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PRINTER'S NO. 1961
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1731
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY MIZGORSKI, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, JONES, B. MILLER,
ROTHMAN, RYAN, ZIMMERMAN AND HILL-EVANS, JULY 20, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, JULY 20, 2021
AN ACT
Establishing the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Greater
Father Involvement within the Joint State Government
Commission 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 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 Joint State Government Commission.
"Committee." The Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Greater
Father Involvement.
Section 3. Findings and declaration of policy.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Fathers are role models, caretakers, providers and
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advocates. Research shows that father involvement is
associated with better outcomes for child well-being.
(2) When a child has the benefit of access to both
parents, the child is more likely to exhibit healthy
behaviors, excel in school and achieve emotional well-being.
(3) 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, stability and well-being.
(4) Father involvement is a protective factor for
children that aids in the development of resilience and
mitigates certain psychological and social risks in
adulthood.
(5) Approximately 24,000,000 of the nation's children
are being raised in single-parent households, some without
access to their fathers and their emotional and financial
support.
(6) A father's absence or noninvolvement can have a
negative impact on a child's well-being from birth forward,
increasing the risks of abuse, substance use, educational
underachievement and incarceration.
(7) In the absence of public policy that promotes
greater father involvement, many children will be less likely
to receive the level of parental support needed to achieve
economic stability, emotional well-being and independence.
(8) Societal and institutional barriers to greater
father involvement may include stigma linked to seeking
behavioral health services, child support orders that create
obstacles to fathers engaging with children, housing programs
that do not encourage fathers living with children and
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educational and support services systems that do not foster
co-parenting.
(9) The public policy of the Commonwealth is to end
institutional barriers that may impede fathers in fostering
supportive connections with their children, establish support
mechanisms to enhance the ability of fathers to assume a
beneficial parenting role and assist men in preparing for the
legal, financial and emotional responsibilities of
fatherhood.
Section 4. Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Greater Father
Involvement.
(a) Establishment.--The commission shall establish the
Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Greater Father Involvement
within the commission.
(b) Membership.--The committee shall consist of the
following members:
(1) Six members shall be appointed by the Governor, not
more than three of whom may be registered in the same
political party.
(2) One member shall be appointed by the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
(3) Six members shall be appointed by the General
Assembly as follows:
(i) One by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
(ii) One by the Majority Leader of the Senate.
(iii) One by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
(iv) One by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(v) One by the Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
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(vi) One by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
(c) Terms.--Members of the committee shall serve terms of
three years, except that the initial terms of the members shall
be as follows:
(1) Two members appointed by the Governor, the member
appointed by the Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives and the member appointed by the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives shall each be
appointed for an initial term of one year.
(2) Two members appointed by the Governor, the member
appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate and the member
appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate shall each be
appointed for an initial term of two years.
(3) The remaining members shall each be appointed for an
initial term of three years.
(d) Reimbursement.--The commission shall reimburse members
of the committee for all necessary and reasonable expenses
incurred in connection with the performance of their duties as
members of the committee.
(e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the committee that occurs prior
to the expiration of a term shall be filled in the manner of the
original appointment.
(f) Forfeiture for nonattendance.--A member of the committee
who fails to attend two consecutive meetings of the committee
shall forfeit the seat, unless the chairperson of the committee
receives written notification from the member 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
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members of the committee to be the chairperson of the committee.
The following apply:
(1) The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the
committee and perform all the duties and functions of the
chairperson.
(2) The committee may designate one of the members to be
the acting chairperson during the absence or incapacity of
the chairperson.
(h) Other officers.--The committee may select other officers
as necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the
committee.
(i) Meetings.--
(1) The first meeting of the committee shall be held in
Harrisburg with all members physically present.
(2) Subsequent meetings of the committee may be held in
any manner or at any location that the committee deems
appropriate.
(j) Quorum and official action.--
(1) A majority of the committee shall constitute a
quorum to conduct business.
(2) A majority of those present at a meeting of the
committee shall be sufficient for official action to be taken
by the committee.
(k) Open meetings.--The meetings of the committee shall be
conducted in accordance with the provisions of 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7
(relating to open meetings).
Section 5. Powers and duties of committee.
(a) Responsibilities.--The committee shall:
(1) Work with State and local governments and other
entities through collaboration, coordination, research and
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consultation to recognize and promote the contributions that
fathers make to improving societal outcomes for children and
families.
(2) Evaluate governmental programs and initiatives that
impact fatherhood and make recommendations regarding needed
improvements and existing impediments to successful
implementation of those programs and initiatives.
(3) Develop a comprehensive plan that will support early
connection of fathers to their children beginning in the
gestational stage of child development and continuing
throughout the life of the child.
(4) Promote and continue to support programs and
entities that foster the following:
(i) Workforce development programs that assist
fathers in preparing for, finding and securing
employment.
(ii) Parenting through skills-based educational
programs that foster quality co-parenting relationships.
(iii) Development of conflict resolution skills
training.
(5) Propose changes to statutes, regulations,
administrative rules and policies that impede the development
or implementation of greater father involvement measures or
that will enhance the prospect of success of those measures.
(6) Identify additional sources of funding, including
nongovernmental sources, to support the following:
(i) The work of the committee.
(ii) Programs that directly support fathers and
responsible fatherhood.
(7) Issue an annual report to the Governor and the
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General Assembly regarding responsible fatherhood programs
and issues within this Commonwealth.
(b) Staff and grants.--Subject to available resources, the
committee may employ staff and award grants as necessary to
perform its duties and functions prescribed in this act.
(c) Reports.--The committee may issue reports regarding
responsible fatherhood programs and issues that will aid in
understanding, evaluating or improving the successful
implementation of these programs and issues.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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