PRINTER'S NO. 2821
No. 2111 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY VEON, LAUGHLIN, SANTONI, READSHAW, MELIO,
YUDICHAK, ROONEY, STABACK, WALKO, McGEEHAN, BELARDI, BEBKO-
JONES, WANSACZ, YOUNGBLOOD, GEORGE, MARKOSEK, FREEMAN,
McCALL, WOJNAROSKI, GRUCELA, JOSEPHS, HORSEY, BELFANTI,
SOLOBAY, TRELLO, DeLUCA, STEELMAN, JAMES AND G. WRIGHT,
OCTOBER 31, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, OCTOBER 31, 2001
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Office of Pennsylvania Advocacy and Liaison in
2 the Department of Labor and Industry; providing for its
3 purpose, duties and administration; and making an
4 appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Legislative findings.
8 The General Assembly hereby finds as follows:
9 (1) Around the country thousands of workers from the
10 cold war era are dying from illnesses they contracted
11 producing the country's nuclear weapons.
12 (2) The Energy Employees Occupational Illness
13 Compensation Act was enacted by Congress to pay claims and
14 make disbursements to those workers and their families. The
15 Federal Department of Labor administers the Energy Employees
16 Occupational Illness Program and has issued regulations to
17 implement the program launched July 31, 2001.
1 (3) The Department of Energy is moving forward to gather
2 information needed to support the Department of Labor's
3 efforts.
4 (4) The Department of Labor and the Department of Energy
5 are opening ten resource centers around the country to assist
6 workers and their families, but none of these centers is
7 opening in Pennsylvania even though 26 facilities that
8 contracted with the Federal Government to produce nuclear
9 weapons and nuclear weapons components from the 1940s to the
10 1960s were located in this Commonwealth.
11 Section 2. Legislative intent.
12 It is the intent of the General Assembly to create within the
13 Department of Labor and Industry the Office of Pennsylvania
14 Advocacy and Liaison to act as a liaison to the Federal
15 Government and as an advocate for the retired employees of
16 nuclear weapons plants operated by the Federal Government during
17 the cold war era who may be eligible for compensation under the
18 Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act.
19 Section 3. Establishment.
20 The Office of Pennsylvania Advocacy and Liaison is hereby
21 established in the Department of Labor and Industry.
22 Section 4. Purpose.
23 The purpose of the Office of Pennsylvania Advocacy and
24 Liaison is to act as liaison between retired nuclear workers in
25 Pennsylvania who were employees of nuclear weapons and nuclear
26 weapons components facilities in this Commonwealth from the
27 1940s to 1960s and the Federal Department of Labor and
28 Department of Energy which administer the Federal Energy
29 Employees Occupational Illness Program, to advocate on behalf of
30 the affected retired workers and their families, to provide
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1 information to potentially eligible workers, to help locate
2 workers who may be unaware of the program and to help workers
3 navigate through the Federal bureaucracy.
4 Section 5. Duties.
5 The duties of the Office of Pennsylvania Advocacy and Liaison
6 would include, but not be limited to:
7 (1) Develop a register of former and retired employees
8 of nuclear weapons and weapons components plants in this
9 Commonwealth.
10 (2) Develop an outreach program designed to educate the
11 public regarding potential eligibility of former and retired
12 workers and their families for benefits under the Federal
13 Energy Employees Occupational Illness program.
14 (3) Staff a center to help the public file applications
15 for claims, guide them through the claims process and act as
16 advocate for applicants. As part of that process, the office
17 will be responsible for any costs associated with securing of
18 the work history of the applicant for the purpose of filing a
19 claim.
20 (4) Collect, record and catalog data and information
21 regarding all Pennsylvania claimants.
22 (5) Create an archive that can be accessed by
23 Pennsylvanians who have been compensated under the program.
24 Section 6. Administration.
25 (a) General rule.--The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and
26 Industry shall administer this act and promulgate such rules and
27 regulations as may be needed to implement it.
28 (b) Report to General Assembly.--The department shall make
29 periodic reports to the General Assembly.
30 Section 7. Appropriation.
20010H2111B2821 - 3 -
1 The sum of $500,000 is hereby appropriated from the General
2 Fund to the Department of Labor and Industry for fiscal year
3 2001-2002 for the purposes of this act.
4 Section 8. Effective date.
5 This act shall take effect immediately.
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