PRINTER'S NO. 2335
No. 1916 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY RICHARDSON, CURRY, BEBKO-JONES, PRESTON, ROBINSON,
VEON, LAUGHLIN, PISTELLA AND CARN, JUNE 23, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, JUNE 23, 1993
AN ACT
1 Establishing an urban leadership training program; providing for
2 rules and regulations; imposing duties on the Department of
3 Community Affairs and the Department of Education; and making
4 an appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Urban
9 Leadership Training Act.
10 Section 2. Legislative finding and declaration.
11 The General Assembly finds and declares that this
12 Commonwealth has a large urban population. However, many urban
13 communities in this Commonwealth rely on volunteer leadership to
14 manage public affairs. The General Assembly recognizes that this
15 dependence on volunteer leadership is the result of limited
16 financial and instructional resources which serve to impede an
17 urban community's ability to develop a pool of qualified
18 leaders. It is further recognized that qualified local
1 leadership is needed to resolve the complicated economic and
2 social problems of contemporary society. Accordingly, the
3 General Assembly finds and declares that an educational program
4 aimed at encouraging the development of a pool of qualified
5 leaders will provide the local leadership essential to growth
6 and will enable urban communities to effectively meet the
7 challenges of the 21st century.
8 Section 3. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Department." The Department of Community Affairs of the
13 Commonwealth.
14 "Program." The Urban Leadership Training Program.
15 "Urban community." A county, city, incorporated town,
16 borough or township, regardless of form of government which,
17 according to the most recent United States Decennial Census, is
18 classified as urban.
19 Section 4. Establishment of program.
20 There is hereby established, under the direction of the
21 department, the Urban Leadership Training Program for the
22 purposes of providing leadership training to citizens of urban
23 communities and advanced training to local elected officials to
24 encourage and foster the development of community leaders in
25 urban areas of this Commonwealth.
26 Section 5. Urban Leadership Training Program.
27 (a) Requirements.--The department, with the cooperation of
28 the Department of Education, shall develop an educational
29 program of sufficient scope and duration to provide a reasonable
30 opportunity for the individual served to acquire the knowledge
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1 essential to developing the following:
2 (1) An understanding of the economic, political,
3 cultural and social forces inherent to the public decision
4 making process.
5 (2) An understanding of the application of leadership
6 skills, processes and strategies to resolve conflict.
7 (3) The ability to study community problems and issues
8 from a broad economic, political, cultural and social
9 perspective.
10 (4) An understanding of interpersonal relationships and
11 group dynamics and their role in the public decision making
12 process.
13 (5) An understanding of contemporary social and economic
14 problems and policy issues and how they affect public policy.
15 (6) An understanding of the budgetary concerns
16 encountered by urban communities.
17 (7) An understanding of international relations and the
18 world economy.
19 (8) An understanding of the legislative process and
20 legislative procedure.
21 (b) Eligibility.--Any citizen who is a resident of an urban
22 community or any official elected to public office in such a
23 community may participate in the program. The department shall
24 ensure that program participants are representative of the
25 diverse social, economic and cultural composition of urban areas
26 of this Commonwealth.
27 (c) Applications.--Any resident of an urban community or any
28 person elected to public office in an urban community may submit
29 an application for participation in the program at such time and
30 in such manner as the department may prescribe.
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1 Section 6. Duties of department.
2 The department shall administer the program and shall adopt
3 and promulgate any rules, regulations or guidelines and
4 establish any fees necessary to accomplish the purposes of this
5 act. The Department of Education shall cooperate with the
6 department in devising and conducting the education program
7 provided for in this act.
8 Section 7. Appropriation.
9 The sum of $750,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
10 is hereby appropriated to the Department of Community Affairs
11 for the fiscal year July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1994, to carry out
12 the provisions of this act.
13 Section 8. Effective date.
14 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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