PRINTER'S NO. 1004
No. 78 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY EACHUS, FAIRCHILD, LEVDANSKY, MARKOSEK AND
LESCOVITZ, MARCH 17, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 17, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Amending House Resolution No. 15, adopted February 3, 1999,
2 entitled "A resolution providing for the establishment of a
3 task force to study the mental retardation services system in
4 Pennsylvania," increasing the membership of the task force.
5 RESOLVED, That House Resolution No. 15, adopted February 3,
6 1999, be amended to read:
7 A RESOLUTION
8 WHEREAS, Support of family and friends, quality of care,
9 financial resources and State support are necessary for citizens
10 of this Commonwealth with mental retardation; and
11 WHEREAS, Of the 1,115,000 citizens with mental retardation
12 and their families and communities in this Commonwealth, 67,000
13 receive residential services in the community, more than 3,000
14 reside in private intermediate care facilities and 2,400 reside
15 in State centers; and
16 WHEREAS, The task force under House Resolution 187, Printer's
17 No.1869 (1997), held five public hearings across this
18 Commonwealth regarding the multiyear plan of the Department of
1 Public Welfare to redesign the Commonwealth's mental retardation
2 services system; and
3 WHEREAS, That task force heard many concerns and problems
4 with the current mental retardation services system; and
5 WHEREAS, The department's plan for redesign will have a
6 significant impact on the lives of individuals living in public
7 and private intermediate care facilities, community living
8 arrangements and personal care homes; and
9 WHEREAS, The department's plan for redesign will have a
10 significant impact on the friends and families of individuals
11 living in those facilities; and
12 WHEREAS, The department's plan for redesign will have a
13 significant impact on employees of those facilities and on
14 communities surrounding those facilities; and
15 WHEREAS, That task force sought solutions from stakeholders
16 and developed 28 legislative initiatives to address the concerns
17 of individuals and families heard throughout the public
18 hearings; and
19 WHEREAS, The ongoing impact of the multiyear plan has the
20 potential to have an impact upon the safety, health and quality
21 of life for individuals being served by the mental retardation
22 services system; and
23 WHEREAS, This impact has not been thoroughly investigated by
24 the members of the General Assembly; therefore be it
25 RESOLVED, That a special task force be created to
26 investigate, review and recommend legislative remedies needed to
27 make improvements in the Commonwealth's mental retardation
28 services system; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the task force consist of [11] 13 members,
30 [six] seven from the majority party and [five] six from the
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1 minority party; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That four of the [six] seven members from the
3 majority party be appointed from the Health and Human Services
4 Committee by the chairman of the Health and Human Services
5 Committee and three of the [five] six members from the minority
6 party be appointed from the Health and Human Services Committee
7 by the minority chairman of the Health and Human Services
8 Committee; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the remaining [two] three members from the
10 majority party be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
11 Representatives and that the remaining [two] three members from
12 the minority party be appointed by the Minority Leader of the
13 House of Representatives; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives
15 appoint the chairperson of the task force from among its members
16 and that the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives
17 appoint the minority chairperson of the task force from among
18 its members; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the task force hold hearings, take testimony
20 and make its investigations at such places as it deems necessary
21 in this Commonwealth; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That each member of the task force has the power to
23 administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses appearing before
24 the task force; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the House of
26 Representatives be authorized to pay for necessary and
27 reasonable expenses incurred by the task force.
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