THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY MURPHY, WAGNER, BISHOP, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, CREIGHTON, DEASY, HALUSKA, KORTZ, KULA, MUNDY, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, QUINN, SIPTROTH, BENNINGHOFF, MILNE, VULAKOVICH, GRUCELA, JOSEPHS, MURT, LONGIETTI, HORNAMAN, SWANGER, MELIO, BRADFORD AND SAMUELSON, AUGUST 6, 2009

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, NOVEMBER 9, 2009   

AN ACT

Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, providing for disposition of agency

records upon closure.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 2911.  Disposition of agency records upon closure.

As soon as practicable, but no less than 30 days prior to the

date on which an agency will cease to operate as a legal entity

in this Commonwealth, the agency shall, unless it has applied to

operate as a new legal entity, notify the Department of Public

Welfare of its intention to cease operating. Within this time

period, the agency shall submit a plan to the department

relating to the closure and transfer of case records to another

agency. The plan shall be subject to approval by the department.

In preparation for closure and transfer of case records, the

agency shall label its case records to identify the court that

finalized an adoption or the court where a petition to terminate

parental rights or to adopt has been filed. The Within 30 days

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following approval of a plan, the department shall notify each

court identified by the agency of the name, address and

telephone number of the agency that has ceased to operate and

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the agency to which case records have been transferred.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 180 days.