PRINTER'S NO. 350
No. 342 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY O'PAKE, STAPLETON, BODACK, WAGNER, KASUNIC,
MELLOW, MUSTO, COSTA, SCHWARTZ AND STOUT, FEBRUARY 8, 1999
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 8, 1999
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," reducing the caseload of
4 county children and youth services caseworkers; and
5 authorizing staff increases commensurate with workload
6 responsibilities.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
10 as the Public Welfare Code, is amended by adding a section to
11 read:
12 Section 709.5. Caseload Requirements.--(a) To investigate
13 child abuse and child neglect reports and to carry out case
14 management functions required under 55 Pa. Code § 3130.31
15 (relating to responsibilities of the county agency), the non-
16 probationary caseworker-to-client family ratio may average no
17 greater than 1 to 20; not more than ten of which can be high
18 risk as determined by the PA Risk Assessment Model.
19 (b) Average ratios exceeding twenty families for three
1 consecutive months shall authorize the county agency to employ
2 additional caseworkers such that the additional staff will bring
3 the county agency into compliance with approved/certified DPW
4 allocations notwithstanding, the department shall participate in
5 reimbursement of these positions at a rate of eighty percent of
6 the costs of salaries, benefits and related expenses for any
7 county that exceeds State-approved levels.
8 (c) Any county underexpending State-approved levels shall be
9 permitted to reallocate those funds to facilitate compliance
10 with this act.
11 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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