Bill Text: PA HB216 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishing the Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance Center Program in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; restructuring certain administrative functions and responsibilities; transferring functions of the Department of Labor and Industry to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; and making an appropriation.

Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-02-02 - Referred to VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS [HB216 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB216-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 215
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 216 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY BARRAR, ADOLPH, BELFANTI, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HESS, KILLION, MANN, MELIO, MICCARELLI, M. O'BRIEN, PHILLIPS, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, WALKO AND WATSON, FEBRUARY 2, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 2, 2009
AN ACT
Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Governor's Veterans
Outreach and Assistance Center Program in the Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs; restructuring certain
administrative functions and responsibilities; transferring
functions of the Department of Labor and Industry to the
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; and making an
appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 86
GOVERNOR'S VETERANS OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE CENTERS
Sec.
8601. Definitions.
8602. Declaration of findings and purpose.
8603. Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance Center
Program.
8604. Transfers of functions and responsibilities.
8605. Subjects of transfer.
8606. Regulations.
§ 8601. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Bureau." The Bureau for Veterans Affairs in the Department
of Military and Veterans Affairs.
"Entity." A general reference to one or more departments,
divisions, boards, agencies, commissions or organizations
involved in the performance of the executive or administrative
work of the Commonwealth.
"Program." The Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance
Center Program established by this chapter.
"Subjects of transfer." Powers, duties, personnel,
appropriations, allocations, documents, files, records,
contracts, agreements, equipment, material, orders, rights and
obligations utilized or accruing in connection with functions
transferred from one entity to another under this chapter.
§ 8602. Declaration of findings and purpose.
The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) The five Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance
Centers currently in existence are, despite lacking any
specific statutory authorization, providing a variety of
valuable services to this Commonwealth's veterans.
(2) A program should be formally established in law to
guarantee continuity in the provision of such services.
(3) It is the purpose of this chapter to address more
effectively the problems of this Commonwealth's veterans by
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establishing a program, providing for the more efficient
delivery of services and effecting an improvement in the
coordination of resources available to this Commonwealth's
military veterans.
§ 8603. Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance Center
Program.
The Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance Center
Program is established in the department. The program shall be
administered by the bureau, which shall determine the proper
scope and extent of the program consistent with this chapter.
§ 8604. Transfers of functions and responsibilities.
(a) Transfer to department.--
(1) On October 1, 2009, as part of the program, the
bureau shall assume responsibility for the programs currently
administered by the five existing Governor's Veterans
Outreach and Assistance Centers. On that date, the bureau
shall assume direct operational control and ownership of the
subjects of transfer possessed by the five existing
Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance Centers.
(2) The following functions of the Department of Labor
and Industry are transferred to the Department of Military
and Veterans Affairs:
(i) All powers and duties, not otherwise expressly
transferred elsewhere by this chapter, and currently
performed by the five existing Governor's Veterans
Outreach and Assistance Centers.
(ii) Any related functions under the act of April 9,
1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code
of 1929.
(iii) All other acts or parts of acts,
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reorganization plans and executive orders that imposed
powers and duties upon the existing Governor's Veterans
Outreach and Assistance Centers.
(b) Duties of Department of Labor and Industry.--The
Department of Labor and Industry shall:
(1) Keep in force all current approved contracts
pertaining to the Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance
Centers, including, but not limited to, those under any
Governor's special grant program.
(2) Continue to function, until October 1, 2009, as the
Commonwealth agency responsible for insuring that existing
contracts are executed in compliance with Federal laws and
regulations.
(c) Coordination of functions.--The Department of Labor and
Industry and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
shall cooperate and coordinate, pursuant to section 501 of The
Administrative Code of 1929, with regard to:
(1) Receiving, processing and sharing all reports as may
be required under the terms of current contracts pertaining
to the existing Governor's Veterans Outreach and Assistance
Centers or by Federal or State law or regulation.
(2) Technical assistance with regard to the development
of all contracts starting on October 1, 2009.
(3) Obtaining and allocating any future funding that may
be available from the Federal Government for the continued
operation of the program.
§ 8605. Subjects of transfer.
(a) General rule.--Any subjects of transfer from the
Department of Labor and Industry and the existing Governor's
Veteran Outreach and Assistance Centers under this chapter are
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transferred to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
with the same force and effect as if those subjects of transfer
had originally belonged to or had been incurred or entered into
by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
(b) Employees.--The department shall employ those
individuals currently staffing the existing Governor's Veterans
Outreach and Assistance Centers, irrespective of whether the
individuals have heretofore been considered employees of the
centers or independent contractors. The employees shall be
granted civil service status in the same manner as other
similarly situated employees of the department.
§ 8606. Regulations.
(a) Authorization.--The department shall have the power and
duty to promulgate regulations to administer the respective
functions transferred to it under this chapter.
(b) Continuation.--The regulations of the Department of
Labor and Industry for the administration of the functions
transferred under this chapter shall remain in effect until such
time as new regulations are promulgated under subsection (a).
Section 2. All acts and parts of acts are repealed insofar
as they are inconsistent with this act.
Section 3. The sum of $1,250,000, or as much thereof as may
be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs for the fiscal year July 1, 2009,
to June 30, 2010, to carry out the provisions of this act.
Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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