PRINTER'S NO. 2156
No. 1732 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, DeWEESE, SANTONI, HERMAN, BELARDI,
CARN, ORIE, ITKIN, GORDNER, ROBINSON, BATTISTO, LEVDANSKY,
THOMAS, LAUGHLIN, BUXTON, DALLY, CASORIO, TIGUE, MANDERINO,
MILLER, BEBKO-JONES, MUNDY, YOUNGBLOOD, EVANS, BARD, BOSCOLA,
VAN HORNE, STURLA, RUBLEY AND GLADECK, AUGUST 5, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 5, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," establishing the Commission
21 for Women and providing for its powers and duties.
22 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
23 hereby enacts as follows:
24 Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
25 as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a
26 section to read:
1 Section 480. Commission for Women.--(a) For the purposes of
2 this section, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
3 "Commission" means the Commission for Women of this
4 Commonwealth, established under this section.
5 "Executive director" means the Executive Director of the
6 Commission for Women.
7 (b) There is hereby established the Commission for Women.
8 (c) The commission shall have the following powers and
9 duties:
10 (1) Conduct continuous monitoring of matters concerning
11 women, including, but not limited to, women's educational and
12 employment needs and opportunities.
13 (2) Serve as a liaison between government and those groups
14 and organizations whose purposes relate to the interests of
15 women, as well as to encourage and assist such groups to
16 institute local self-help activities designed to meet women's
17 educational, employment and related needs.
18 (3) Promote access to job-training and educational programs
19 for women, and encourage the development and access to funding
20 for small business enterprises owned or operated by women.
21 (4) Promote women for appointed positions in State
22 government, including but not limited to, boards and
23 commissions.
24 (5) Assess and oversee coordination of the programs and
25 practices of all State agencies as they effect women.
26 (6) Review and report on State laws as they relate to the
27 civil and political rights of women.
28 (7) Serve as a data bank for collection and dissemination of
29 information.
30 (8) Perform any other function that it shall deem
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1 appropriate in furtherance of these responsibilities.
2 (9) Hold public hearings, informal hearings, meetings with
3 advisory groups, and conferences regarding any matter related to
4 the accomplishment of its purpose.
5 (10) Propose legislation.
6 (11) Provide to the Governor and the General Assembly a
7 report consisting of the results of its activities and
8 conclusions.
9 (d) There is hereby established the position of Executive
10 Director of the Commission for Women. The Governor shall appoint
11 the executive director to advise the Governor of matters
12 affecting women, to be the State's advocate for women, to
13 develop and implement policies and programs which insure that
14 women receive equal treatment in all areas of life and to insure
15 that the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of
16 Pennsylvania is fully implemented. The executive director may
17 hire persons as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the
18 commission and executive director. All Commonwealth departments
19 and agencies shall send to the executive director any data and
20 information which is categorized by gender. The executive
21 director shall cooperate with and enlist the support of
22 appropriate agencies, both governmental and nongovernmental, to
23 insure that issues of gender inequity are vigorously pursued and
24 corrected. The executive director shall widely disseminate
25 information and data concerning women. The executive director
26 shall issue an annual report to the Governor and to the citizens
27 of the Commonwealth and shall make recommendations as he
28 considers appropriate.
29 (e) The commission shall consist of twenty-one persons. The
30 Governor shall appoint ten members at large. The President pro
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1 tempore and Minority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker and
2 Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, acting in
3 concert, shall appoint the remaining eleven members. These
4 eleven members shall be representative of health and medicine,
5 insurance, labor, business, community development, economic
6 development, banking, law, education, public education and
7 agriculture and should have expertise in one or more of these
8 areas.
9 (f) The commission shall meet at least quarterly. Notice of
10 meetings of the commission shall be issued in accordance with
11 the provisions of the act of July 3, 1986 (P.L.388, No.84),
12 known as the "Sunshine Act." A majority of the appointed members
13 serving at any time shall constitute a quorum. Any member who
14 misses three consecutive meetings without cause shall be
15 replaced by the appointing authority. The members of the
16 commission shall receive no compensation for their service, but
17 shall be reimbursed for any actual and necessary expenses
18 incurred in the performance of their duties. Appointments shall
19 be for a term of two years. Commissioners shall serve until
20 their successors are appointed. Reappointment shall be possible
21 for two terms beyond the initial term. Vacancies which occur
22 prior to the expiration of the term shall be filled by
23 appointment for the balance of the unexpired term. Should any
24 resignation or unexpected vacancy occur which causes the
25 proportion of women members to drop below fifty per centum of
26 the total membership, the appropriate appointing authority shall
27 fill the vacancy within sixty (60) days.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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