PRINTER'S NO. 2949
No. 2272 Session of 1982
INTRODUCED BY PISTELLA, DAWIDA, MORRIS, RYBAK, KUKOVICH,
HOEFFEL, BELFANTI, WARGO, VAN HORNE, SNYDER AND ITKIN,
FEBRUARY 24, 1982
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 24, 1982
AN ACT
1 Establishing a program of assistance to displaced homemakers,
2 providing for powers and duties of the Department of Public
3 Welfare and making an appropriation.
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 "Displaced
8 Homemakers Act."
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
12 meanings given to them in this section:
13 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare.
14 "Displaced homemaker." Any person over 35 years of age and
15 who:
16 (1) Has worked for his or her family in the family home.
17 (2) Is not gainfully employed or is underemployed.
18 (3) Has had, or would have difficulty finding
1 employment, and:
2 (i) has depended on the income of a family member
3 and has lost that income as the result of separation,
4 divorce or the death or disability of that family member;
5 or
6 (ii) has depended on government assistance as the
7 parent of dependent children and is no longer eligible
8 for such assistance.
9 "Secretary." The Secretary of Public Welfare.
10 Section 3. Pilot projects.
11 (a) Locations.--The department shall establish three
12 multipurpose service centers for displaced homemakers as pilot
13 projects located respectively in Allegheny, Dauphin and
14 Philadelphia Counties.
15 (b) Services.--The service centers shall provide displaced
16 homemakers with counseling, education, training and services to
17 assist them in becoming gainfully employed.
18 (c) Staff.--To the greatest extent possible and appropriate,
19 the staff of the service centers, including supervisory,
20 technical and administrative positions, shall be filled by
21 displaced homemakers. Displaced homemakers who have the
22 potential to become staff members, but who require additional
23 training or retraining, shall be provided with on-the-job
24 training.
25 (d) Grants.--The department may make grants to nonprofit
26 agencies and organizations to operate one or more service
27 centers.
28 Section 4. Employment counseling and training programs.
29 (a) Job market reentry.--The multipurpose service center
30 shall operate a job-counseling program for displaced homemakers.
19820H2272B2949 - 2 -
1 Job counseling shall be specifically designed for the person
2 reentering the job market after being absent from this market
3 for a number of years.
4 (b) Other agencies.--The staff of the center shall contact
5 or enter into cooperative agreements or both with State and
6 local government agencies and private employers to develop
7 training programs for available jobs in the public and private
8 sectors and shall work with public and private employment
9 agencies for the job placement of displaced homemakers.
10 (c) Each job training program shall have as a goal for the
11 first year the training and placing of a stated number of
12 displaced homemakers, some of whom could be employed in the
13 service programs specified in section 3(c). In addition, the
14 service centers shall develop, in conjunction with the
15 department, plans for including more displaced homemakers in
16 existing job training and placement programs.
17 Section 5. Services.
18 The multipurpose service centers shall include, but not be
19 limited to providing and coordinating with other existing
20 service programs, the following service programs for displaced
21 homemakers:
22 (1) Health services counseling, based on utilization of
23 existing health services programs.
24 (2) Money management courses, including information and
25 assistance in dealing with insurance programs, taxes,
26 mortgages, loans and probate problems.
27 (3) Information and assistance concerning relevant
28 government programs, including supplemental security income,
29 social security, Veterans Administration benefits, welfare,
30 food stamps, day care services, unemployment insurance and
19820H2272B2949 - 3 -
1 medical assistance.
2 (4) Onsite child care during counseling sessions. In
3 addition, the centers shall assist displaced homemakers in
4 obtaining day care services during training and after
5 securing employment.
6 (5) Referral and assistance concerning educational
7 programs, including courses offered for credit through
8 universities or colleges or leading toward a high school
9 equivalency diploma.
10 Section 6. Rules and regulations.
11 (a) Administration.--The department may, in the manner
12 provided by law, adopt the rules and regulations necessary to
13 carry out this act.
14 (b) Stipends and fees.--The department may likewise adopt
15 regulations governing:
16 (1) The eligibility of persons for the job training and
17 other programs.
18 (2) The level of stipends for job training programs.
19 (3) A sliding fee scale based upon ability to pay for
20 the service programs provided for herein.
21 Section 7. Evaluation.
22 The department shall annually evaluate the cost effectiveness
23 of the service centers in employment training and placement.
24 Section 8. Sources of additional funds.
25 In addition to amounts appropriated by the General Assembly,
26 the department shall explore and to the extent available and
27 appropriate, use all possible sources of funding and
28 contributions from Federal, local and private sources in
29 establishing the service center, including in-kind contributions
30 of building space, equipment and qualified personnel for
19820H2272B2949 - 4 -
1 training programs.
2 Section 9. Delegation of authority.
3 The secretary may delegate any of the authority granted by
4 this act to whatever bureau or other department the secretary
5 deems appropriate to carry out a provision of this act.
6 Section 10. Appropriation.
7 The sum of $1,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
8 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department to carry out
9 this act for the 1981-1982 fiscal period.
10 Section 11. Effective date and expiration.
11 This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire three
12 years from the date of final enactment, unless extended by law.
K23L67DS/19820H2272B2949 - 5 -