PRINTER'S NO. 3738
No. 2657 Session of 1986
INTRODUCED BY BROUJOS, SAURMAN, BATTISTO, WASS, COLE, COY,
SHOWERS, BALDWIN AND STUBAN, JUNE 18, 1986
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, JUNE 18, 1986
AN ACT
1 Providing for the establishment, administration and distribution
2 of the Human Services Development Fund; and imposing
3 additional powers and duties on the Department of Public
4 Welfare.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Human
9 Services Development Fund Act.
10 Section 2. Legislative findings.
11 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
12 (1) The satisfaction of the diverse demands for various
13 human services requires both categorical and discretionary
14 funding under a well-planned and well-managed program.
15 (2) A function of government should be performed
16 effectively on the lowest level of government possible.
17 (3) In order to satisfy the diverse human services
18 demands, counties may establish different priorities often
1 requiring a flexible program of distribution of funding.
2 (4) Counties have developed the personnel, management
3 and leadership necessary to respond to changing human
4 services priorities.
5 (5) A flexible response to human service demands
6 requires that counties be given both requirements to use
7 category-specific grants to fund certain needs and broad
8 discretionary powers to allocate funds and meet other
9 changing human services needs.
10 Section 3. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
15 Commonwealth.
16 "Fund." The Human Services Development Fund established in
17 section 4.
18 "Human services." Services which provide care, assistance,
19 housing, training, counseling and related services for the
20 indigent, needy, deprived, neglected, mentally ill, mentally
21 retarded, abused, homeless, aged and other persons requiring
22 assistance under standards established by the Federal, State or
23 county governments. The term includes legal, adult, aging,
24 children and youth, drug and alcohol, mental retardation and
25 mental health services.
26 "Poverty level." The monetary level of income which is
27 established by the State using Federal Government standards to
28 determine the eligibility of individuals for various categories
29 of services.
30 Section 4. Human Services Development Fund.
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1 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a special
2 fund, to be known as the Human Services Development Fund, to
3 provide discretionary grants to counties for the provision of
4 human services.
5 (b) Administration.--The fund shall be administered by the
6 department, which shall be responsible for determining the
7 annual grant of each county and the semiannual reimbursement to
8 the various counties.
9 (c) Utilization.--Each county which receives an annual grant
10 from the fund shall have the power to, and may, allocate that
11 grant or any portion thereof for the provision of human
12 services. All funds received in the form of a grant shall be
13 used by the county solely for the provision of human services.
14 Section 5. Distribution of fund.
15 (a) Formula--The annual grant to each county shall be
16 determined by application of the following formula:
17 (1) Each county shall receive a minimum grant of $75,000
18 per year.
19 (2) Seventy-five percent of the balance remaining after
20 the application of paragraph (1) shall be distributed to each
21 county on a per capita basis, multiplied by the number of
22 county residents who are below the poverty level.
23 (3) Twenty-five percent of the balance remaining after
24 the application of paragraph (1) shall be distributed to each
25 county on a per capita basis.
26 (b) Reimbursement.--Each county shall be reimbursed on a
27 semiannual basis by the department upon submission of vouchers
28 and other evidence indicating performance of the services.
29 Section 6. Regulations.
30 The department shall promulgate regulations to implement and
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1 administer the provisions of this act.
2 Section 7. Applicability.
3 The provisions of this act shall apply to all expenses
4 incurred by counties after July 1, 1986, for the provisions of
5 human services.
6 Section 8. Effective date.
7 This act shall take effect July 1, 1986, or immediately,
8 whichever is later.
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