PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1878, 1933, 1982, 2055 PRINTER'S NO. 2405
No. 1324 Session of 1984
Report of the Committee of Conference
To the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:
We, the undersigned, Committee of Conference on the part of
the Senate and House of Representatives for the purpose of
considering Senate Bill No. 1324, entitled:
"An act amending the act of July 15, 1983 (P.L.596, No.3A)
entitled, 'An act making an appropriation from the State
Employees' Retirement Fund to provide for expenses of the State
Employees' Retirement Board for the fiscal year July 1, 1983 to
June 30, 1984 and for the payment of bills incurred and
remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30,
1983,' providing an additional appropriation. and adding
provisions relating to audits,"
respectfully submit the following bill as our report:
ROY W. WILT
WILLIAM J. MOORE
HARDY WILLIAMS
(Committee on the part of the Senate.)
WILLIAM WACHOB
ALLEN G. KUKOVICH
(Committee on the part of the House of Representatives.)
AN ACT
1 Making supplemental appropriations from the General Fund and
2 Federal funds to the Department of Public Welfare for the
3 fiscal year July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1985, for certain
4 additional cash assistance payments, medical assistance
5 payments, homeless grants and screening costs incurred by the
6 Department of Public Welfare.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Short title.
10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the First
11 Supplemental Appropriation to the General Appropriation Act of
12 1984.
13 Section 2. Additional cash assistance appropriation.
14 The sum of $6,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
15 necessary, is specifically appropriated to the Department of
16 Public Welfare for the fiscal year July 1, 1984 to June 30,
17 1985, for additional cash assistance in the same amount as and
18 subject to the same conditions as provided for those classified
19 as chronically needy, for individuals classified as
20 transitionally needy by the Department of Public Welfare and who
21 are in the following categories:
22 (1) A person who has a serious physical or mental
23 functional limitation which seriously impairs his or her
24 ability to seek and maintain gainful employment in a normal
25 work environment. Functional limitations include physical
26 disabilities or serious illness and mental disabilities such
27 as mental illness or mental retardation. The department shall
28 assist a person who appears to have such a limitation to
29 obtain documentation if the person is unable to provide such
30 documentation.
31 (2) A person who is a caretaker of a child or children
1 under 18 years of age but who does not qualify for aid to
2 dependent children or whose presence is required in the home
3 to care for an adult who needs care due to age, disability or
4 illness to be eligible. A caretaker of a child over six years
5 of age shall register for work and comply with all work
6 requirements of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21),
7 known as the Public Welfare Code, unless exempt.
8 (3) A pregnant woman unless eligible for aid to
9 dependent children.
10 (4) A person who as a consequence of physical abuse by
11 spouse, family or household member does not have access to
12 financial support either because of withholding by the
13 abuser, separation from the abuser or loss of employment, or
14 who seeks to recover from or avoid victimization, and who has
15 filed a petition under the act of October 7, 1976 (P.L.1090,
16 No.218), known as the Protection From Abuse Act, or who is
17 receiving assistance or has received assistance from a spouse
18 abuse or sexual abuse agency if one is available in the
19 community. An abuse victim who lives in an area where such
20 abuse services are not available shall file a petition under
21 the Protection From Abuse Act or establish that he or she is
22 a victim by providing one form of independent corroboration,
23 such as a statement from the police, a doctor or hospital or
24 licensed mental health agency. A person who qualifies under
25 this paragraph shall be referred to appropriate employment or
26 training services, where available, and must comply with all
27 work requirements of the Public Welfare Code unless exempt.
28 Eligibility for benefits under this paragraph shall be
29 limited to one year.
30 (5) A person who is 35 years of age or older and who has
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1 worked without pay as a homemaker for his or her family in
2 the family home; is not gainfully employed; has had or would
3 have difficulty finding employment due to lack of vocational
4 skills or recent work experience; and who has depended on the
5 income attributable to a family member and has lost that
6 income as the result of separation, divorce or the death or
7 disability of that family member. A person eligible for
8 benefits under this paragraph shall be referred to
9 appropriate employment or training services where available
10 and shall comply with all the work requirements of the Public
11 Welfare Code. Eligibility for benefits under this paragraph
12 shall be limited to two years.
13 (6) Parents with children in foster care for whom a
14 family service plan with a goal of return to the home exists
15 and who comply with the family service plan developed by the
16 County Children and Youth Agency. Eligibility for benefits
17 under this paragraph shall be limited to one year.
18 (7) A person separated from the military service with an
19 honorable discharge within the last 24 months who is
20 ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits.
21 Eligibility for benefits under this paragraph shall be
22 limited to one year.
23 Section 3. Additional medical assistance appropriation.
24 The sum of $1,100,000, or as much thereof as may be
25 necessary, is specifically appropriated to the Department of
26 Public Welfare for fiscal year July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1985,
27 for medical assistance payments for prescription drugs for
28 transitionally needy general assistance recipients not eligible
29 for cash assistance.
30 Section 4. Additional screening appropriation.
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1 The sum of $1,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
2 necessary, is specifically appropriated to the Department of
3 Public Welfare for fiscal year July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1985,
4 for screening general assistance applicants classified as
5 transitionally needy to determine if they are chronically needy
6 due to a serious physical or mental limitation which impairs
7 ability to seek and maintain gainful employment in a normal work
8 environment.
9 Section 5. Federal Block Grant Funds appropriation.
10 The sum of $3,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
11 necessary, is specifically appropriated to the Department of
12 Public Welfare from the Federal Social Services Block Grant
13 funds for fiscal year July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1985, for "Social
14 Services Shelter" which provides grants to local agencies for
15 provision of shelter to the homeless.
16 Section 6. Commencement of additional payments.
17 The Department of Public Welfare shall implement the
18 additional cash assistance payments under section 1 and the
19 additional medical assistance payments under section 2 on
20 November 1, 1984.
21 Section 7. Guidelines.
22 The Department of Public Welfare shall issue income
23 maintenance bulletins and such other guidelines as may be
24 necessary to implement this act.
25 Section 8. Lapse.
26 All funds unexpended or unencumbered as of June 30, 1984,
27 shall lapse.
28 Section 9. Appropriations additional.
29 The appropriations in sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 shall be in
30 addition to any sums appropriated to the Department of Public
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1 Welfare in the act of June 29, 1984 (No.7A), known as the
2 General Appropriation Act of 1984.
3 Section 10. Effective date.
4 This act shall take effect immediately.
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