Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 1731 P.N. 2953

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1961

PRINTER'S NO. 2953

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1731

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY MIZGORSKI, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, JONES, B. MILLER,

ROTHMAN, RYAN, ZIMMERMAN, HILL-EVANS, JOZWIAK, STAATS, RADER,

T. DAVIS, A. DAVIS AND GAINEY, JULY 20, 2021

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 11, 2022

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

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

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that do not encourage fathers living with children and

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

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Representatives.

(vi) One by the Minority Leader of the House of

Representatives.

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.

(B) MEMBERSHIP.--THE COMMISSION SHALL APPOINT NO FEWER THAN

13 INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. COMMITTEE

MEMBERS SHALL BE RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH AND SHALL HAVE

DEMONSTRATED EXPERTISE IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

(1) ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE.

(2) ADULT EDUCATION OR LITERACY.

(3) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

(4) EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.

(5) EDUCATION.

(6) EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

(7) FAMILY LAW AND CHILD CUSTODY.

(8) FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS OR INITIATIVES.

(9) HOUSING AND INDEPENDENT LIVING.

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(10) PARENTING AND COPARENTING.

(11) PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS.

(12) THE JUVENILE DEPENDENCY AND DELINQUENCY SYSTEMS.

(13) THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

(d) (C) 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 (D) CHAIRPERSON.--THE

COMMISSION shall designate one of the 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) (E) Other officers.--The committee may select other

officers as necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the

committee.

(i) (F) Meetings.--

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(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) (G) 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

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

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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) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE

ESTABLISHMENT OF A LONG-TERM OR PERMANENT FATHERHOOD

COMMISSION AND ITS POWERS, DUTIES AND FUNDING.

(7) Issue an annual (8) ISSUE, BY DECEMBER 31, 2023, A

report to the Governor and the 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.

responsible fatherhood programs and issues that will aid in

understanding, evaluating or improving the successful

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implementation of these programs and issues.

Section 6. Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days. AND MAKING

RECOMMENDATIONS TO AID IN UNDERSTANDING, EVALUATING OR IMPROVING

THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE PROGRAMS AND ISSUES.

SECTION 6. EXPIRATION.

THE COMMITTEE SHALL EXPIRE JANUARY 31, 2024.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

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