UPDATE: Action Needed Adult Protective Services - UPDATE
UPDATE: Action Needed Adult Protective Services - UPDATE
From: Terry Roth [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 9:02 PM
Subject: Action Needed Adult Protective Services - UPDATE
SB 699 (Introduced by Senator Vance, R-Cumberland), which we helped to write to create an Adult Protective Services (APS) system for people aged 18-59, has passed the Senate by a unanimous vote! SB 699 has been sent to the House Health and Human Services Committee. Now is the time to contact House members and ask that SB 699 be moved quickly and without amendment.
A few things to note-
- There are two bills that were introduced in the House by Representatives Josephs (D-Phila) and Baker (R-Tioga). It's a good idea to thank the Representatives who co-sponsored the house bills, but our goal is to have SB 699 passed by the House.
- It's always best to focus on your own Representatives or in the case of organizations, those that represent your geographic area.
- The House is on summer recess until mid-September so you should contact them in their district offices rather than Harrisburg. This summer break may be a good time to try to meet with them.
- This legislative session ends on November 30. Anything not passed by then dies and has to start the whole process over again. It's likely that they will only be in session from mid-September until the November 2nd election. In 2008, the fall session was only 14 days and this year's fall session could be even shorter.
Please use this opportunity to contact your state Representative and educate him or her about the need for APS and the importance of passing SB 699. See some suggested talking points below.
If your Representative is on the House Health and Human Services Committee, ask them to move the bill as quickly as possible. See listing below.
If your Representative is not on the HHS Committee, ask him or her to speak to their leadership and ask them to move the bill through the House quickly and without amendments.
Listed below are the sponsors of the two House Bills with prime sponsors underlined. If your Representative is a sponsor, be sure to thank them for advancing the issue by sponsoring a bill and then tell them that we need their help to pass APS into law.
APS Suggested Talking Points - SB 699
Ø Throughout Pennsylvania, there have been many cases of abuse and neglect of people between the ages of 18 and 59 with disabilities. A House hearing held in the fall of 2006 documented a number of them including a young woman with mental retardation who spent several days locked in a basement with her dead sister and a woman with multiple sclerosis who was raped by her husband. Current laws and policies do not protect them.
Ø Four years ago, the House passed adult protective services legislation but the bill died in the Senate. Before another legislative session ends, the House has the chance to make it a reality and put an end to unnecessary suffering.
Ø Just as we need protective services laws and systems for older Pennsylvanians and for children, we need a law to protect vulnerable adults between the ages of 18 and 59. That was the conclusion of a study conducted by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee in September 2003.
Ø PA is one of only five states that fail to provide protective services for adults.
Ø In the wake of the LBFC study a cross-disability coalition of people with disabilities, their families and advocates came together to develop principles for what an APS system should look like in PA. They agreed that the legislation must balance individual rights with the need for protection. They further agreed that they would build on the base of the Older Adult Protective Services Act, while having the Department of Public Welfare administer the system.
Ø SB 699 was drafted based on the principles outlined by the disability groups. They are strongly supported by more than 80 groups. In fact, there's been no opposition. The Secretaries of Aging and Public Welfare have expressed strong support and willingness for DPW to handle critical cases until funding is available to start-up the system. The bill will empower them to do so.
Ø At least the first year after a bill passes will be consumed with developing regulations and requests for proposals, so no funding will be needed for at least a year. In fact SB 699 was amended to take out an appropriation until funding is available. That also will give us the opportunity to look for alternative funding streams to help support the $6 million cost estimated for full implementation. Federal funding may well be available to deal with some of the cost.
Ø As taxpayers, we understand that budgets are tight, but believe that this must be a priority. Passing the bill now will enable us to get started even without funds. No one else should be injured or even killed while we wait.
Ø Our state's failure to provide protections for people between 18 and 59, at some point could jeopardize our federal funding. That's one reason to act quickly to pass APS. But more importantly, it's long past time to fix this gaping hole in our safety net.
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House Health and Human Services Committee
|
Majority (Room 34E EW) |
Minority (Room 108 ROB) |
|
*Oliver, Frank Louis , Chairman |
**Baker, Matthew E. , Chairman |
|
Bishop, Louise Williams |
Benninghoff, Kerry A. |
*Sponsor of one or both House Bills on APS
**Has been especially supportive on the issue
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Sponsors of one or both House Bills on APS (Prime Sponsors are underlined):
ADOLPH, BAKER, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BEYER, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BUXTON, CASORIO, CAUSER, COHEN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, CUTLER,DALEY, DALLY, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, FABRIZIO, FARRY, FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GROVE, HARHAI, HARHART, HARPER, HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, M. KELLER, KILLION, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MARSHALL, MELIO, MENSCH, MICOZZIE, MILLER, MILNE, MOUL, MUNDY, MURPHY, MURT, MUSTIO, M. O'BRIEN, OLIVER, O'NEILL, PASHINSKI, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, QUIGLEY, QUINN, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROEBUCK, ROHRER, ROSS, SANTONI, SCHRODER, SEIP, SHAPIRO, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, STABACK, STEVENSON, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, TRUE, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD