PRINTER'S NO. 666
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
476
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY A. WILLIAMS, BREWSTER AND AUMENT, APRIL 30, 2019
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, APRIL 30, 2019
AN ACT
Establishing the Pennsylvania Advisory Commission on Greater
Father Family Involvement within the Department of Human
Services and providing for its powers and duties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Greater
Father Family Involvement Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Advisory Commission on
Greater Father Family Involvement.
"Department." The Department of Human Services of the
Commonwealth.
Section 3. Findings and declaration of policy.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) In the absence of public policy that promotes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
greater father involvement and sustainability in the life of
their children, too many children will likely not have full
parental support to achieve economic stability and wealth
acquisition, and thus are unlikely to be able to maintain
themselves and enhance their family's well-being.
(2) Research shows that father involvement is associated
with better outcomes for child well-being.
(3) Fathers are role models, caretakers, providers and
advocates.
(4) When a child has the benefit of access to both a
mother and father, the child is more likely to exhibit
healthy behaviors, excel in school and achieve emotional
well-being.
(5) Approximately 24 million or 35% of the nation's
children are being raised in single-parent households, often
without access to their fathers and their emotional and
financial support.
(6) Systemic barriers are impediments to greater father
involvement in the lives of children and families in this
Commonwealth, including the following:
(i) Stigma linked to seeking behavioral health
services and the lack of prioritization among behavioral
health entities and staff.
(ii) Child support orders that often overlook
circumstances and obstacles to fathers' engagement with
families.
(iii) Housing, supervised independent living and
homelessness systems fail to prioritize fathers with
children.
(iv) The educational and support services system
20190SB0476PN0666 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
fails to prioritize the involvement of fathers as equal
co-parents.
(7) A father's absence or noninvolvement can have a
negative impact on a child's well-being from birth forward,
including economic deprivation, higher odds of incarceration,
twice the odds of becoming a high school dropout, higher odds
of smoking, drinking and using drugs and a higher risk of
physical, emotional or economic neglect.
(8) Fathers should be fully present and engaged in
providing the emotional, social, physical, intellectual,
spiritual and financial contributions that their children
need to ensure safety, permanency and well-being.
(9) Father involvement is a protective factor for
children that aids in the development of resilience and
mitigates certain psychological and social risks in the
adulthood of children.
(10) The public policy of the Commonwealth is to end
systemic barriers that impede fathers in fostering supportive
connections with their children, establishing support
mechanisms to enhance the ability of fathers to assume a
beneficial parenting role with their children and assisting
men in preparing for the legal, financial and emotional
responsibilities of fatherhood.
Section 4. Pennsylvania Commission on Greater Father Family
Involvement.
(a) Establishment.--The Pennsylvania Advisory Commission to
Promote Greater Father Family Involvement is established as an
advisory commission within the department.
(b) Membership.--The commission shall consist of
commissioners who shall be appointed as follows:
20190SB0476PN0666 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(1) Twelve commissioners shall be appointed by the
Governor, not more than six of whom must be registered in the
same political party.
(2) Eight commissioners shall be appointed from the
General Assembly as follows:
(i) Two commissioners selected by the President pro
tempore of the Senate.
(ii) Two commissioners selected by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives.
(iii) Two commissioners selected by the Minority
Leader of the Senate.
(iv) Two commissioners selected by the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives.
(3) One commissioner shall be appointed by the Chief
Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
(c) Initial terms.--The initial terms of the commissioners
shall be as follows:
(1) The commissioners appointed by the Governor shall be
staggered as follows:
(i) Four commissioners shall be appointed for an
initial term of one year, and then to a term of three
years, until their successor is appointed.
(ii) Four commissioners shall be appointed for an
initial term of two years, and then to a term of three
years, until their successor is appointed.
(iii) Four commissioners shall be appointed for a
term of three years, and then to a term of three years,
until their successor is appointed.
(2) The commissioners selected by the General Assembly
shall serve for a term coterminous with the term of the
20190SB0476PN0666 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
appointing authority.
(3) The commissioner appointed by the Chief Justice
shall serve for a term of five years and until the successor
commissioner is appointed.
(d) Reimbursement.--The commissioners shall be reimbursed by
the department for all necessary and reasonable expenses
incurred in connection with the performance of their duties as
members of the commission.
(e) Vacancies.--A vacancy that occurs in an office of a
commissioner prior to the expiration of a term caused by death,
resignation, removal or for any other reasons shall be filled in
the manner prescribed in subsection (b).
(f) Forfeiture for nonattendance.--A commissioner who fails
to attend two consecutive meetings of the commission shall
forfeit the seat, unless the chairperson of the commission
receives written notification from the commissioner that the
absence was due to personal illness or the death or illness of
an immediate family member.
(g) Chairperson.--The Governor shall designate one of the
commissioners to be chairperson, who shall preside at all
meetings of the commission and perform all the duties and
functions of the chairperson. The commission may designate one
of the members to be the acting chairperson during the absence
or incapacity of the chairperson and, when so acting, the acting
chairperson shall have and perform all the powers and duties of
the chairperson.
(h) Other officers.--The commission may select other
officers as necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the
commission prescribed in section 5.
(i) Meetings.--The commission shall meet at least four times
20190SB0476PN0666 - 5 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
per year in the City of Harrisburg, but may convene meetings at
other locations deemed convenient and appropriate for the
purposes of the commission.
(j) Quorum.--Eleven members of the commission shall
constitute a quorum, and a majority of those present shall be
sufficient for any official action taken by the commission.
(k) Open meetings.--The meetings of the commission shall be
conducted in accordance with the provisions of 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7
(relating to open meetings).
(l) Annual report.--The commission shall issue an annual
report to the Governor and to the General Assembly regarding
responsible fatherhood programs and issues within this
Commonwealth.
Section 5. Powers and duties of the commission.
(a) General rule.--The commission shall:
(1) Work with State and local government and other
entities through collaboration, coordination, research and
consultation to recognize and promote the contributions that
fathers make to improving societal outcomes for children and
families.
(2) Subject to subsection (b):
(i) Evaluate governmental programs and initiatives
that impact fatherhood and make recommendations regarding
impediments, needed improvements and successful
implementation of those programs and initiatives.
(ii) Develop a comprehensive State plan that will
support early connection of fathers to their children
beginning in the gestational stage of child development
throughout the life of the child.
(iii) Promote and continue to support programs and
20190SB0476PN0666 - 6 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
entities that foster the following:
(A) Parenting programs that assist fathers in
preparing for, finding and securing employment.
(B) Parenting through skill-based educational
programs.
(C) Development of conflict resolution skills
training.
(iv) Propose changes to statutes, administrative
rules and regulations and policy that impede the
development or implementation of greater father
involvement measures, or that will enhance the prospect
of success of those measures.
(b) Staff and grants.--Subject to available resources, the
commission may employ such staff and award grants as necessary
to perform its duties and functions prescribed in this act.
(c) Reports.--The commission may issue reports regarding
responsible fatherhood programs and issues that the commission
deems will aid in understanding, evaluating or improving the
successful implementation of such programs and issues.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20190SB0476PN0666 - 7 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21