Bill Text: PA HB1456 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

---

Bill Title: Establishing the Pennsylvania Youth Commission; providing for powers and duties, for report to the General Assembly and for Pennsylvania Youth Commission Scholarship; and making an appropriation.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 25-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-04 - Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS [HB1456 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB1456-Amended.html

---

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1801 PRINTER'S NO. 3700
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1456 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY PAYTON, BROWN, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, DALEY, DONATUCCI, FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, JOHNSON, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PARKER, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SIPTROTH, WAGNER, WHEATLEY AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 7, 2009
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MAY 3, 2010
AN ACT
Establishing the Pennsylvania Youth Commission; providing for
powers and duties, for report to the General Assembly and for
Pennsylvania Youth Commission Scholarship; and making an
appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
Youth Commission Act.
Section 2. Declaration of policy
(a) Findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds
and declares as follows:
(1) Public office is a public trust between elected
officials and the citizens they represent.
(2) Despite age or voting record, each individual
residing in this Commonwealth is part of the public trust.
(3) Voting is the foremost means of direct participation
in government for the citizenry. Youth under 18 years of age
are not yet eligible to vote, and the youngest eligible
voters between 18 and 24 years of age consistently produce
the lowest number of voters.
(4) The ability and responsibility of the citizenry to
participate in the political process is a foundation of our
government and an issue of utmost significance. In order to
maintain a lasting knowledgeable and participatory electorate
and the full functionality of the political process and the
public trust, additional focus should be placed on the youth
of our Commonwealth.
(5) As each generation moves forward, a new generation
of voters will become eligible to participate directly in the
democratic process, necessitating the call for a body that
will serve as the conduit to awareness, understanding and
participation in our government, its decisions and its
importance.
(6) The creation of a body that will focus directly on
the issues and concerns facing forthcoming participants in
the democratic process of this Commonwealth will result in
numerous and positive outcomes.
(b) Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the General
Assembly that this act provide for and enhance the awareness,
understanding and participation of the youth of this
Commonwealth in the democratic process through a means separate
from the ability to vote. It is the further intent of the
General Assembly to establish a commission that will empower
youth who are not yet eligible to vote. Through this commission,
it is the intent of the General Assembly to tap the invaluable
resource of young minds and ideas that have been consistently
20090HB1456PN3700 - 2 -
disassociated with public officials, government and the status
quo of the political process, and in turn produce involved
citizens, leaders and pillars of young adulthood.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Youth Commission established
under this act.
"Director." The director of the Pennsylvania Youth
Commission.
"Representative." A youth representative selected under
section 7.
Section 4. Pennsylvania Youth Commission.
(a) Purpose.--The Pennsylvania Youth Commission is hereby
established to recognize and empower the voices of youth and
youth leaders throughout this Commonwealth. Through the
commission, the ideas and concerns of this Commonwealth's youth
shall be delivered to the General Assembly in a constructive and
organized method. Youth members shall collect, evaluate and
report the issues, concerns and ideas of the youth across this
Commonwealth to create a proactive means of participation in
State government.
(b) Appointment and terms of members.--The commission shall
consist of nine members, two members each appointed by the
President pro tempore and the Minority Leader of the Senate and
two members each appointed by the Majority Leader and the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Each appointee
shall serve a term of four years. The ninth member of the
commission shall be a youth member. The youth member shall be
20090HB1456PN3700 - 3 -
one of the 50 youth representatives, selected under section 7,
who is elected by a majority of the youth representatives. The
youth member of the commission shall take office one year after
the effective date of this act. A member must be 40 years of age
or younger at the time of appointment, and may serve the
remainder of the member's term should the member reach age 41
during the member's term.
(c) Director.--The position of director of the commission is
created for the purpose of administering the Pennsylvania Youth
Commission. The director shall be the chief administrator of all
guidelines, policies and initiatives set forth by the commission
and shall be responsible for maintenance and distribution of the
budget.
Section 5. Powers and duties of commission.
The commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) Appoint a director of the commission who shall serve
at the pleasure of the commission.
(2) Establish ten regions throughout this Commonwealth
of equal population and reasonable geography.
(3) Create and distribute a youth representative
application and promulgate guidelines for the acceptance and
confidential review of the applications.
(4) Annually select the recipient of the Pennsylvania
Youth Commission Scholarship, as provided under section
section 9.
(5) Promulgate rules and regulations to administer this
act.
Section 6. Prohibited activities.
A commissioner shall not do any of the following:
(1) Receive monetary compensation for service as a
20090HB1456PN3700 - 4 -
commissioner.
(2) Require any representative to participate in any
form of campaign activity or establish any form of punishment
for refusal to participate.
(3) Use an event, meeting or activity of the commission
as a tool for campaigning or a means to deliver campaign
rhetoric.
Section 7. Youth representatives.
(a) Number of representatives.--There shall be 50 youth
representatives to the commission, consisting of five youth
selected from each of the ten geographical regions of this
Commonwealth as established by the commission. Each region shall
be represented by at least one member of each sex.
(b) Selection and eligibility.--The commissioners, in
consultation with the director, shall select the youth
representatives. Each youth representative shall exemplify the
characteristics set forth by the commission. A representative
shall not be younger than 13 years of age or older than 18 years
of age.
(c) Term.--A representative may serve until the end of the
calendar year in which the representative reaches the
representative's 18th birthday.
(d) Attendance.--The commission shall establish a policy
regarding the frequency of and attendance by representatives at
regional and Statewide representative meetings. There shall be
not less than four regional representative meetings and one
Statewide representative meeting per year.
(e) Resignation or removal.--A representative may be
relieved of the representative's position as follows:
(1) Upon approval by the commissioners of a
20090HB1456PN3700 - 5 -
representative's request that the representative be excused.
(2) Upon a decision of the commission to remove the
representative.
Section 8. Report to General Assembly.
Each calendar year, the youth member of the commission shall
separately address the Senate and the House of Representatives
on the floor during a regular session. The youth member's
address to the General Assembly shall be a comprehensive annual
report on the activities, concerns and ideas of the Pennsylvania
Youth Commission and an opportunity for members of the General
Assembly to receive and consider the input of the youth who are
the future of this Commonwealth.
Section 9. Pennsylvania Youth Commission Scholarship.
(a) Award.--The commission shall annually award a
scholarship to one of the 50 youth representatives to the
commission.
(b) Selection of recipient.--The director shall annually
identify and submit a list to the commission of five youth
representatives who consistently demonstrate leadership and
exemplary service to the commission. The commission shall select
one of the five candidates submitted by the director to receive
the award.
(c) Amount.--The scholarship shall be no less than $5,000
and shall be presented to the recipient during a Statewide
meeting of the youth representatives.
Section 10. Appropriation.
The sum of $50,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Youth Commission for
the fiscal year July 1, 2009 2010, to June 30, 2010 2011, to <--
carry out the provisions of this act.
20090HB1456PN3700 - 6 -
Section 11. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20090HB1456PN3700 - 7 -