PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2583 PRINTER'S NO. 3022
No. 2044 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. PUNT, GLADECK, ZORD, LASHINGER, MISS
SIRIANNI, MR. NOYE, MRS. ARTY, MESSRS. BURD, POTT, CESSAR,
ZELLER, PERZEL, GIAMMARCO, MRS. R. CLARK, MESSRS. DeVERTER,
ARMSTRONG, MANMILLER, CIMINI, SCHEAFFER, W. W. FOSTER,
MADIGAN, COSLETT, SIEMINSKI, McVERRY, GRUPPO, FISCHER, LEVI,
PYLES, MRS. E. Z. TAYLOR, MESSRS. POLITE, CORNELL, MRS.
LEWIS, MESSRS. NAHILL, MOWERY, PRATT, BORSKI, DIETZ, SWIFT,
BOWSER, BITTLE, LETTERMAN, BELARDI, MRS. M. H. GEORGE,
MESSRS. MILLER, LEHR, ALDEN, PETERSON, GAMBLE,
E. H. SMITH, ZITTERMAN, COCHRAN, TELEK, S. E. HAYES, JR.,
GEIST, E. G. JOHNSON, PITTS, FREIND, DAVIES, McCLATCHY, RYAN,
MACKOWSKI, DUFFY, CHESS, COLE, SPITZ, GRIECO, WASS,
E. R. LYNCH, MOEHLMANN, WENGER, ANDERSON, DORR, MRS. HONAMAN,
MESSRS. KLINGAMAN, GATSKI, BROWN, ROCKS, SERAFINI, McKELVEY,
HASAY, CALTAGIRONE, BRANDT, FISHER AND McMONAGLE, DECEMBER 3,
1979
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
MARCH 5, 1980
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
2 act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
3 welfare laws of the Commonwealth," limiting general
4 assistance to chronically needy persons and transitionally
5 needy persons.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Clause (3) of section 432, act of June 13, 1967
9 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the "Public Welfare Code," amended
10 April 1, 1976 (P.L.64, No.28), is amended to read:
11 Section 432. Eligibility.--Except as hereinafter otherwise
12 provided, and subject to the rules, regulations, and standards
1 established by the department, both as to eligibility for
2 assistance and as to its nature and extent, needy persons of the
3 classes defined in clauses (1), (2), (2)(i) and (2)(ii) shall be
4 eligible for assistance:
5 * * *
6 (3) Other persons who are citizens of the United States, or
7 legally admitted aliens and who are chronically needy or
8 transitionally needy persons.
9 (i) Chronically needy persons are those persons chronically
10 in need who may be eligible for an indeterminate period as a
11 result of medical, social or related circumstances and shall
12 include, but not SHALL be limited to, the following: <--
13 (A) A child who is under age sixteen, or who is under
14 twenty-two and attending high school, an approved program of
15 vocational training on a full-time basis, or undergraduate
16 college on a full-time basis. No general assistance shall be
17 paid to any full-time undergraduate student at a college or
18 university who has not participated in a Federally subsidized
19 program for dependent children within the previous five years.
20 (B) A person who is over fifty-five years of age.
21 (C) A person who has a serious physical or mental handicap
22 which prevents him or her from working in an employment
23 situation AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT AFTER CONSULTATION <--
24 WITH A PRACTITIONER OF THE HEALING ARTS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
25 DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF
26 APPLICATION.
27 (D) A lone caretaker for one or more dependents.
28 (E) A person suffering from drug or alcohol abuse who is
29 currently undergoing active treatment in an approved program.
30 (F) A person over age forty-five who has been certified by
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1 the Bureau of Employment Security as being vocationally unable
2 to obtain employment.
3 (G) ANY PERSON WHO IS INELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT <--
4 COMPENSATION AND WHOSE INCOME FALLS BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL AS A
5 RESULT OF A NATURAL DISASTER.
6 (ii) Assistance for chronically needy persons shall continue
7 as long as the person remains eligible. Redeterminations shall
8 be conducted on at least an annual basis and persons capable of
9 work, even though otherwise eligible for assistance to the
10 chronically needy, would be required to register for employment
11 and accept employment if offered as a condition of eligibility
12 except as otherwise exempt under section 405.1.
13 (iii) Transitionally needy persons are those persons who are
14 otherwise eligible for general assistance but do not qualify as
15 chronically needy. Assistance for transitionally needy persons
16 shall be authorized in the form of a single grant not to exceed
17 the amount of thirty days assistance in any twelve-month period.
18 * * *
19 Section 2. This act shall be implemented during the six-
20 month period following the effective date hereof. During that
21 time, the eligibility of all recipients receiving general
22 assistance as of the effective date of this act shall be
23 redetermined. General assistance recipients found eligible as
24 chronically needy would be continued as general assistance
25 recipients beyond the six-month implementation period so long as
26 they maintained their eligibility. Transitionally needy
27 recipients would be eligible for the one time grant of up to
28 thirty days assistance at the end of the six-month
29 implementation period. Provisions of this act shall apply to new
30 applicants for general assistance as of the effective date of
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1 the act.
2 SECTION 3. NO PERSON SHALL BE EMPLOYED OR ENROLLED FOR <--
3 TRAINING UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACT
4 (CETA) BY ANY CETA PRIME SPONSOR UNTIL ALL TRANSITIONALLY NEEDY
5 PERSONS IN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF THE CETA PRIME SPONSORS HAVE
6 BEEN EMPLOYED OR ENROLLED IN A TRAINING PROGRAM.
7 Section 3. 4. This act shall take effect in 90 days. <--
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