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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION |
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| INTRODUCED BY HARHART, MOUL, MUNDY, YOUNGBLOOD, READSHAW, CREIGHTON, FRANKEL, GINGRICH, HELM, MILLER, MURT, O'NEILL, PICKETT, RAPP, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, STERN, STEVENSON, TRUE, WANSACZ AND K. SMITH, FEBRUARY 11, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, FEBRUARY 11, 2009 |
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| A RESOLUTION |
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1 | Directing Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to |
2 | investigate the costs and benefits of prevention and early |
3 | intervention programs for the children and youth of this |
4 | Commonwealth. |
5 | WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes that child abuse, |
6 | delinquency, school dropouts, violence and drug abuse are |
7 | serious and persistent problems among our youth; and |
8 | WHEREAS, The cost of services to dependent and delinquent |
9 | children and youth in Pennsylvania is an estimated $4 billion |
10 | per year; and |
11 | WHEREAS, The cost of housing our children and youth in State- |
12 | funded placements, including detention, residential and foster |
13 | care, often exceeds the cost of programs and initiatives that |
14 | can prevent such placements; and |
15 | WHEREAS, The demand for quality, cost-effective prevention |
16 | and intervention programs has never been greater; and |
17 | WHEREAS, The Center for the Study of Prevention and Violence |
18 | in Boulder, Colorado, has developed blueprints for exemplary |
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1 | violence prevention programs that have been shown to prevent and |
2 | reduce rates of child abuse, delinquency, school dropouts, |
3 | violence and drug abuse; and |
4 | WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State University's Prevention |
5 | Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development evaluated |
6 | nine evidence-based youth violence and delinquency prevention |
7 | initiatives funded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime |
8 | and Delinquency; and |
9 | WHEREAS, Researchers at the center reported that these |
10 | community-based initiatives had positive effects on children, |
11 | including better grades and school attendance, as well as |
12 | improved parenting skills and parent-child relationships; and |
13 | WHEREAS, The report also concluded that these programs have |
14 | significantly decreased the risk factors that contribute to |
15 | violence, delinquency, recidivism and substance use among our |
16 | youth; therefore be it |
17 | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the |
18 | Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to further review |
19 | research assessing the effectiveness of all prevention and early |
20 | intervention programs funded by the Commonwealth; and be it |
21 | further |
22 | RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee |
23 | identify additional prevention and early intervention programs |
24 | that have demonstrated the ability to reduce crime, lower |
25 | substance abuse, decrease teen pregnancy, reduce suicide |
26 | attempts, lower child abuse or neglect, reduce domestic violence |
27 | and improve educational outcomes; and be it further |
28 | RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee |
29 | identify specific research-proven programs that produce a |
30 | positive return on the dollar compared to the costs of the |
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1 | program; and be it further |
2 | RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee |
3 | identify all existing Federal, State and county funding streams |
4 | currently provided for programs to delinquent and dependent |
5 | youth, mental health and drug and alcohol services and schools; |
6 | and be it further |
7 | RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee |
8 | shall provide recommendations on how to create incentives for |
9 | the adoption and implementation of evidence-based prevention, |
10 | intervention and treatment programs; and be it further |
11 | RESOLVED, That such recommendations include the feasibility |
12 | of reimbursing local governments for a portion of the savings |
13 | that accrue to the Commonwealth as a result of local investments |
14 | in evidence-based prevention and intervention programs; and be |
15 | it further |
16 | RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee |
17 | prepare a report of its findings and transmit copies of the |
18 | report to the House of Representatives no later than one year |
19 | after the adoption of this resolution. |
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