PRINTER'S NO. 2583
No. 2044 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY PUNT, GLADECK, ZORD, LASHINGER, SIRIANNI, NOYE,
ARTY, BURD, POTT, CESSAR, ZELLER, PERZEL, GIAMMARCO,
R. CLARK, DeVERTER, ARMSTRONG, MANMILLER, CIMINI, SCHEAFFER,
W. W. FOSTER, MADIGAN, COSLETT, SIEMINSKI, McVERRY, GRUPPO,
FISCHER, LEVI, PYLES, E. Z. TAYLOR, POLITE, CORNELL, LEWIS,
NAHILL, MOWERY, PRATT, BORSKI, DIETZ, SWIFT, BOWSER, BITTLE,
LETTERMAN, BELARDI, M. H. GEORGE, CAPPABIANCA, MILLER, LEHR,
ALDEN, PETERSON, GAMBLE, E. H. SMITH, ZITTERMAN, COCHRAN,
TELEK, S. E. HAYES, JR., GEIST, E. G. JOHNSON, PITTS, FREIND,
DAVIES, McCLATCHY, RYAN, MACKOWSKI, DUFFY, MRKONIC, CHESS,
COLE, SPITZ, GRIECO, WASS, E. R. LYNCH, MOEHLMANN, WENGER,
ANDERSON, DORR, HONAMAN, KLINGAMAN, GATSKI, BROWN, ROCKS,
SERAFINI, McKELVEY, HASAY, CALTAGIRONE, BRANDT, FISHER AND
McMONAGLE, DECEMBER 3, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, DECEMBER 3, 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," limiting general
4 assistance to chronically needy persons and transitionally
5 needy persons.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Clause (3) of section 432, act of June 13, 1967
9 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the "Public Welfare Code," amended
10 April 1, 1976 (P.L.64, No.28), is amended to read:
11 Section 432. Eligibility.--Except as hereinafter otherwise
12 provided, and subject to the rules, regulations, and standards
13 established by the department, both as to eligibility for
1 assistance and as to its nature and extent, needy persons of the
2 classes defined in clauses (1), (2), (2)(i) and (2)(ii) shall be
3 eligible for assistance:
4 * * *
5 (3) Other persons who are citizens of the United States, or
6 legally admitted aliens and who are chronically needy or
7 transitionally needy persons.
8 (i) Chronically needy persons are those persons chronically
9 in need who may be eligible for an indeterminate period as a
10 result of medical, social or related circumstances and shall
11 include, but not be limited to, the following:
12 (A) A child who is under age sixteen, or who is under
13 twenty-two and attending high school, an approved program of
14 vocational training on a full-time basis, or undergraduate
15 college on a full-time basis. No general assistance shall be
16 paid to any full-time undergraduate student at a college or
17 university who has not participated in a Federally subsidized
18 program for dependent children within the previous five years.
19 (B) A person who is over fifty-five years of age.
20 (C) A person who has a serious physical or mental handicap
21 which prevents him or her from working in an employment
22 situation.
23 (D) A lone caretaker for one or more dependents.
24 (E) A person suffering from drug or alcohol abuse who is
25 currently undergoing active treatment in an approved program.
26 (F) A person over age forty-five who has been certified by
27 the Bureau of Employment Security as being vocationally unable
28 to obtain employment.
29 (ii) Assistance for chronically needy persons shall continue
30 as long as the person remains eligible. Redeterminations shall
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1 be conducted on at least an annual basis and persons capable of
2 work, even though otherwise eligible for assistance to the
3 chronically needy, would be required to register for employment
4 and accept employment if offered as a condition of eligibility
5 except as otherwise exempt under section 405.1.
6 (iii) Transitionally needy persons are those persons who are
7 otherwise eligible for general assistance but do not qualify as
8 chronically needy. Assistance for transitionally needy persons
9 shall be authorized in the form of a single grant not to exceed
10 the amount of thirty days assistance in any twelve-month period.
11 * * *
12 Section 2. This act shall be implemented during the six-
13 month period following the effective date hereof. During that
14 time, the eligibility of all recipients receiving general
15 assistance as of the effective date of this act shall be
16 redetermined. General assistance recipients found eligible as
17 chronically needy would be continued as general assistance
18 recipients beyond the six-month implementation period so long as
19 they maintained their eligibility. Transitionally needy
20 recipients would be eligible for the one time grant of up to
21 thirty days assistance at the end of the six-month
22 implementation period. Provisions of this act shall apply to new
23 applicants for general assistance as of the effective date of
24 the act.
25 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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