PRINTER'S NO. 2807
No. 2096 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY JOSEPHS, BEBKO-JONES, BISHOP, CASORIO, COLAFELLA,
DALEY, FREEMAN, GEORGE, HARHAI, LAUGHLIN, McCALL, MUNDY,
PISTELLA, ROONEY, SCRIMENTI, STETLER, THOMAS, TRELLO, WALKO,
WASHINGTON, C. WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI, FRANKEL, CURRY, DeWEESE,
GEIST, GRUCELA, JAMES, MANN, MELIO, PETRARCA, ROBERTS,
SAMUELSON, SOLOBAY, STURLA, TRAVAGLIO, TRICH, WANSACZ,
WATERS, J. WILLIAMS AND YOUNGBLOOD, OCTOBER 31, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, OCTOBER 31, 2001
AN ACT
1 Requiring the Committee on Management Operations of the Senate
2 and the Bipartisan Management Committee of the House of
3 Representatives to form a task force on security; and
4 providing for the development of a security plan.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Security Task
9 Force Act.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Committees." The Committee on Management Operations of the
15 Senate and the Bipartisan Management Committee of the House of
16 Representatives.
1 "Security plan" or "plan." The security plan under section
2 4.
3 "Task force." The Security Task Force under section 3.
4 Section 3. Security Task Force.
5 (a) Formation.--The Committee on Management Operations of
6 the Senate and the Bipartisan Management Committee of the House
7 of Representatives shall form a Security Task Force for the
8 purpose of developing a comprehensive and coordinated security
9 plan relevant to the specific needs of the General Assembly and
10 Capitol Complex personnel. For purposes of the plan, the
11 committees, in conjunction with the task force, shall draw on
12 existing State resources with the goal of creating a safe work
13 environment while assuring that appropriate procedures are in
14 place to deal with crisis situations that may arise.
15 (b) Membership.--Members of the task force shall include at
16 a minimum:
17 (1) One member of the Committee on Management Operations
18 of the Senate, to be appointed by the President pro tempore
19 of the Senate.
20 (2) One member of the Bipartisan Management Committee of
21 the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker
22 of the House of Representatives.
23 (3) One representative of the Governor's Office.
24 (4) One representative of the Pennsylvania Supreme
25 Court.
26 (5) One representative of the Commonwealth Court.
27 (6) Two legislative aides, one each from the Senate and
28 the House of Representatives. The legislative aide from the
29 Senate shall be nominated by the President pro tempore of the
30 Senate and approved by majority vote of the Committee on
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1 Management Operations of the Senate. The legislative aide
2 from the House of Representative shall be nominated by the
3 Speaker of the House of Representatives and approved by
4 majority vote of the Bipartisan Management Committee of the
5 House of Representatives.
6 (7) Two executive directors, one each from a committee
7 of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The executive
8 director from a committee of the Senate shall be nominated by
9 the President pro tempore of the Senate and approved by
10 majority vote of the Committee on Management Operations of
11 the Senate. The executive director from a committee of the
12 House of Representatives shall be nominated by the Speaker of
13 the House of Representatives and approved by majority vote of
14 the Bipartisan Management Committee of the House of
15 Representatives.
16 (8) One Capitol Police officer.
17 (9) Two mail room representatives, one each from the
18 Senate and the House of Representatives.
19 (10) One Capitol tour guide.
20 (11) One legislative nurse.
21 (12) One representative of Capitol maintenance
22 personnel.
23 (13) One representative of Capitol food service
24 personnel.
25 (14) One local law enforcement representative.
26 (15) Representatives of Federal and State law
27 enforcement agencies, as deemed appropriate.
28 The members shall be appointed, insofar as practicable, on a
29 bipartisan basis.
30 (c) Expenses.--Members of the task force shall not receive
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1 compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary
2 expenses reasonably incurred in the deliberations of the task
3 force.
4 Section 4. Responsibilities of task force.
5 The task force shall develop and recommend to the committees
6 a security plan for the General Assembly and Capitol Complex
7 based on an assessment of needs of the General Assembly and
8 Capitol Complex personnel and the resources of the General
9 Assembly. The security plan shall provide for:
10 (1) Strategies and programs to address:
11 (i) Prevention and intervention related to terrorist
12 activity.
13 (ii) Employee safety.
14 (2) Establishment and implementation of ongoing training
15 on emergency preparedness, disaster response and personal
16 safety.
17 (3) Evaluation of the evacuation procedures of the
18 Capitol Complex, including recommendations of structural
19 changes, where appropriate.
20 (4) Suggested measures to assist schools, day-care
21 centers and other entities in the area of the Capitol Complex
22 with regard to emergency preparedness and response.
23 Section 5. Submission of security plan.
24 (a) Initial security plan.--Within one month of the
25 effective date of this act, the committees shall submit the
26 security plan to the General Assembly.
27 (b) Revised security plan.--The committees, in conjunction
28 with the task force, shall annually revise the security plan and
29 submit the revised plan to the General Assembly.
30 Section 6. Additional duties of committees.
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1 (a) Mental health benefits.--The committees shall initiate
2 enhancements to legislative employee mental health benefits in
3 place on the effective date of this act.
4 (b) Dissemination of materials.--The committees shall
5 disseminate written materials, updated as needed, on emergency
6 preparedness and response to members of the General Assembly and
7 Capitol Complex personnel.
8 Section 7. Effective date.
9 This act shall take effect immediately.
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