PRINTER'S NO. 1004
No. 78 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY EACHUS, FAIRCHILD, LEVDANSKY, MARKOSEK AND LESCOVITZ, MARCH 17, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 17, 1999
A RESOLUTION 1 Amending House Resolution No. 15, adopted February 3, 1999, 2 entitled "A resolution providing for the establishment of a 3 task force to study the mental retardation services system in 4 Pennsylvania," increasing the membership of the task force. 5 RESOLVED, That House Resolution No. 15, adopted February 3, 6 1999, be amended to read: 7 A RESOLUTION 8 WHEREAS, Support of family and friends, quality of care, 9 financial resources and State support are necessary for citizens 10 of this Commonwealth with mental retardation; and 11 WHEREAS, Of the 1,115,000 citizens with mental retardation 12 and their families and communities in this Commonwealth, 67,000 13 receive residential services in the community, more than 3,000 14 reside in private intermediate care facilities and 2,400 reside 15 in State centers; and 16 WHEREAS, The task force under House Resolution 187, Printer's 17 No.1869 (1997), held five public hearings across this 18 Commonwealth regarding the multiyear plan of the Department of
1 Public Welfare to redesign the Commonwealth's mental retardation 2 services system; and 3 WHEREAS, That task force heard many concerns and problems 4 with the current mental retardation services system; and 5 WHEREAS, The department's plan for redesign will have a 6 significant impact on the lives of individuals living in public 7 and private intermediate care facilities, community living 8 arrangements and personal care homes; and 9 WHEREAS, The department's plan for redesign will have a 10 significant impact on the friends and families of individuals 11 living in those facilities; and 12 WHEREAS, The department's plan for redesign will have a 13 significant impact on employees of those facilities and on 14 communities surrounding those facilities; and 15 WHEREAS, That task force sought solutions from stakeholders 16 and developed 28 legislative initiatives to address the concerns 17 of individuals and families heard throughout the public 18 hearings; and 19 WHEREAS, The ongoing impact of the multiyear plan has the 20 potential to have an impact upon the safety, health and quality 21 of life for individuals being served by the mental retardation 22 services system; and 23 WHEREAS, This impact has not been thoroughly investigated by 24 the members of the General Assembly; therefore be it 25 RESOLVED, That a special task force be created to 26 investigate, review and recommend legislative remedies needed to 27 make improvements in the Commonwealth's mental retardation 28 services system; and be it further 29 RESOLVED, That the task force consist of [11] 13 members, 30 [six] seven from the majority party and [five] six from the 19990H0078R1004 - 2 -
1 minority party; and be it further 2 RESOLVED, That four of the [six] seven members from the 3 majority party be appointed from the Health and Human Services 4 Committee by the chairman of the Health and Human Services 5 Committee and three of the [five] six members from the minority 6 party be appointed from the Health and Human Services Committee 7 by the minority chairman of the Health and Human Services 8 Committee; and be it further 9 RESOLVED, That the remaining [two] three members from the 10 majority party be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 11 Representatives and that the remaining [two] three members from 12 the minority party be appointed by the Minority Leader of the 13 House of Representatives; and be it further 14 RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives 15 appoint the chairperson of the task force from among its members 16 and that the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives 17 appoint the minority chairperson of the task force from among 18 its members; and be it further 19 RESOLVED, That the task force hold hearings, take testimony 20 and make its investigations at such places as it deems necessary 21 in this Commonwealth; and be it further 22 RESOLVED, That each member of the task force has the power to 23 administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses appearing before 24 the task force; and be it further 25 RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the House of 26 Representatives be authorized to pay for necessary and 27 reasonable expenses incurred by the task force. C16L82JAM/19990H0078R1004 - 3 -