PRINTER'S NO. 1031
No. 903 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY COWELL, PISTELLA, COHEN, RUDY, HARPER, MARKOSEK,
GALLAGHER, KOSINSKI, FATTAH, EVANS, KUKOVICH, SWEET, ITKIN,
E. Z. TAYLOR, COY, D. R. WRIGHT, ARTY, HOEFFEL, DAWIDA,
WACHOB, PRATT, MICHLOVIC, FISCHER, GANNON, STEIGHNER, DeLUCA,
PUNT, COLAFELLA AND PRESTON, MAY 3, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MAY 3, 1983
AN ACT
1 Providing for the creation of a multipurpose program for
2 displaced homemakers; further providing for powers and duties
3 of the Department of Education; and making an appropriation.
4 The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that there is
5 an ever increasing number of persons in this Commonwealth who,
6 having fulfilled a role as a homemaker, find themselves
7 "displaced" through divorce, death of spouse or other loss of
8 family income. As a consequence, displaced homemakers are very
9 often without any source of income. They may be ineligible for
10 categorical welfare assistance. Because they have been engaged
11 in unpaid labor in the home, they are ineligible for
12 unemployment insurance. They are subject to high unemployment
13 and face discrimination in seeking employment because they have
14 no recent paid work experience. Because of divorce from or death
15 of spouse, many will never benefit from the Social Security
16 System and have lost the rights to pension and health plans.
17 Many are ineligible for Medicaid because they are too young; and
1 many are unable to purchase private health insurance because
2 they are too old or lack the resources to purchase such
3 insurance.
4 The General Assembly acknowledges and commends the commitment
5 by the Department of Education through the use of Federal
6 vocational education funds to initiate and support programs to
7 aid the displaced homemaker. Further, the General Assembly
8 recognizes that Federal support to the Commonwealth for
9 education has declined in recent years. It is the intent of the
10 General Assembly in enacting this act to provide funds to
11 augment, not supplant, Federal funds being allocated by the
12 Department of Education for displaced homemakers programs.
13 Specifically, these funds shall be used, in addition to Federal
14 funds, to continue existing programs and to create programs in
15 areas of the Commonwealth which are currently underserved or
16 unserved.
17 Further, it is the intention of the General Assembly in
18 enacting this act to reaffirm the Commonwealth's commitment to
19 provide the necessary counseling, training, employment placement
20 and other services for displaced homemakers so that they may
21 attain the independence and economic security vital to a
22 productive life and to improve the health and welfare of this
23 ever-growing group of citizens.
24 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
25 hereby enacts as follows:
26 Section 1. Short title.
27 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Displaced
28 Homemakers Act.
29 Section 2. Definitions.
30 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
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1 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
2 context clearly indicates otherwise:
3 "Department." The Department of Education.
4 "Displaced homemaker." A person who meets all of the
5 following:
6 (1) Has worked without pay as a homemaker for his or her
7 family.
8 (2) Is not adequately employed.
9 (3) Has had or would have difficulty finding employment.
10 (4) Has depended on the income of a family member and
11 has lost that income; or is or has been dependent on
12 governmental assistance; or has been the recipient of
13 disability assistance and is no longer eligible.
14 Section 3. Powers and duties.
15 The department shall establish a multipurpose displaced
16 homemaker program for displaced homemakers in this Commonwealth.
17 To the greatest extent possible the department shall make grants
18 to or otherwise utilize existing nonprofit agencies,
19 organizations and educational institutions to deliver the
20 various services as enumerated in this section. Consideration
21 should be given, when funding new programs, to the areas of the
22 Commonwealth which are underserved or have no appropriate
23 programs for displaced homemakers. The displaced homemaker
24 program shall be designed and staffed as follows:
25 (1) The program shall be designed to provide displaced
26 homemakers with the necessary counseling, training, skills,
27 services and education to become adequately employed and
28 independent.
29 (2) To the greatest extent possible, the staff of the
30 program, including supervisory, technical, administrative and
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1 volunteer positions, shall be filled by displaced homemakers.
2 Where necessary, potential staff members shall be provided
3 with on-the-job training by independent contractors or
4 volunteer agencies.
5 (3) The department shall explore all possible sources of
6 funding and in-kind contributions from Federal, local and
7 private sources in establishing the displaced homemaker
8 program, including building space, equipment and qualified
9 personnel for training purposes. The department shall
10 prepare, and update as needed, a list of the above funding
11 sources. This list shall be made available to all programs
12 currently funded by the department and to all parties
13 submitting requests for funding of displaced homemakers
14 programs.
15 (4) The department shall develop a plan with the
16 Department of Labor and Industry to utilize the program
17 resources of the Pennsylvania State Employment Service to
18 include displaced homemakers in existing job-training
19 programs including, but not limited to, programs and services
20 available under the Federal Job Training Partnership Act.
21 Section 4. Services to be provided.
22 Services to be provided by funded displaced homemaker
23 programs shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
24 (1) A career counseling service designed specifically
25 for the person entering the job market after a number of
26 years as a homemaker. The counseling will take into account,
27 and build upon the skills and experience of a homemaker. Peer
28 counseling and job readiness, as well as skill updating and
29 development, shall be emphasized.
30 (2) Educational programs, including courses offering
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1 credit through post-secondary educational institutions; adult
2 basic education programs; vocational education programs; or
3 programs leading toward a high school equivalency degree or
4 certificate.
5 (3) A job training service developed with government
6 agencies and private employers to provide displaced
7 homemakers with training programs for jobs in the public and
8 private sectors. To this end, the staff shall include the
9 program services of the Pennsylvania State Employment
10 Service.
11 (4) A job placement service to assist the displaced
12 homemaker in finding permanent employment. To this end, the
13 staff shall work with the Pennsylvania State Employment
14 Service and prime sponsors under the Federal Job Training
15 Partnership Act to secure employment for displaced
16 homemakers.
17 (5) Money management courses, including information and
18 assistance in dealing with insurance programs (life, health
19 and car), taxes, mortgage loans, credit and probate problems.
20 (6) Outreach and information for government programs,
21 including specific information and assistance with
22 supplemental security income, social security, veterans
23 administration benefits, welfare, food stamps, unemployment
24 insurance and Medicaid.
25 Section 5. Regulations and annual evaluation.
26 (a) Regulations.--The department shall in the manner
27 provided by law, establish the regulations necessary to carry
28 out this act.
29 (b) Evaluation.--The department shall prepare an annual
30 evaluation report of the displaced homemakers program. The
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1 report shall include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
2 components of the programs including: number of persons trained,
3 the number of persons placed in employment, follow-up data on
4 such persons, the number of persons served by the other various
5 service programs and cost-effectiveness of the components of the
6 programs. The department shall make this report annually to the
7 Governor, the House Education Committee and the Senate Education
8 Committee.
9 Section 6. Appropriation.
10 The sum of $300,000 is hereby appropriated to the Department
11 of Education to carry out this act. These funds shall be deemed
12 to be in addition to, and not a replacement of, any funding
13 sources currently being utilized to fund programs aiding
14 displaced homemakers.
15 Section 7. Effective date.
16 This act shall take effect July 1, 1983.
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