PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 4693 PRINTER'S NO. 4877
No. 2971 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS, DeWEESE, PICKETT, ALLEN, BAKER, BARRAR,
BEBKO-JONES, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAWLEY, CLYMER,
FLAHERTY, FLEAGLE, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GINGRICH, JOSEPHS,
KENNEY, McGEEHAN, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER, MUNDY, NAILOR,
PETRONE, READSHAW, ROSS, SATHER, SCAVELLO, STABACK,
E. Z. TAYLOR, WATSON, YOUNGBLOOD, SAYLOR, FABRIZIO, HESS,
THOMAS, SONNEY, JAMES AND GEIST, OCTOBER 3, 2006
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 23, 2006
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Emergency Demand Reduction Program in the
2 Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs of the Department of
3 Health; and making an appropriation. <--
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Residential
8 Addiction Treatment Wait List Reduction Act.
9 Section 2. Policy.
10 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
11 (1) There are approximately 788,202 drug-dependent
12 persons in need of treatment in Pennsylvania.
13 (2) There is an emerging trend of addiction to the
14 following illegal and controlled substances in this
15 Commonwealth:
1 (i) Heroin/fentanyl.
2 (ii) Crack/cocaine.
3 (iii) Methamphetamine.
4 (iv) Oxycontin.
5 (3) Due to the limited funding for addiction treatment
6 services in this Commonwealth, many drug-dependent persons
7 are often unable to obtain residential treatment.
8 (4) The Commonwealth has a legitimate interest to ensure
9 that appropriate drug and alcohol treatment services are
10 available to the citizens who require such treatment.
11 Section 3. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Bureau." The Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs of the
16 Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
17 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
18 "Drug-dependent person." A person who is using a drug,
19 controlled substance or alcohol and who is in a state of psychic
20 or physical, or both, dependence arising from administration of
21 that drug, controlled substance or alcohol, on a continuing
22 basis.
23 "Emergency Demand Reduction Program." The Department of
24 Health's program to provide immediate reduction of the waiting
25 list of persons needing residential addition treatment in
26 counties.
27 "Joinder." A drug and alcohol administrative unit with a
28 geographic area that consists of two or more counties.
29 "Residential addiction treatment." Treatment services in a
30 residential facility licensed by the Department of Health for
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1 drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
2 "Single county authority" or "SCA." The agency designated by
3 the local authorities in a county or joinder to plan, fund and
4 administer drug and alcohol activities in that county or
5 joinder.
6 Section 4. Powers and duties of bureau.
7 In addition to any other powers and duties, the bureau shall:
8 (1) Establish the Emergency Demand Reduction Program to
9 reduce waiting lists for residential addiction treatment.
10 (2) Provide moneys to SCAs to address the emergency
11 waiting list for residential addiction treatment.
12 Section 5. Appropriation. <--
13 The sum of $5,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
14 necessary, is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the
15 Department of Health for the fiscal year July 1, 2006, to June
16 30, 2007, to carry out the provisions of this act.
17 Section 6 20. Effective date. <--
18 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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