PRINTER'S NO. 883
No. 792 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY D. R. WRIGHT, J. L. WRIGHT, COHEN, JOSEPHS,
D. W. SNYDER, ROBINSON, LETTERMAN, MICOZZIE, BISHOP,
KOSINSKI, FOX, DALEY, McCALL, STEIGHNER, HERMAN, FREEMAN,
ITKIN, HARPER, BATTISTO, BELARDI, CAWLEY, RYBAK, VAN HORNE,
STABACK, COY, HALUSKA, BELFANTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, JOHNSON,
LASHINGER, DeLUCA, MILLER, VEON, KASUNIC, SERAFINI, CORNELL,
PISTELLA, LAUGHLIN AND RUDY, MARCH 14, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON YOUTH AND AGING, MARCH 14, 1989
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Commission for Children; and making an
2 appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Commission
7 for Children Act.
8 Section 2. Statement of intent.
9 The General Assembly, recognizing the often severe and always
10 sensitive issues surrounding concerns of children, finds that
11 the many State and local agencies responding to the problems of
12 children require coordination and interagency communication. The
13 General Assembly further finds that a need exists for a single,
14 specific organization responsible for such coordination to
15 monitor the needs of children, to plan for the meeting of these
1 needs and to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the
2 Commonwealth's capacity to respond to the problems of children.
3 Section 3. Commission established.
4 There is established the Commission for Children consisting
5 of 15 members as follows:
6 (1) The President pro tempore of the Senate and the
7 Senate Minority Leader shall each appoint one member from the
8 present membership of the Senate Committee on Aging and
9 Youth. The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
10 House Minority Leader shall each appoint one member from the
11 present membership of the House Committee on Health and
12 Welfare.
13 (2) The President pro tempore of the Senate and the
14 Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint
15 one member of their respective chambers who has demonstrated
16 concern for children's issues. The chairman of the
17 Legislative Children's Caucus shall be the appointee of the
18 leader of the body of which he or she is a member.
19 (3) One member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
20 House of Representatives and shall be a child psychiatrist or
21 a child psychologist.
22 (4) One member shall be appointed by the President pro
23 tempore of the Senate and shall be an active classroom
24 teacher.
25 (5) Two members shall be appointed by the Governor, one
26 a lawyer and one a pediatrician, who are knowledgeable
27 concerning issues of children.
28 (6) One member shall be appointed by the House Majority
29 Leader and shall represent a Statewide advocacy agency for
30 children.
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1 (7) One member shall be appointed by the Senate Majority
2 Leader and shall be a private citizen who has demonstrated an
3 interest in children's issues.
4 (8) One member shall be appointed by the President Judge
5 of the Superior Court and shall be an active judge
6 knowledgeable on children's issues.
7 (9) The Deputy Secretary of the Office of Children,
8 Youth and Families in the Department of Public Welfare shall
9 be a member.
10 (10) The Deputy Secretary for Public Health Programs in
11 the Department of Health shall be a member.
12 Section 4. Terms.
13 (a) Appointment by Governor.--The Governor shall appoint, on
14 or before July 1, 1989, one member for a term of one year and
15 one member for a term of two years. Thereafter, the Governor
16 shall appoint members to succeed those whose terms expire for
17 terms of three years; however, in any vacancy existing more than
18 90 calendar days, the Governor forfeits that appointment and the
19 Speaker of the House of Representatives shall fill the vacancy
20 in accordance with section 3.
21 (b) Appointment by speaker.--The Speaker of the House of
22 Representatives shall appoint, on or before July 1, 1989, one
23 member for a term of one year and two members for a term of
24 three years. Thereafter, he shall appoint members to succeed
25 those whose terms expire for terms of three years.
26 (c) Appointment by President pro tempore.--The President pro
27 tempore of the Senate shall appoint, on or before July 1, 1989,
28 one member for a term of one year and two members for a term of
29 three years. Thereafter, he shall appoint members to succeed
30 those whose terms expire for a term of three years.
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1 (d) Majority Leaders.--The House Majority Leader and the
2 Senate Majority Leader shall each appoint, on or before July 1,
3 1989, one member for a term of two years. Thereafter, they shall
4 appoint a member to succeed the member whose term expires for a
5 term of three years.
6 (e) Minority Leaders.--The House Minority Leader and the
7 Senate Minority Leader shall each appoint, on or before July 1,
8 1989, one member for a term of two years. Thereafter, they shall
9 appoint a member to succeed the member whose term expires for a
10 term of three years.
11 (f) Vacancies.--Vacancies in the appointed membership of the
12 commission shall be filled by the original appointing authority
13 for the balance of the unexpired term except in subsection (a).
14 (g) Election.--The members shall elect annually from the
15 membership a chairperson and a vice chairperson.
16 (h) Expenses.--The members of the commission shall receive
17 no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for
18 any necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
19 duties.
20 Section 5. Review of statutes.
21 The commission shall review all general statutes and
22 regulations with regard to matters involving children and shall,
23 on or before July 1, 1989, and annually thereafter on or before
24 October 1, make a report of its findings with regard to any
25 matter before it with specific recommendations for legislation
26 to the General Assembly and the Governor.
27 Section 6. Commission responsibilities.
28 The commission shall meet regularly to review all matters
29 concerning children and in furtherance of that responsibility
30 shall:
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1 (1) Meet at least twice a year with the department
2 secretaries, State agency executive directors, and other
3 State and local officials and members of advisory committees
4 to State departments and agencies who have responsibility for
5 the expenditure of State or Federal funds on behalf of
6 children.
7 (2) Receive from the executive, legislative and judicial
8 branches requests for review and recommendation by the
9 commission on any matter related to children.
10 (3) Meet at least twice a year with representatives of
11 the judicial branch, including judges, public defenders,
12 probation officers and other representatives of the judicial
13 branch whose responsibilities include children's issues.
14 (4) Meet with and be available to representatives of
15 private providers of services to children, foster parents and
16 support groups to children for the purpose of understanding
17 their concerns with regard to the provision of services to
18 children.
19 (5) Receive from individuals and agencies identified in
20 paragraph (4) requests for review and recommendation by the
21 commission on any matter related to children and the delivery
22 of services to children.
23 (6) Review coordination and assess programs and
24 practices in all State agencies as they affect children.
25 (7) Establish a system of coordination and communication
26 between all State and private agencies involved with
27 children's issues and the commission.
28 (8) Inform leaders of the business community, education
29 community, State and local governments and the communications
30 media of the nature and scope of problems faced by children,
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1 in order to enlist their support in improving the statutorily
2 required services, the State budgeting process and State
3 policies concerning children.
4 (9) Serve as a liaison between government and private
5 groups concerned with children.
6 (10) Coordinate its activities with the Pennsylvania
7 Commission for Women in areas of mutual concern.
8 (11) Administer the Children's Trust Fund.
9 Section 7. Commission powers.
10 The powers of the commission shall include, but not be
11 limited to, the power to:
12 (1) Use such services of private individuals, agencies
13 and organizations, including voluntary services, as may, from
14 time to time, be offered and needed.
15 (2) Recommend policies, procedures and practices to
16 agencies and officers of the State and local governments
17 relative to children. The commission shall forward these
18 recommendations periodically to the appropriate committees of
19 the General Assembly.
20 (3) Obtain administrative, secretarial, legal and
21 technical services as it may require for the discharge of its
22 duties.
23 (4) Establish and maintain such offices as it may deem
24 necessary.
25 (5) Hold public hearings.
26 (6) Establish temporary or standing committees as
27 necessary to accomplish the purposes of this act.
28 (7) Adopt such procedures as it may deem necessary to
29 carry out the purposes of this act.
30 Section 8. Assistance.
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1 The Commission for Children may request and shall receive
2 from the executive, judicial and legislative branches of
3 government such information and assistance as it may require.
4 Section 9. Recognition of the Legislative Children's Caucus.
5 The General Assembly recognizes the existence of the
6 Legislative Children's Caucus which is composed of members of
7 the General Assembly. As long as members of the General Assembly
8 continue to express interest in the Legislative Children's
9 Caucus and participate in activities of the caucus, this act
10 shall recognize the Legislative Children's Caucus.
11 Section 10. Appropriation.
12 The sum of $100,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
13 is hereby appropriated to the Commission for Children for the
14 fiscal year July 1, 1989, to June 30, 1990, to carry out the
15 provisions of this act.
16 Section 11. Effective date.
17 This act shall take effect immediately.
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