PRINTER'S NO. 3924
No. 590 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY SATHER, SCHULER, GRUCELA, M. BAKER, CAPPELLI,
PICKETT, B. SMITH, PISTELLA, BLAUM, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, COY,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DALLY, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, GABIG,
GEIST, GEORGE, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HESS, HORSEY, HUTCHINSON,
JAMES, KENNEY, LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, MELIO, R. MILLER,
S. MILLER, ROBINSON, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SEMMEL,
SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STERN, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, VANCE,
WALKO, WANSACZ, WASHINGTON, G. WRIGHT AND YOUNGBLOOD,
JUNE 3, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 3, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 conduct a study on the need for the development of a
3 protective services program within this Commonwealth for
4 physically and cognitively impaired adults between 18 and 59
5 years of age.
6 WHEREAS, Citizens of this Commonwealth from 18 to 59 years of
7 age who are at imminent risk of injury or death due to a
8 physical or cognitive impairment, neglect, abuse or other
9 incapacitating condition currently have no program of protective
10 services available to them; and
11 WHEREAS, Those citizens are entitled to the same
12 legislatively mandated protective services as children and older
13 adults in this Commonwealth; and
14 WHEREAS, The statutory establishment of the child protective
15 services system and the older adult protective services system
16 has resulted in substantial increases in the general public's
1 awareness of the problems of abuse and neglect of those
2 vulnerable populations and has led to substantial increases in
3 the number of reports received by children and youth agencies
4 and area agencies on aging; and
5 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is one of only nine jurisdictions in
6 the nation that does not have a protective services program for
7 adults who are between 18 and 59 years of age; and
8 WHEREAS, A survey conducted in 40 states by the National
9 Association of Adult Protective Services Administrators found
10 that during the 1999-2000 reporting period, 40,156 substantiated
11 cases occurred, prompting the need for protective services for
12 adults under 60 years of age; therefore be it
13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
14 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, in consultation with
15 experts and specialists in the field of adult protective
16 services, to conduct a study to examine the need for protective
17 services for adults between 18 and 59 years of age, the types of
18 services needed, the most appropriate administrative structure
19 for an adult protective services program, the necessary
20 legislative language to implement an adult protective services
21 program and other relevant factors which would inform the
22 General Assembly in determining how best to meet the needs of
23 these citizens; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the committee make a report, with
25 recommendations as appropriate, which shall be submitted to the
26 Speaker of the House of Representatives and to members of the
27 Health and Human Services Committee within one year of the
28 adoption of this resolution.
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