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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 11, 2024 12:00 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judith L. Schwank and Sen. Judy Ward |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a thorough study on the Commonwealth’s approach to infants born with prenatal substance exposure |
| It has become far too common to read newspaper headlines about children who have been harmed by parents with substance use disorder. In 2021 the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported more than 1,600 infants met the case definition of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Of those reports, more than 90% of the diagnoses were linked to opioid exposure. Challenges exist across multiple levels of government in reliably tracking and reporting outcomes for infants. It is unknown what types of services and supports are received and whether there are measurable outcomes from plans of safe care. This resolution will direct the JSGC to conduct an analysis and create recommendations regarding the effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s multidisciplinary approach to infants born affected by substance use or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure. I hope that you will join us in sponsoring this important resolution to better serve our Commonwealth’s children and families. |
Introduced as SR231