PRINTER'S NO. 1271
No. 1154 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY FLICK, E. Z. TAYLOR, SAURMAN, REBER, FLEAGLE,
ARMSTRONG, NYCE, DEMPSEY, DENT, HERMAN, PLATTS, FAIRCHILD,
BARLEY, VANCE, MILLER, M. N. WRIGHT, STERN, BROWN, BAKER,
MARSICO, PHILLIPS, HECKLER, STAIRS, S. H. SMITH, FARGO,
HENNESSEY, CORNELL, RAYMOND, CESSAR, ADOLPH, HUTCHINSON, ZUG,
TRUE, HERSHEY, CLARK, GLADECK, CIVERA, GODSHALL, GERLACH AND
RUBLEY, APRIL 19, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, APRIL 19, 1993
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," providing for a job
4 training program and establishing a timetable for
5 implementation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
9 as the Public Welfare Code, is amended by adding a section to
10 read:
11 Section 214. Job Training Program.--(a) The department
12 shall, by April 1, 1993, establish, implement and administer a
13 three-year job training program with the ultimate goal of
14 securing economic self-sufficiency for welfare recipients.
15 (b) The program shall contain the following:
16 (1) The program shall consist of four pilot projects located
17 in counties in different geographical regions of this
1 Commonwealth.
2 (2) The program shall consist of a minimum of six hundred
3 hours of training which must include, but not be limited to, the
4 following:
5 (i) The acquisition of sufficient educational skills in
6 reading, writing and mathematics to enable the trainee to earn a
7 general education diploma.
8 (ii) Training in job skills for a guaranteed job opening
9 with a cooperating employer.
10 (iii) Acquisition of skills necessary to conduct successful
11 interviews, acquire marketable work ethics, employe
12 dependability and loyalty.
13 (iv) Such other areas including life management skills which
14 the department deems important.
15 (3) Each program operator shall provide support services to
16 trainees including, but not limited to, legal assistance, health
17 care, day care and other educational and support services
18 including transportation.
19 (4) Each program operator shall match trainees with existing
20 job vacancies which pay wages and benefits sufficient to ensure
21 the financial security of the trainee and any dependents to
22 enable that trainee and dependents to remain free of any State
23 assistance for at least one year.
24 (5) Each program operator may be an employer, a nonprofit
25 association or corporation or any combination thereof.
26 (6) Payments by the department to a project operator shall
27 be scheduled so that seventy-five percent of the contract price
28 is paid during training and twenty-five percent after the
29 trainee is employed continuously for a period of at least four
30 months.
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1 (c) Any requirement under State law or regulation shall be
2 suspended in each county chosen to participate in this pilot
3 program only for the duration of the pilot program. However, in
4 no way shall this conflict with Federal job training
5 requirements.
6 (d) Within eighteen months of the expiration of the pilot
7 program, the department shall be required to contract for and
8 complete an analysis of the pilot program results as measured
9 not only against the goals of this legislation but also against
10 the results of other Federal and State job training programs.
11 (e) In the event the analysis conducted for the department
12 indicates that the pilot program has achieved the goals of this
13 section and has resulted in a superior approach to other
14 existing job training programs, the department shall be required
15 to recommend changes to State law and regulations to permanently
16 implement the components of the pilot program Statewide.
17 (f) The department shall promulgate regulations to implement
18 the provisions of this section.
19 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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