PRINTER'S NO. 587
No. 536 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY REINARD, E. Z. TAYLOR, PESCI, DENT, HESS, NAILOR,
CESSAR, FLICK, LEH, FLEAGLE, HECKLER, REBER, CAWLEY, GORDNER,
FAIRCHILD, FAJT, SCHEETZ, B. SMITH, MARSICO, PETRARCA,
SCHULER, MICOZZIE, ULIANA, DEMPSEY, MELIO, BROWN,
M. N. WRIGHT, TRELLO, KASUNIC, RAYMOND, KELLER, BAKER,
BATTISTO, FARMER, CLYMER, SEMMEL, NYCE, ADOLPH, KAISER,
SAURMAN, ARMSTRONG, D. W. SNYDER, DeLUCA, HERSHEY, PHILLIPS,
STABACK, S. H. SMITH, WOGAN, COLAIZZO, BUNT, CLARK, ALLEN,
DRUCE, STERN, MASLAND AND GEIST, MARCH 15, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 15, 1993
AN ACT
1 Providing for the suspension of the public welfare benefits of
2 persons incarcerated in public jails, prisons, correctional
3 institutions and other places of penal incarceration when
4 incarceration is to last for more than 30 days.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Duty of prison official.
8 The sheriff, warden, superintendent or other person having
9 charge of a jail, prison, correctional institution or other
10 place of penal incarceration in this Commonwealth shall provide
11 to the Department of Public Welfare monthly, for each person
12 newly incarcerated in or released from the institution under his
13 charge during the immediately preceding month, the following
14 information:
15 (1) The prisoner's name, address and Social Security
1 number.
2 (2) The length of time for which the prisoner is to be
3 incarcerated.
4 (3) The reason for release from the institution.
5 Section 2. Duty of Department of Public Welfare.
6 (a) Suspension of welfare benefits.--Upon receipt of the
7 information required under section 1, the Secretary of Public
8 Welfare shall order an investigation of the records of the
9 Department of Public Welfare to determine whether a newly
10 incarcerated person is a recipient of public welfare benefits.
11 If the investigation reveals information indicating that a
12 recipient will be incarcerated for more than 30 days, the
13 secretary shall order the recipient's benefits suspended.
14 (b) Resumption of welfare benefits.--Upon receiving
15 information under section 1 that a person has been released from
16 incarceration back into society, the Secretary of Public Welfare
17 shall order an investigation to determine whether payment of
18 public welfare benefits should be resumed. If the investigation
19 reveals information indicating that resumption is warranted, the
20 secretary shall order resumption.
21 (c) Certification of suspension.--Within 20 days of
22 receiving the information required under section 1, the
23 Secretary of Public Welfare shall provide to the Commissioner of
24 Corrections the name and Social Security number of each newly
25 incarcerated person who was a recipient of public welfare
26 benefits and shall certify that benefits to those persons who
27 will be incarcerated for more than 30 days have been suspended.
28 Section 3. Duty of Department of Corrections.
29 (a) Notification to prisoners.--The Commissioner of
30 Corrections shall notify a prisoner who was a recipient of
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1 public welfare benefits that his benefits have been suspended
2 and that, upon his release from incarceration, an investigation
3 will be conducted to determine whether resumption of the
4 benefits is warranted.
5 (b) Public record.--The Commissioner of Corrections shall
6 make the Secretary of Public Welfare's monthly certifications of
7 suspension of incarcerated persons' public welfare benefits
8 available to the public during normal business hours.
9 Section 4. Effective date.
10 This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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