PRINTER'S NO. 620
No. 593 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, HUGHES, GERLACH, HART, SCHWARTZ, COSTA,
HELFRICK, KUKOVICH, LEMMOND, MUSTO AND SALVATORE,
MARCH 15, 1999
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 15, 1999
AN ACT
1 Directing the Department of Public Welfare to develop and submit
2 a plan to eliminate the waiting list for services for people
3 with mental retardation.
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 Waiting List
8 Elimination Act.
9 Section 2. Legislative findings.
10 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
11 (1) There are approximately 6,000 people with mental
12 retardation waiting for community services in Pennsylvania on
13 a critical/emergency basis.
14 (2) Funds and other resources currently allocated for
15 mental retardation community services are inadequate to
16 provide for people on the waiting list.
17 (3) Community services are essential for people with
18 mental retardation to become independent productive citizens.
1 (4) The Department of Public Welfare has not yet
2 developed a plan adequate to specifically address the
3 elimination of the waiting list in a systematic fashion.
4 Section 3. Definitions.
5 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
6 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
7 context clearly indicates otherwise:
8 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of this
9 Commonwealth.
10 "Plan." The plan required under section 4 of the act.
11 Section 4. Preparation and submission of plan.
12 The department shall develop and submit to the Governor and
13 the General Assembly, within 180 days of the effective date of
14 this act, a plan to eliminate by the year 2003 the current and
15 future waiting list for community services for people with
16 mental retardation.
17 Section 5. Contents of plan.
18 The plan shall include, but not be limited to:
19 (1) Statistical information on the current waiting list
20 and the projected number of people requesting community
21 mental retardation services through the year 2003.
22 (2) Financial information on the amount of additional
23 Federal, State or other funds that may be required annually
24 for all costs associated with the elimination of the waiting
25 list by the year 2003.
26 (3) The manner in which the services will maximize the
27 practices of person-centered planning, inclusion and self-
28 determination in the creation of expanded community services
29 for people with mental retardation.
30 (4) A plan to address the shortage of staff in community
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1 programs.
2 Section 6. Public hearings and comment.
3 In the development of the plan, the department shall conduct
4 public hearings and obtain public comment from people with
5 mental retardation and other disabilities, their families,
6 guardians and providers of relevant services.
7 Section 7. Annual submission of progress report.
8 The department, along with its annual budget request for
9 waiting list elimination, shall submit to the Governor and the
10 General Assembly a progress report on the status of the waiting
11 list. This progress report shall provide statistical information
12 on the people served from the waiting list and the associated
13 financial data in an annual and cumulative fashion until the
14 waiting list is eliminated.
15 Section 8. Effective date.
16 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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