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PRINTER'S NO. 174
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
206
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, BAKER, COX, DRISCOLL, GILLEN,
MILLARD, NEILSON, PASHINSKI, READSHAW, WARD, WATSON AND
ZIMMERMAN, JANUARY 25, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, JANUARY 25, 2017
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services,
providing for study to determine drug abuse by parents within
resource families; and establishing the Selection and
Advisory Council.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 6387. Study to determine drug abuse by parents within
resource families.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares that
additional information should be gathered regarding the
prevalence of drug abuse by each parent within a resource family
or prospective resource family to:
(1) Ensure that a child in need of services under this
chapter is placed in a home environment that is free from the
injurious effects associated with drug abuse by a parent
within the resource family with whom the child is or will be
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residing.
(2) Determine whether:
(i) Mandatory drug screening is indicated for all
parents within a resource family or prospective resource
family.
(ii) Investment in new technology for caseworkers is
warranted to facilitate the recording, retrieval,
transmission and analysis of observations of caseworkers
regarding drug abuse by a parent within a resource family
or prospective resource family.
(iii) Cost-effective treatment options exist for a
parent within a resource family or prospective resource
family who is abusing drugs.
(b) Selection and Advisory Council.--
(1) The Selection and Advisory Council is established to
administer the provisions of this section.
(2) After sufficient funds have been appropriated or
otherwise made available to the council, the council shall:
(i) Publicize the request for proposals for the
study and solicit applicants to conduct the study and
provide the required reports.
(ii) Evaluate organizations applying to conduct the
study and provide the required reports.
(iii) Select a research entity to conduct the study
and provide the required reports.
(iv) Develop benchmarks for the study.
(v) Monitor the progress of the study.
(vi) Advise the research entity on matters related
to the study.
(vii) Provide information to the General Assembly on
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matters related to the study.
(viii) Develop necessary procedures to implement and
administer the provisions of this section.
(3) The council shall consist of the following seven
members:
(i) Five members with experience in managing or
participating in projects involving managed research
methods and analysis, who are appointed as follows:
(A) One member appointed by the President pro
tempore of the Senate.
(B) One member appointed by the Minority Leader
of the Senate.
(C) One member appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
(D) One member appointed by the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives.
(E) One member of the public appointed by the
Governor.
(ii) The Secretary of Human Services or a designee.
(iii) The Secretary of Education or a designee.
(4) The members of the council shall select a
chairperson.
(5) Each member of the council shall serve for the
duration of the study, but a member may be removed for cause
by the member's appointing authority. If a vacancy occurs,
the vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority
subject to the conditions of the original appointment.
(6) Four members of the council shall constitute a
quorum for conducting the business of the council.
(7) The council shall meet in person at least quarterly
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and at other times at the call of the chairperson.
(8) A member of the council may not receive compensation
for services as a member of the council but shall be entitled
to reimbursement for all necessary and reasonable expenses
incurred in connection with the performance of the member's
official duties as a member of the council.
(c) Study data and findings.--As part of the study, t he
research entity shall:
(1) Partner with three county agencies representing
urban or rural counties, or both, throughout this
Commonwealth and reflecting the geographic diversity of this
Commonwealth, along with two public or private agencies that
contract with each of those county agencies to provide
resource families for children who need out-of-home
placement. If a county agency under this paragraph does not
contract with at least two public or private agencies to
provide resource families, the research entity shall partner
with the one public or private agency that does contract with
the county agency under this paragraph.
(2) Determine the number of current and prospective
resource families served by the partnering county agencies.
(3) With respect to the public and private agencies
under this subsection, arrange for sufficient numbers of
parents within a resource family or prospective resource
family to be screened under subsection (a)(2)(i).
(4) O btain valid and reliable data on the number of
resource families or prospective resource families with a
parent who is abusing drugs, including the types of drugs
being abused by the parent and the frequency of the drug use.
(5) Identify and determine the effectiveness and
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efficiency of hand-held mobile devices and software to
record, retrieve, transmit and analyze the observations of
caseworkers regarding drug abuse by a parent within a
resource family or prospective resource family.
(6) Equip agency caseworkers with mobile devices and
train the caseworkers in the use of the devices.
(7) Establish an efficient storage and retrieval system
for the information captured by the mobile devices.
(8) Evaluate and recommend cost-effective treatment
options for a parent within a resource family or prospective
resource family who is abusing drugs.
(9) Analyze the use of State-permitted drug testing
facilities.
(10) Evaluate the costs and benefits of a drug screening
program for a parent within a resource family or prospective
resource family who is abusing drugs.
(11) Determine the possible extent of voluntary
participation in drug treatment programs by a parent within a
resource family or prospective resource family who is abusing
drugs.
(d) Quarterly reports.--The research entity shall provide a
quarterly progress report regarding the study challenges, fiscal
status and milestone accomplishments to:
(1) The Governor.
(2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Committee on Aging and Youth of the Senate.
(3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Committee on Children and Youth of the House of
Representatives.
(4) The members of the council.
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(e) Final report.--The research entity shall complete the
study and issue a final report of its findings and
recommendations:
(1) to the individuals listed under subsection (d); and
(2) within 24 months after its receipt of funding to
conduct the study.
(f) Definitions.-- The following words and phrases when used
in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Council." The Selection and Advisory Council established
under subsection (b).
"Research entity." The organization selected to conduct the
study under this section.
"Study." The study created under this section.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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