PRINTER'S NO. 3009
No. 2340 Session of 1980
INTRODUCED BY EARLEY, PUNT, STREET, BARBER, ALDEN, SPITZ,
DURHAM, RYAN, FREIND, MICOZZIE, ARTY, OLIVER, DeVERTER,
WHITE, WILLIAMS, HARPER, SHADDING, IRVIS, SERAFINI, DAVIES,
KLINGAMAN, BRANDT, RICHARDSON, FEE, BURD, TADDONIO, JONES,
COCHRAN, GALLEN, GEIST, GANNON, COSLETT, NOYE, PYLES,
S. E. HAYES, JR., PETERSON, RHODES, McCLATCHY, WASS,
MANMILLER, MADIGAN, KANUCK, GRUPPO, SWIFT, DORR, CALTAGIRONE,
McVERRY, SIEMINSKI, PUCCIARELLI, GEESEY, LEVIN,
A. C. FOSTER, JR., HONAMAN, BELARDI, KOWALYSHYN, M. R. CLARK,
SALVATORE, McKELVEY, ROCKS, PERZEL, D. M. O'BRIEN, SELTZER,
MOEHLMANN, POLITE, CESSAR, FISHER, LEVI, C. GEORGE, SPENCER,
L. E. SMITH, BOWSER, CIMINI, GRIECO, VROON, THOMAS, HELFRICK
AND MILLER, MARCH 3, 1980
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 3, 1980
AN ACT
1 Authorizing the Department of Community Affairs to plan and
2 administer a Statewide community conservation and employment
3 opportunities incentive grant program.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Community
8 Conservation and Employment Opportunities Incentive Grant Act."
9 Section 2. Findings and purpose.
10 (a) The General Assembly finds that there are persons who
11 lack the academic and vocational education and training
12 necessary to obtain and hold employment in the present-day
13 economy, and that there is a need to:
1 (1) utilize fully the potentials of individuals who are
2 currently unemployed, underemployed or employed in jobs or
3 industries which are being rendered technologically obsolete
4 or are closing their operations in Pennsylvania;
5 (2) erase the impediments to the full utilization of
6 human resources fostered by discrimination against minority
7 groups in education, training and job placement;
8 (3) cooperate with private enterprise to provide
9 vocational and related education and training to strengthen
10 the economy of the Commonwealth; and
11 (4) eliminate the conditions which doom persons and
12 families to lifelong unemployment, underemployment and the
13 dependency upon the aid, care and support of welfare
14 agencies.
15 (b) The General Assembly also finds that there is a need to
16 provide an incentive grant program to help meet the problems of
17 the structurally unemployed and underemployed, especially among
18 the youth of the Commonwealth, and to provide incentive funding
19 so as to improve the related efforts of community-based
20 organizations, educational institutions and political
21 subdivisions in providing effective employment and training
22 efforts that lead to permanent, full-time private employment and
23 that there is a need to:
24 (1) Achieve maximum efficiency in the administration and
25 coordination of available local, State and Federal funds.
26 (2) Provide academic, vocational education, training and
27 job counseling necessary for persons, especially youth, to
28 obtain and retain employment in the Commonwealth.
29 (3) Ensure that there is effective coordination and
30 unification of program resources where such coordination
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1 would result in more effective services to the economically
2 and socially disadvantaged.
3 (4) Initiate meaningful participation of community
4 residents in the planning and execution of programs for
5 social and economic development improvement which result in
6 increasing the economic well-being of the communities and
7 their residents.
8 (5) Provide required support to meet critical needs that
9 cannot be achieved by other funding sources and allow for the
10 effective utilization of these funds.
11 (6) Encourage linkages and coordination of related
12 programs that deal with community conservation and employment
13 opportunities.
14 Section 3. Definitions.
15 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
16 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
17 meanings given to them in this section:
18 "Community-based organization" or "agency." Any private or
19 public nonprofit corporation which is representative of a
20 community or a significant segment of a community; any community
21 action agency as recognized under the Federal Economic
22 Opportunity Act of 1964; or any opportunities industrialization
23 center as recognized by the Opportunities Industrialization
24 Centers of America.
25 "Department." The Department of Community Affairs.
26 "Educational institution." Any school district, area
27 vocational-technical school, community college, college,
28 university or certified educational institution.
29 "Grant." Funds made available by contract for purposes and
30 services eligible for assistance under this act.
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1 "Secretary." The Secretary of Community Affairs.
2 Section 4. Program authorization.
3 (a) The department is hereby authorized to make grants to
4 municipalities, educational institutions and community-based
5 organizations for the planning and implementation of projects
6 under this act. These grants shall be used for the purpose of:
7 (1) Supporting programs of academic, vocational
8 education, training and job counseling necessary for
9 structurally unemployed or underemployed persons, especially
10 youth, to obtain and retain bona fide employment. Such
11 employment, whenever possible, should be within the private
12 sector.
13 (2) Developing and carrying out programs to reduce
14 dependency upon the aid and care of welfare agencies, to
15 reduce chronic unemployment and to assist in local efforts to
16 reduce community deterioration.
17 (3) Improving and diversifying the economic base of
18 communities for the purpose of increasing unsubsidized,
19 private sector job opportunities for low-income and
20 chronically unemployed persons, especially youth and
21 strengthen ongoing programs in these areas.
22 (4) Supporting and encouraging community conservation
23 and employment opportunities programs to improve the
24 physical, economic and social status of low-income community
25 or neighborhood residents and enable them to become socially
26 and economically self-sustaining.
27 (b) The department, in order to administer the incentive
28 grant program, is authorized to:
29 (1) Notify localities of the availability of incentive
30 grant funding and suggest the types of programs and
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1 activities upon which grant applications will be considered.
2 (2) Provide technical assistance to develop, organize,
3 coordinate and implement projects funded under this act.
4 (3) Use such personnel in the department as may be
5 necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.
6 (c) In the administration of the use of funds available to
7 the Commonwealth under the Federal Comprehensive Employment and
8 Training Act of 1973, the Department of Labor and Industry shall
9 assure priority to and coordination of funds available to
10 complement the goals of this act.
11 Section 5. General powers and duties; regulations.
12 (a) It shall be the duty of the department to administer
13 this act through employees and offices of the department, as
14 provided herein and in accordance with rules and regulations
15 promulgated by the department and agreements consumated between
16 the department and a grantee agency. In so doing the secretary
17 shall draw upon other departments and agencies of the
18 Commonwealth for additional support, staff and expertise to
19 assist in changes of funding, administrative procedures and
20 rules and regulations to assist in meeting the goals of this
21 act.
22 (b) The department shall submit to the Governor and to each
23 House of the General Assembly an annual report covering the
24 administration and operation of this act and shall make such
25 recommendations for amendments to this act as it deems proper.
26 Such reports and recommendations shall be presented on or before
27 December 31 of each year.
28 (c) In order to effectuate and enforce the provisions of
29 this act, the department is authorized to promulgate necessary
30 rules and regulations and prescribe conditions and procedures in
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1 order to assure compliance in carrying out the purposes for
2 which grants may be made hereunder.
3 Section 6. Grant requirements.
4 (a) All applicants for grants under this act shall be
5 required to demonstrate that the project meets the following
6 criteria:
7 (1) Linkage with and the participation of entities of
8 the community such as the private business sector, labor
9 organizations, vocational education, school districts,
10 employment and training sponsors, the county boards of
11 assistance and community-based organizations.
12 (2) Provisions for such support services as remedial and
13 career education, academic education, counseling, in-service
14 training and job-based curriculums.
15 (3) Maximized use of State incentive grant funds with
16 other Federal, State, local or private funding sources.
17 (4) Demonstrate that funding would result in the
18 creation of permanent private job opportunities and community
19 improvement benefits.
20 (5) Demonstrate previous capability to administer
21 comprehensive, coordinated programs of this nature.
22 (6) Demonstrate the involvement and participation of
23 citizens affected in the development of the application.
24 (b) The department shall use the following procedures in
25 issuing grants:
26 (1) Advertise the availability of incentive grants to
27 all community-based groups, educational institutions and
28 municipalities through whatever method it deems appropriate.
29 (2) Establish deadlines for grant applications which
30 will insure the competitive evaluation of alternative
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1 proposals.
2 (3) With the aid and advice of other departments and
3 agencies who assist in meeting the goals of this act, review
4 all the applications.
5 (4) Give priority to applications which demonstrate the
6 potential for future operations without reliance upon
7 incentive grant funds.
8 (c) All grant applications and materials submitted in
9 support of any grant application shall be deemed public records.
10 Section 7. Repeals.
11 Act of January 26, 1968 (P.L.48, No.9), entitled "An act
12 authorizing grants by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to duly
13 constituted community action agencies providing conditions and
14 making an appropriation."
15 Act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.736, No.232), known as the
16 "Manpower Employment Assistance and Training Act."
17 Section 8. Effective date.
18 This act shall take effect July 1, 1980.
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