PRINTER'S NO. 68
No. 89 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY GODSHALL, BAKER, BELARDI, BELFANTI, CORNELL,
FAIRCHILD, HERSHEY, MANDERINO, SATHER AND SOLOBAY,
JANUARY 20, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
JANUARY 20, 1999
AN ACT
1 Directing the Department of Public Welfare to develop and submit
2 a plan to eliminate the waiting list for certain persons with
3 disabilities seeking residential programs by the year 2008.
4 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
5 (1) There are approximately 28,000 persons in this
6 Commonwealth with mental retardation and developmental
7 disabilities who are waiting for residential programs.
8 (2) The waiting list for these persons is expected to
9 grow substantially into the foreseeable future.
10 (3) The Department of Public Welfare has not developed
11 an adequate plan for the manner in which these persons can
12 gain quicker access to the residential programs and thereby
13 reduce the amount of time they are on the waiting list.
14 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15 hereby enacts as follows:
16 Section 1. Short title.
17 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Residential
1 Waiting List Act.
2 Section 2. Waiting list plan.
3 The Department of Public Welfare shall develop and submit to
4 the Governor and the General Assembly, within 180 days of the
5 effective date of this act, a plan to eliminate by the year 2008
6 the current and future waiting list for persons with mental
7 retardation and developmental disabilities who are in need of
8 existing residential programs, including, but not limited to,
9 skilled nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, domiciliary
10 care homes, adult foster care homes, community living
11 arrangements for the mentally retarded and group homes for the
12 mentally ill.
13 Section 3. Contents of plan.
14 The plan required by this act shall include, but not be
15 limited to:
16 (1) Statistical information on the current and projected
17 increase in the waiting list.
18 (2) Financial information on the capital funds necessary
19 to eliminate the current and projected waiting list by the
20 year 2008.
21 (3) Financial information on the amount of additional
22 Federal, State or other funds that may be required annually
23 for the operational costs associated with the elimination of
24 the waiting list by the year 2008.
25 Section 4. Public hearings and comment.
26 In the development of the plan required by this act, the
27 Department of Public Welfare shall conduct public hearings and
28 obtain public comment from persons with mental retardation and
29 developmental disabilities, their families, guardians and
30 providers of services to the mental retardation and
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1 developmental disabilities community.
2 Section 5. Annual submission of updated plan.
3 The Department of Public Welfare shall update the statistical
4 and financial data to the plan required by this act annually and
5 submit the updated plan to the Governor and the General Assembly
6 by December 31 of each year.
7 Section 6. Effective date.
8 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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