PRINTER'S NO. 119
No. 136 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, BUXTON, DeWEESE, LAUGHLIN, CORRIGAN, GORDNER, HENNESSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, CAPPELLI, GRUCELA, THOMAS, READSHAW, BELFANTI, DALEY, STABACK, MANDERINO, YUDICHAK, PRESTON, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, MANN, FRANKEL, FICHTER, RAYMOND, DeLUCA, E. Z. TAYLOR, HERMAN, SOLOBAY, CURRY, TULLI, WANSACZ, SATHER, KENNEY, CIVERA, WASHINGTON, BARD, HARHART, C. WILLIAMS, STURLA, ADOLPH, PISTELLA, L. I. COHEN, SCRIMENTI, MICHLOVIC, WOJNAROSKI AND KAISER, JANUARY 23, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JANUARY 23, 2001
AN ACT 1 Establishing the Pennsylvania Domestic Violence Hotline; and 2 providing for the powers and duties of the Department of 3 Public Welfare. 4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 5 hereby enacts as follows: 6 Section 1. Short title. 7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania 8 Domestic Violence Hotline Act. 9 Section 2. Definitions. 10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 12 context clearly indicates otherwise: 13 "Crisis intervention." Assistance to individuals relating to 14 the identification of domestic violence problems and possible 15 solutions, including, but not limited to, the making of plans
1 for the safety of victims of domestic violence in cases of 2 emergency. 3 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the 4 Commonwealth. 5 "Hotline." A twenty-four hour, seven-day per week toll-free 6 telephone line. 7 "Information resources." Information relating to domestic 8 violence, child abuse, sexual assault, intervention programs for 9 individuals who commit domestic violence and related issues 10 through the criminal justice system. 11 "Referral." The distribution to a victim of domestic 12 violence of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of local 13 shelters, domestic violence programs, social service agencies, 14 legal programs for victims of domestic violence and other groups 15 and organizations that deal with domestic violence in this 16 Commonwealth. 17 Section 3. Pennsylvania Domestic Violence Hotline. 18 (a) Establishment.--The department shall establish a 19 Statewide hotline, to be known as the Pennsylvania Domestic 20 Violence Hotline, which hotline shall be operated by response 21 counselors. The response counselors shall be domestic violence 22 counselors who satisfy qualifications, including, but not 23 limited to, skills in crisis management and problem 24 identification as set forth by department regulation. 25 (b) Confidentiality.-- 26 (1) Each telephone call to the Pennsylvania Domestic 27 Violence Hotline shall be confidential. Only response 28 counselors and appropriate employees of the department may 29 have access to the telephone call information. 30 (2) Unless requested to do so by an individual who 20010H0136B0119 - 2 -
1 places a telephone call to the Pennsylvania Domestic Violence 2 Hotline, the department may not make a record of the 3 individual's name or other means of identifying the 4 individual. 5 Section 4. Regulations. 6 The department shall promulgate the rules and regulations 7 necessary to administer this act. 8 Section 5. Effective date. 9 This act shall take effect in 60 days. L12L23JS/20010H0136B0119 - 3 -