PRINTER'S NO. 999
No. 876 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY SCHRODER, BARRAR, BELARDI, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD,
CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, GINGRICH, HARPER,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON, MACKERETH, O'NEILL, PICKETT,
RAPP, REICHLEY, ROSS, SCAVELLO, SHANER, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE,
WATSON, YOUNGBLOOD AND DENLINGER, MARCH 14, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 14, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," authorizing the department to
6 directly reimburse educational support services providers;
7 and repealing penalties for grant recipients.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 1507-C of the act of March 10, 1949
11 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
12 amended or added May 17, 2001 (P.L.4, No.4) and December 23,
13 2003 (P.L.304, No.48), is amended to read:
14 Section 1507-C. Payment of educational support services grants.
15 (a) Certificates.--A certificate for education support
16 services under this article shall be issued by the department in
17 an amount authorizing up to $500 for each eligible student
18 identified on the certificate. The certificate shall be issued
19 to the grant recipient and shall be valid only for the fiscal
1 year in which it is issued. After receiving the certificate
2 [from a], the grant recipient[,] shall sign it and give it to
3 the provider, who shall include the following information on the
4 certificate: name of eligible student [served], type of
5 instruction, date and length of instruction and cost of
6 instruction provided to the eligible student. When the amount of
7 the certificate has been utilized or when the eligible student
8 is no longer receiving education support services from the
9 provider, the provider shall return the completed certificate to
10 the [grant recipient for submission to the] department for
11 payment. The department shall make payment directly to the
12 [grant recipient] provider for the amount due. [Grant
13 recipients] Providers must send all outstanding certificates to
14 the department for payment no later than 90 days after
15 [receiving the completed] completing the certificate [from the
16 provider].
17 [(b) Penalty for grant recipients.--A grant recipient who
18 knowingly defrauds the Commonwealth by receiving reimbursement
19 for education support services not rendered to the eligible
20 student and grant recipient identified on the certificate
21 commits a misdemeanor of the third degree and shall, upon
22 conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000
23 per violation and shall be disqualified from eligibility for an
24 additional grant for a period of not less than five years.]
25 (c) Penalty for providers.--A provider that knowingly
26 violates section 1509-C or knowingly defrauds the Commonwealth
27 by receiving reimbursement for education support services not
28 rendered to the eligible student and grant recipient identified
29 on the certificate commits a misdemeanor of the third degree and
30 shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more
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1 than $1,000 per violation and shall be barred from participation
2 in the program for not less than five years.
3 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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