1Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions,
3establishing the Pennsylvania Interagency Council on Inmate
4Reentry.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1.  Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
8Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:

9§ 5907.  Pennsylvania Interagency Council on Inmate Reentry.

10(a)  Establishment.--The Pennsylvania Interagency Council on
11Inmate Reentry is established.

12(b)  Membership.--The council shall consist of the following
13members:

14(1)  The secretary, or a designee.

15(2)  The Secretary of Community and Economic Development,
16or a designee.

17(3)  The Secretary of Education, or a designee.

18(4)  The Secretary of Labor and Industry, or a designee.

19(5)  The Secretary of Public Welfare, or a designee.

1(6)  The Director of Homeland Security, or a designee.

2(7)  The Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency
3Management Agency, or a designee.

4(8)  The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Housing
5Finance Agency, or a designee.

6(9)  The Adjutant General of the Department of Military
7and Veterans Affairs or a designee.

8(10)  The victim advocate of the Office of Victim
9Advocate or a designee.

10(11)  The Chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation
11and Parole or a designee.

12(12)  An elected county commissioner selected by the
13County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

14(13)  An elected district attorney selected by the
15Pennsylvania District Attorney's Association.

16(c)  Quorum.--A majority of the members shall constitute a
17quorum and a vote of the majority of the members present shall
18be sufficient for all actions.

19(d)  Chairperson.--The secretary or his designee shall serve
20as the chairperson of the council. A member of the council shall
21be designated by the chairperson of the committee as vice
22chairperson and shall preside at meetings in the absence of the
23chairperson.

24(e)  Meetings.--The council shall meet at the call of the
25chairperson but no less than six times per year.

26(f)  Reimbursement.--Members of the council shall serve
27without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary and
28reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings of the
29council and in the performance of their duties under this
30section.

1(g)  Support.--The department shall provide staff and
2administrative support for the council. The council may enter
3into a memorandum of understanding with the Pennsylvania
4Commission on Crime and Delinquency for additional necessary
5support.

6(h)  Duties.--

7(1)  The council shall examine:

8(i)  The ways in which the process of reentering
9inmates into the community may be improved.

10(ii)  The ways of strengthening the educational and
11vocational skills of inmates while incarcerated.

12(iii)  The ways to establish and implement effective
13and consistent reentry plans prior to inmates' scheduled
14release into the community.

15(iv)  The ways to incentivize employers to hire
16former inmates through financial or other economic
17incentives.

18(v)  The impediments to successful reentry plans,
19such as the use of employer background checks and
20statutory and regulatory bars to employment.

21(2)  The council may rely on studies and reports that
22have already been prepared by other state entities or private
23organizations in its examination under this subsection.

24(i)  Report to General Assembly.--The council shall submit a 
25report to the General Assembly that provides the results of its 
26findings and examination under subsection (h) and shall file its 
27report with recommendations no later than one year from the 
28effective date of this section.

29(j)  Expiration.--This section shall expire 365 days from the
30effective date of this section.

1Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.