PRINTER'S NO. 61
No. 45 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, KITCHEN, ERICKSON, BOSCOLA, COSTA,
MUSTO, STOUT, FONTANA, GREENLEAF, GORDNER, BROWNE, STACK,
FERLO AND LOGAN, FEBRUARY 7, 2007
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 7, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Pennsylvania Commission for Women; and
2 providing for its powers and duties.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
7 Commission for Women Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Commission." The Pennsylvania Commission for Women
13 established in section 3.
14 "Executive director." The Executive Director of the
15 Pennsylvania Commission for Women.
16 Section 3. Commission.
17 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the
1 Pennsylvania Commission for Women to be composed of at least 15
2 members but not more than 21 members.
3 (b) Members.--Members shall be appointed by the Governor and
4 shall function in an advisory capacity to the executive
5 director.
6 (c) Chairperson.--The Governor shall designate one member as
7 chairperson of the commission.
8 (d) Terms.--Members shall serve for staggered terms of one
9 or two years as the Governor shall designate.
10 (e) Vacancies.--The Governor shall fill any vacancies that
11 may occur.
12 (f) Reimbursement.--Members shall serve without salary but
13 shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses
14 incurred while attending official commission meetings and
15 performing such other official functions as the director shall
16 prescribe.
17 Section 4. Executive director.
18 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Office
19 of the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission for
20 Women.
21 (b) Appointment.--The executive director shall be appointed
22 by the Governor.
23 (c) Employees.--The executive director shall employ such
24 other persons as are needed for the proper administration of the
25 program.
26 (d) Reporting.--The executive director shall report directly
27 to the Governor, advising the Governor of matters affecting
28 women.
29 (e) Advocacy.--The executive director shall function as
30 State government's advocate for women and shall have the
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1 responsibility for developing and implementing policies and
2 programs to ensure that women receive equal treatment in all
3 areas of life and to ensure that the Equal Rights Amendment to
4 the Constitution of Pennsylvania is fully implemented.
5 (f) Information.--The executive director shall widely
6 disseminate information and data concerning women. All
7 Commonwealth departments and agencies shall send to the
8 executive director any data and information which is categorized
9 by gender.
10 (g) Agency support.--The executive director shall cooperate
11 with and enlist the support of appropriate agencies, both
12 governmental and nongovernmental, to ensure that issues of
13 gender inequity are vigorously pursued and corrected.
14 (h) Annual report.--The executive director shall issue an
15 annual report to the Governor and to the citizens of this
16 Commonwealth and shall make recommendations as he considers
17 appropriate.
18 Section 5. Powers and duties of commission.
19 The commission shall have the following powers and its duty
20 shall be to:
21 (1) Assist the executive director to develop policies
22 and carry out programs.
23 (2) Upon recommendation of the executive director, the
24 commission shall investigate broad scale practices and
25 policies which serve as barriers to equality for women and
26 recommend means to end them.
27 (3) In its investigations and deliberation the
28 commission, with approval of the executive director, shall
29 hold such public hearings as it considers necessary to gather
30 information, inform the public of its activities and
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1 encourage public participation therein to address the issues
2 raised.
3 (4) The commission shall convene at least quarterly and
4 at the call of the executive director. A majority shall
5 constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting the
6 business of the commission. A vote of the majority of members
7 present shall be sufficient for all actions of the
8 commission.
9 Section 10. Effective date.
10 This act shall take effect immediately.
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