PRINTER'S NO. 3687
No. 2540 Session of 1984
INTRODUCED BY COHEN, HARPER, STEWART, BURNS, McMONAGLE,
DONATUCCI, KOSINSKI, CARN, PETRONE, DeLUCA, FREEMAN, WAMBACH,
KASUNIC AND BELFANTI, OCTOBER 3, 1984
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, OCTOBER 3, 1984
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," creating an advocacy
21 program for welfare applicants and recipients.
22 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
23 hereby enacts as follows:
24 Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
25 as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a
26 section to read:
27 Section 2333. Advocacy Programs for Welfare Applicants and
1 Recipients.--(a) The Department of Public Welfare shall
2 establish positions in each county board of assistance whose
3 jobs shall be to actively assist and advocate for each welfare
4 applicant or recipient who may be eligible for Federal Social
5 Security Income or Social Security Disability Income disability
6 benefits to obtain their statutory entitlement.
7 (b) The department shall review all current caseloads of
8 welfare recipients, giving priority to those termed chronically
9 needy on the general assistance rolls and others, including
10 children in families receiving public assistance, who show any
11 evidence of being disabled. Any individuals appearing to meet
12 Federal eligibility criteria for Social Security Disability
13 Income or Social Security Income shall be assigned to specially
14 designated staff to assist and advocate for them to obtain these
15 entitlements.
16 (c) The department shall pursue regular training programs
17 for its specialist staff so designated in the law and advocacy
18 techniques for Federal disability benefits.
19 (d) The department shall report annually to the General
20 Assembly on the results of this program including a cost-benefit
21 analysis determined by the costs of staff so designated and the
22 benefits to both claimants and the Commonwealth of securing
23 Federal disability benefits and foregoing reliance on various
24 State and local government benefits and services.
25 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
I19L71SG/19840H2540B3687 - 2 -