Administer public assistance in the county, and 17 determine the eligibility for assistance of applicants and 18 continued eligibility for assistance of persons receiving the 19 same in accordance with law and rules, regulations and standards 20 established by the department. 21 (2) Take measures to promote the welfare and self-dependency 22 of individuals and families eligible for assistance by helping 23 them to secure rehabilitative, remedial or other constructive 24 aid, through local community resources, or in the absence or 25 inadequacy of such resources, through direct provision of such 26 aid, in accordance with rules, regulations and standards adopted 27 by the department. 28 (3) With the approval of the secretary, supervise the 29 administration of and promote any other public function related 30 to assistance, or the work of the department, [or of the county 19790H0246B0266 - 7 -
1 board,] which may be committed to the [county board] local 2 office by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth. 3 Section 420. Reports and Budget Requests.--Each [county 4 board] local office shall submit reports and budget requests to 5 the department as required and shall study, report and interpret 6 its policies, problems and work, to the department and to the 7 public. 8 Section 421. Community Work and Training Programs.--Each 9 [county board] local office shall administer community work and 10 training programs in accordance with law and the rules, 11 regulations and standards established by the department. 12 Section 422. Encouragement of Employment.--Each [county 13 board] local office shall encourage employable recipients of 14 assistance to accept full or part-time employment by providing 15 that such recipients will again be granted assistance upon the 16 termination of such employment, if in need thereof; and, any 17 rule or regulation of the department [or of the county board] 18 heretofore or hereafter adopted, contrary hereto, is hereby 19 voided. 20 Section 423. Hearing Appeals of Recipients.--[Each county 21 board shall hear and determine appeals from actions of its 22 employes affecting the rights of those applying for or receiving 23 assistance.] Any person applying for or receiving assistance of 24 any type [covered by the public assistance provisions of the 25 Federal Social Security Act,] may appeal to the department from 26 any decision of the [county board] local office, refusing or 27 discontinuing his assistance, in whole or in part. In every such 28 appeal, an opportunity for a fair hearing shall be granted. [, 29 and the decision of the department on such appeal shall be 30 final, except as otherwise hereinafter provided.] All such 19790H0246B0266 - 8 -
1 appeals shall be in accordance with rules and regulations 2 established by the department. [Any person applying for or 3 receiving assistance may appeal to the common pleas court of the 4 county in which such person resides from any decision of a 5 county board or of the department refusing or discontinuing his 6 assistance because he is deemed ineligible as a person who 7 advocates or actively participates by an overt act or acts in a 8 movement proposing a change in the form of government of the 9 United States by means not provided for in the Constitution of 10 the United States. Such appeal may be made within ten days after 11 receipt by such person of a registered mail notice of the 12 decision of the county board or of the department. The common 13 pleas court, as aforesaid, shall give such person an opportunity 14 for a fair hearing; at such hearing the burden of proof shall be 15 on the department. The decision of the common pleas court on 16 such appeal shall be final. All appeals from the county board to 17 the department or from the department or county board to the 18 common pleas court, as aforesaid, shall operate as a supersedeas 19 of any order of the county board or department in all cases 20 where the appellant is already receiving assistance.] 21 Section 424. Appointment of Committees.--Each county 22 advisory board may: 23 (1) Appoint labor review committees, composed of 24 representative citizens of the county, who shall serve without 25 compensation, and whose duty it shall be to pass on the 26 eligibility of any applicant for or recipient of general 27 assistance who shall refuse an offer of employment and whose 28 case shall be referred to such a committee by the county 29 advisory board. 30 (2) Appoint committees of the county advisory board or of 19790H0246B0266 - 9 -
1 local citizens in various communities of the county, as 2 circumstances may require, to cooperate with the county advisory 3 board in (i) supplying information as to the eligibility of 4 persons for assistance; (ii) recommending local policies; and 5 (iii) stimulating local employment; and, on petition of fifty or 6 more residents of any community, it shall be mandatory upon the 7 county advisory board to appoint a committee to function in such 8 community. 9 Section 425. Furnishing Information.--Upon request by any 10 adult resident of the Commonwealth, any [county board] local 11 office shall furnish the address and amount of assistance with 12 respect to persons receiving assistance about whom inquiry is 13 made, but such information shall not be used for commercial or 14 political purposes. 15 Section 426. Employment of Credit Rating Agencies.--As need 16 may require each [county board] local office may employ the 17 services of commercial credit rating agencies for the purpose of 18 determining eligibility for general assistance. 19 Section 427. Receipt and Expenditure of Contributions.--Each 20 [county board] local office may receive and spend contributions 21 from any source for purposes related to assistance, or to the 22 work of the department. 23 Section 3. This act shall take effect in six months. L19L63HVY/19790H0246B0266 - 10 -