PRINTER'S NO. 2134
No. 161 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY ROCKS, SALVATORE, GREENWOOD, HOPPER, BRIGHTBILL,
LOEPER, BELL, HESS, FISHER, PETERSON, HELFRICK, PUNT, SHAFFER
AND JUBELIRER, APRIL 24, 1990
REFERRED TO APPROPRIATIONS, APRIL 24, 1990
A RESOLUTION
1 Requesting the Governor to develop a proposal and present a
2 request for an appropriation utilizing Rainy Day moneys to
3 meet the funding requirements for child abuse prevention and
4 other child welfare services.
5 WHEREAS, The 1989 Child Abuse Report of the Pennsylvania
6 Department of Public Welfare shows the highest number of deaths
7 resulting from child abuse since the Commonwealth started
8 keeping records and further shows that confirmed cases of child
9 abuse are on the rise; and
10 WHEREAS, The report demonstrates the problem of abuse to be
11 monumental in Philadelphia and a serious problem everywhere; and
12 WHEREAS, The effort to prevent child abuse and correct its
13 harm upon children is but one component of county-administered
14 child welfare services; and
15 WHEREAS, There are increased problems caused by the sharply
16 escalating number of cocaine and other drug-addicted babies; and
17 WHEREAS, The number of cases of abused, neglected, dependent
18 and delinquent children continues to rise and the cost of
1 delivering child welfare services at the county level has
2 increased dramatically; and
3 WHEREAS, The county child welfare services problem is by law
4 a shared obligation of the Commonwealth and the counties in
5 which the Commonwealth is obligated to provide financial support
6 according to a formula set forth in law; and
7 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth is now substantially underfunding
8 child welfare services, which results in a dramatic increase of
9 costs to the counties beyond what is required by law as well as
10 in a real and potential reduction in quality child welfare
11 services for the increasing number of children requiring such
12 services; and
13 WHEREAS, The Governor and his Secretary of the Budget persist
14 in impounding $6.1 million of child abuse moneys which were
15 appropriated in last year's General Appropriations Act and
16 promised to the counties; and
17 WHEREAS, The shortage of child welfare moneys being made
18 available to the counties has reached a crisis level for both
19 the children and the counties and has resulted in the initiation
20 of litigation by the City of Philadelphia, county governments
21 and affected children; and
22 WHEREAS, Such litigation seeks to require the Administration
23 to take the appropriate steps to provide the necessary funding;
24 and
25 WHEREAS, Overestimates of revenues and underestimates of
26 expenditures by the Administration during the current budget
27 year have reduced the amount of money available to meet vital
28 needs while at the same time they have increased required
29 expenditures in other critical programs; and
30 WHEREAS, Providing increased financial support of child
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1 welfare services appears necessary to avoid the cutoff of
2 critical public programs and the endangerment of the stability
3 and reliability of vital public services and programs; and
4 WHEREAS, In 1985, the General Assembly created the Tax
5 Stabilization Reserve Fund, referred to as the Rainy Day Fund,
6 to create a reserve to be used "in order to minimize future
7 revenue shortfalls and deficits, provide greater continuity and
8 predictability in the funding of vital governmental services and
9 minimize the need to increase taxes to balance the budget of the
10 Commonwealth during periods of economic distress"; and
11 WHEREAS, It is projected that there will be nearly $126
12 million accumulated in the Rainy Day Fund by June 30, 1990; and
13 WHEREAS, The Administration has overestimated revenues and
14 underestimated required expenditures which result in
15 insufficient funding available in the General Fund to permit
16 increased appropriations for child welfare services; and
17 WHEREAS, The Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund Act authorizes
18 the Governor, when he determines that moneys from this fund are
19 necessary to meet emergencies involving the health, safety or
20 welfare of the citizens of this Commonwealth, or to
21 counterbalance downturns of the economy which result in
22 significant unanticipated revenue shortfalls, to request an
23 appropriation from the General Assembly to provide for the
24 continuation of vital public programs in danger of being
25 underfunded; and
26 WHEREAS, Under the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund Act, the
27 Rainy Day Fund can only be utilized when the Governor submits
28 such a request to the General Assembly; therefore be it
29 RESOLVED, That the Senate find that utilization of funds from
30 the Rainy Day Fund to meet a critical shortage of funding for
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1 child welfare services throughout this Commonwealth is
2 appropriate and desirable; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That the Senate request that the Governor, pursuant
4 to the provisions of section 205 of Act 32 of 1985, develop a
5 proposal for the utilization of Rainy Day moneys to meet the
6 funding requirements of the child welfare system and present a
7 request for an appropriation to the Chairman of the
8 Appropriations Committee of the Senate and to the Chairman of
9 the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives in
10 sufficient time that such request can be considered by the
11 General Assembly during its deliberations on the budget for the
12 Commonwealth for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1990; and be
13 it further
14 RESOLVED, That the Governor immediately release to the
15 counties the $6.1 million of child abuse funding which the
16 Governor has unilaterally impounded thereby placing abused
17 children unnecessarily at risk by reducing services available to
18 combat child abuse; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to the
20 Governor, the Secretary of the Budget and the Secretary of
21 Public Welfare.
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