PRINTER'S NO. 550
No. 512 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BLAUM, GEORGE, CAPPABIANCA, GEIST, ROONEY, HERMAN, DeLUCA, GRUCELA, DeWEESE, BELFANTI, WASHINGTON, COY, SANTONI, BELARDI, RUBLEY, SOLOBAY, MANDERINO, SURRA, WALKO, SHANER, READSHAW, BARD, MANN, THOMAS, TIGUE, HENNESSEY, STABACK, ROSS, BISHOP, SCRIMENTI, HARHAI, FRANKEL, WOGAN, MICHLOVIC, CURRY, KAISER, FREEMAN, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, HORSEY, BUTKOVITZ, MUNDY, STEELMAN, CIVERA, McCALL, L. I. COHEN AND C. WILLIAMS, FEBRUARY 6, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, FEBRUARY 6, 2001
AN ACT 1 Providing for dangerous child day-care facilities; and 2 conferring powers and duties on the Department of Public 3 Welfare and law enforcement agencies. 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 Dangerous 8 Child Day-Care Facilities Act. 9 Section 2. Definitions. 10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 12 context clearly indicates otherwise: 13 "Child day care." Care in lieu of parental care given for 14 part of a 24-hour day to a child under 16 years of age, away 15 from the child's home. The term does not include care in lieu of
1 parental care given to a child under 16 years of age in a place 2 of worship during religious services. 3 "Child day-care center." Any premises in which child day 4 care is provided simultaneously for seven or more children who 5 are not relatives of the operator. 6 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the 7 Commonwealth. 8 "Facility." Any of the following: 9 (1) Child day-care center. 10 (2) Family day-care home. 11 "Family day-care home." A home in which child day care is 12 provided at any one time to four, five or six children who are 13 not relatives of the operator. 14 Section 3. Dangerous facilities. 15 (a) Department responsibility.--If the department finds that 16 conditions exist which pose an immediate and serious threat to 17 health, safety or well-being of children being cared for in a 18 facility, the department shall immediately issue a temporary 19 order to the facility pending the outcome of a hearing under 20 subsection (d) and, if necessary, ensure the removal of the 21 children from the facility. 22 (1) The temporary order shall specify that the facility 23 shall be closed or that specific conditions must be remedied 24 as a condition of continued operation. 25 (2) The temporary order shall specify all conditions 26 that shall be immediately remedied by the facility. 27 (3) The temporary order shall specify the date and time 28 of any required action or closure of the facility. 29 (4) The temporary order shall specify the appeal rights 30 of the facility. 20010H0512B0550 - 2 -
1 (b) Corrective action.--Immediately following the issuance 2 of a temporary order under subsection (a) and until the hearing 3 under subsection (d), the department shall monitor the 4 facility's compliance with the temporary order. 5 (c) Law enforcement assistance.--The department may request 6 and shall receive assistance from law enforcement officials 7 whenever necessary to implement an order issued under this 8 section. 9 (d) Hearings.--Within seven business days of the issuance of 10 a temporary order under subsection (a), the department shall 11 schedule an administrative hearing. If the hearing examiner 12 rules that there was a violation of a statute or regulation 13 which posed an immediate and serious threat to health, safety or 14 well-being of the children being cared for in the facility, the 15 hearing examiner shall order continued compliance with the 16 temporary order, issue a new order or order the facility closed 17 until the conclusion of a certificate revocation procedure. The 18 decision of the hearing examiner shall be rendered within two 19 hours of the conclusion of the hearing. 20 (e) Certificate revocation.--Within three business days of 21 an order of closure under subsection (d), the department may 22 initiate certificate revocation proceedings under the act of 23 June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, 24 against the licensee or holder of a certificate of the facility. 25 (f) Supersedeas.--The appeal of an emergency order issued 26 under this section shall be deemed an application for a 27 supersedeas which shall be granted only if all of the following 28 apply: 29 (1) There is substantial likelihood of success on 30 appeal. 20010H0512B0550 - 3 -
1 (2) Continued operation of the facility pending appeal 2 will not jeopardize the life, health or safety of children 3 being cared for in a facility. 4 (g) Other entities.--Nothing in this section shall preclude 5 the department from closing or taking other emergency action 6 with regard to an entity supervised or licensed by the 7 department. 8 Section 4. Regulations. 9 The department shall promulgate regulations to administer 10 this act. 11 Section 5. Effective date. 12 This act shall take effect in 60 days. L22L67VDL/20010H0512B0550 - 4 -