PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 419 PRINTER'S NO. 2381
No. 389 Session of 1985
INTRODUCED BY FOX, NAHILL, TRUMAN, O'DONNELL, SHOWERS, WIGGINS,
KASUNIC, HERSHEY, BRANDT, KENNEY, RICHARDSON, RAYMOND,
ANGSTADT, BOWLEY, SAURMAN, WASS, ARGALL, WAMBACH, HAYES,
CIMINI, FREIND, GLADECK, DORR, SEMMEL, CHADWICK, MANMILLER,
POTT, CAWLEY, MOEHLMANN, PICCOLA, RUDY, GEIST, CARLSON,
BORTNER, LEVDANSKY, FISCHER, GODSHALL, RIEGER, LAUGHLIN,
J. L. WRIGHT, FARGO, MRKONIC, MACKOWSKI, WOGAN, MILLER,
MARKOSEK, HERMAN, KOSINSKI, CIVERA, PERZEL, KUKOVICH, STAIRS,
DEAL, BLAUM, CORNELL, BOWSER, MORRIS, ARTY, CESSAR, DISTLER,
JOSEPHS, J. J. TAYLOR, BUNT, McHALE, BELARDI, DeLUCA, REBER,
LASHINGER, HAGARTY, TRELLO, ITKIN, MICOZZIE, TIGUE, DURHAM,
KENNEDY, McCLATCHY, PHILLIPS, STEVENS, O'BRIEN, FLICK,
WOZNIAK, HOWLETT, PRESSMANN, JAROLIN, STEIGHNER, DAWIDA,
PISTELLA, PUNT, BLACK, BUSH, D. W. SNYDER, HALUSKA, PETRARCA,
FREEMAN, COLAFELLA, E. Z. TAYLOR, WILSON, SIRIANNI, TELEK,
COHEN, LANGTRY, HASAY, GREENWOOD, CLYMER, EVANS, DeVERTER,
COSLETT, GRUPPO, SWIFT, ACOSTA, BOOK, MOWERY, MAIALE, LINTON,
VEON, NOYE, SCHEETZ, CARN, SWEET, VROON, JOHNSON, STABACK,
HARPER AND RYBAK, FEBRUARY 13, 1985
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 28, 1985
AN ACT
1 Establishing a Senior Citizens Telephone Reassurance Program;
2 providing for grants; imposing duties on the Department of
3 Aging; 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 Senior
8 Citizens Telephone Reassurance Act.
9 SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. <--
1 IT IS THE INTENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ENCOURAGE AND
2 PROMOTE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW AND THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING
3 SENIOR CITIZENS' TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAMS BY PROVIDING
4 GRANTS TO AREA AGENCIES ON AGING BASED ON NEED.
5 Section 2 3. Definitions. <--
6 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
7 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
8 context clearly indicates otherwise:
9 "CASH CONTRIBUTION." A CONTRIBUTION CONSISTING OF FUNDS. <--
10 "Department." The Department of Aging of the Commonwealth.
11 "IN KIND CONTRIBUTION." A CONTRIBUTION CONSISTING OF <--
12 EXISTING RESOURCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, VOLUNTEERS,
13 BUILDINGS OR EQUIPMENT.
14 "PARTICIPANT." A SENIOR CITIZEN OR PERMANENTLY DISABLED
15 PERSON, AS DEFINED BY THIS ACT, WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES
16 PURSUANT TO THIS ACT.
17 "PERMANENTLY DISABLED PERSON." A PERSON 18 YEARS OF AGE OR
18 OLDER WHO IS A RESIDENT OF THIS COMMONWEALTH AND WHO HAS MENTAL
19 OR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, OR BOTH, WHICH RESTRICT THE ABILITY TO
20 CARRY OUT ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING.
21 "Program." The Senior Citizens Telephone Reassurance
22 Program, as established by this act.
23 "PROVIDER." AN AREA AGENCY ON AGING OR A PUBLIC, PRIVATE OR <--
24 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY WHICH OPERATES A SENIOR
25 CITIZENS' TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS ACT.
26 "SENIOR CITIZEN." A PERSON 60 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER WHO IS A
27 RESIDENT OF THIS COMMONWEALTH.
28 Section 3 4. Senior Citizens Telephone Reassurance Program. <--
29 (a) Program created.--There is hereby created a Senior
30 Citizens Telephone Reassurance Program. This program shall be
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1 designed to provide and maintain MATCHING GRANTS TO AREA <--
2 AGENCIES ON AGING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OR OPERATION, OR BOTH,
3 OF SENIOR CITIZENS' TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAMS FOR THE
4 PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING a daily telephone contact via operators,
5 volunteers whenever possible, with senior citizens and
6 permanently disabled persons who live alone, and shall provide <--
7 annual matching grants to counties to implement the program. OR <--
8 WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO LIVES WITH ONE OR MORE PERMANENTLY
9 DISABLED PERSONS.
10 (b) Operation.--Unlisted phone lines, attended by operators, <--
11 shall be made available for program participants to make
12 incoming calls on a daily basis, seven days a week, between
13 hours to be established by the county and area agency on aging,
14 to notify the operators that no difficulties are being
15 experienced by the participants. If a call had not been received
16 within the established hours, the operator shall be responsible
17 to contact the participant by phone, through a neighbor or
18 through dispatch to the local police, requesting that a safety
19 reassurance visit be made to the residence of the participant to
20 insure that the health and safety of the participant are intact.
21 Section 3. Operation and administration of program.
22 (a) Development and implementation.--The department shall
23 develop and, through the area agencies on aging, in cooperation
24 with counties, implement a program.
25 (b) Applications.--Grant application forms shall be
26 developed by the department and distributed to all area agencies
27 on aging. The area agency on aging shall, if necessary, assist
28 the county applying for a matching grant under this act in
29 completing the application. The area agency on aging shall
30 forward the application to the department for its approval.
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1 (c) Eligibility.--Matching grants, not to exceed 50% of the
2 costs incurred by the county and area agency on aging to
3 implement this program, shall be made by the department to the
4 area agency on aging for the applying county.
5 Section 4. Powers and duties of department.
6 The powers and duties of the department shall be:
7 (1) To accept grants from the Federal Government and any
8 other individual or entity for use in this program.
9 (2) To promulgate such rules, regulations and directives
10 as it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this
11 act.
12 (3) To make grants to counties for the implementation of
13 the program.
14 (B) OPERATION.--INDIVIDUAL TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAMS <--
15 SHALL BE OPERATED IN A MANNER THAT ENSURES DAILY CONTACT, DURING
16 HOURS ESTABLISHED BY THE PROVIDER, BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANT AND
17 THE PROVIDER AND THAT FURTHER ENSURES THAT, WHEN CONTACT IS NOT
18 MADE WITH THE PARTICIPANT, CONTACT WILL BE MADE WITH AN
19 ALTERNATE PERSON DESIGNATED BY THE PARTICIPANT, FOR THE PURPOSE
20 OF VISITING THE PARTICIPANT'S RESIDENCE TO CONFIRM THE
21 PARTICIPANT'S SAFETY. IN THE EVENT THE SAFETY OF THE PARTICIPANT
22 IS NOT CONFIRMED, INDIVIDUAL TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAMS
23 SHALL ENSURE THAT APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OR EMERGENCY
24 MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE NOTIFIED. THE PROVIDER AT ALL
25 TIMES SHALL RECEIVE INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS MADE BY
26 PARTICIPANTS, UNLESS ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE IN ADVANCE
27 BETWEEN THE PROVIDER AND THE PARTICIPANT.
28 SECTION 5. ALLOCATION OF GRANTS.
29 THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALLOCATE FUNDS APPROPRIATED PURSUANT TO
30 THIS ACT IN THE FORM OF MATCHING GRANTS ONLY TO THOSE AREA
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1 AGENCIES ON AGING REQUESTING FUNDING. THE GRANTS SHALL MATCH THE
2 TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT OF CASH CONTRIBUTIONS AND IN KIND
3 CONTRIBUTION MADE BY THE PROVIDER. HOWEVER, NO GRANT SHALL
4 EXCEED THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING'S STANDARD ALLOCATION DETERMINED
5 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S ALLOCATION FORMULA AS
6 OUTLINED IN THE STATE PLAN DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2210-
7 A(A) OF THE ACT OF APRIL 9, 1929 (P.L.177, NO.175), KNOWN AS THE
8 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1929, AND THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 1965
9 (42 U.S.C. § 3001, ET SEQ.).
10 SECTION 6. POWERS AND DUTIES OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING.
11 (A) SERVICE PROVIDER SELECTION.--AREA AGENCIES ON AGING MAY
12 PROVIDE SERVICES DIRECTLY OR ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH A
13 PUBLIC, PRIVATE OR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY FOR THE
14 PROVISION OF SERVICES.
15 (B) ALREADY EXISTING PROGRAM.--IN THE EVENT SENIOR CITIZENS'
16 TELEPHONE REASSURANCE SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY BEING PROVIDED IN
17 THE PLANNING AND SERVICE AREA OF AN AREA AGENCY ON AGING
18 RECEIVING FUNDS PURSUANT TO THIS ACT, THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING
19 SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO THE PROVIDER OF THESE SERVICES WHEN
20 MAKING A DETERMINATION AS TO THE PROVISION OF SERVICES.
21 (C) VOLUNTEERS.--AREA AGENCIES ON AGING SHALL PROMOTE THE
22 USE OF VOLUNTEERS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
23 (D) PROGRAM PROMOTION.--AREA AGENCIES ON AGING SHALL PROMOTE
24 THE PROVISION OF OUTREACH SERVICES THROUGH TELEPHONE REASSURANCE
25 PROGRAMS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
26 SECTION 7. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
27 (A) VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES.--THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH
28 GUIDELINES FOR USE AS A MODEL FOR THE TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS
29 WORKING IN SENIOR CITIZENS' TELEPHONE PROGRAMS.
30 (B) PROGRAM RULES AND REGULATIONS.--THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
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1 HAVE THE POWER TO PROMULGATE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY
2 TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT.
3 SECTION 8. ELIGIBILITY.
4 ONLY THOSE SENIOR CITIZENS AND PERMANENTLY DISABLED PERSONS
5 WHO LIVE ALONE OR A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO LIVES WITH ONE OR MORE
6 PERMANENTLY DISABLED PERSONS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES
7 PROVIDED THROUGH THIS ACT.
8 SECTION 9. SERVICES NOT MANDATED.
9 IN NO WAY SHALL THIS ACT BE INTERPRETED AS A MANDATE FOR THE
10 PROVISION OF TELEPHONE REASSURANCE BY THE AREA AGENCIES ON
11 AGING.
12 Section 5 10. Appropriation. <--
13 The sum of $1,000,000, is hereby appropriated from the State
14 Lottery Fund to the Department of Aging for the fiscal year
15 1985-1986 for the Senior Citizens Telephone Reassurance Program.
16 Funding for this program shall be considered an eligible use for
17 lottery funds as provided for under the act of August 26, 1971
18 (P.L.351, No.91), known as the State Lottery Law.
19 Section 6 11. Effective date. <--
20 This act shall take effect immediately IN 90 DAYS. <--
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