AN ACT

 

1Amending the act of December 19, 1990 (P.L.1372, No.212),
2entitled "An act providing for early intervention services
3for infants, toddlers and preschool children who qualify;
4establishing the Interagency Coordinating Council and
5providing for its powers and duties; and conferring powers
6and duties upon the Department of Education and the State
7Board of Education, the Department of Health and the
8Department of Public Welfare," further providing for
9definitions and for child identification, assessment and
10tracking system<-; and making an appropriation.

11The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12hereby enacts as follows:

13Section 1. Section 103 of the act of December 19, 1990
14(P.L.1372, No.212), known as the Early Intervention Services
15System Act, is amended by adding a definition to read:

16Section 103. Definitions.

17The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
18have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19context clearly indicates otherwise:

1* * *

2"Homeless." An individual who lacks a fixed, regular and
3adequate nighttime residence. The term includes:

4(1) Children and youth in any of the following:

5(i) Who are sharing the housing of another person
6due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar
7reason.

8(ii) Who are living in a motel, hotel, trailer park
9or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative
10adequate accommodations.

11(iii) Who are living in an emergency or transitional
12shelter.

13(iv) Who are abandoned in a hospital.

14(v) Who are awaiting foster care placement.

15(vi) Who have a primary nighttime residence that is
16a public or a private place not designed for or
17ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for
18human beings.

19(vii) Who are living in a car, park, public space,
20abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train
21station or similar setting.

22(2) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the
23purposes of this chapter because the child is living in one
24of the circumstances in paragraph (1).

25* * *

26Section 2. Section 305(b) of the act is amended to read:

27Section 305. Child identification, assessment and tracking
28system.

29* * *

30(b) At-risk children.--For the purposes of child

1identification, assessment and tracking for infants and
2toddlers, the Department of Public Welfare shall establish, by
3regulation, population groups to be included in these
4activities. The population groups shall include, but not be
5limited to, children whose birth weight is under 1,500 grams;
6children cared for in neonatal intensive care units of
7hospitals; children born to chemically dependent mothers and
8referred by a physician, health care provider or parent;
9children who are seriously abused or neglected, as substantiated
10and referred by the county children and youth agency under the
11act of November 26, 1975 (P.L.438, No.124), known as the Child
12Protective Services Law; [and] children with confirmed dangerous
13levels of lead poisoning as set by the Department of Health; and 
14children who are homeless. The Department of Public Welfare may
15establish other population groups by regulation as it deems
16necessary.

17* * *

<-18Section 3. The sum of $640,000, or as much thereof as may be
19necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Public
20Welfare for the fiscal year July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015, for
21the provision of early intervention services to homeless infants
22and toddlers.

23Section <-3 4. This act shall take effect immediately.