Sep. 15, 2015
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services today announced a lawsuit against the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf for the failure to authorize funding originally agreed to by both the Governor and the Legislature for services aiding at-risk youth.
Following the announcement, Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R-Bucks) urged passage of a bill she introduced to finance child welfare, juvenile justice, and other critical health and human services programs.
“Child welfare and juvenile justice programs are clearly essential state services that deserve continued funding. Why the administration doesn’t understand the urgency, I don’t know,” said Quinn.” I understand the council’s position. Litigation, however, can take a long time to work its way through the courts. We need relief now. That’s why I introduced legislation that would allow health and human service organizations partnering with government to receive the reimbursements they are owed for critical services provided.”
House Bill 1487, introduced in July, would amend the Fiscal Code to provide the Treasury Department with the authority to make lines of credit available to counties, municipalities and school districts under its investment authority. This would give counties and school districts direct access to money that they will eventually receive, without commercial market rates for the loan and debt service.
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Quinn’s cosponsor memo can be found here).
The bill also includes language to reimburse costs incurred as a result of the impasse, and would provide human services the money they desperately need for continuity of care.
The House and Senate will convene in the coming days to consider a stop-gap budget to temporarily fund government operations. While Quinn is supportive of the move as a way to drive out the money the state has and owes, she said that lawmakers should consider her bill, too.
“The stop-gap budget under consideration would be retroactive to July and expire in October,” said Quinn. “That means the expiration date would come quite soon. Also, a stop-gap provision would apply only to this year’s budget impasse. My bill would address any budget impasses exceeding 30 days, both now and in the future.”
“Additionally, my legislation would give local governments, school districts, and health and human services a stable and guaranteed source of income until a final budget is put in place. A stop-gap measure by itself would not provide this security.”
For more information, please visit
RepQuinn.net or
Facebook.com/RepQuinn.
Representative Marguerite Quinn
143rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ryan Travis, 717.260.6335
rtravis@pahousegop.com
RepQuinn.net /
Facebook.com/RepQuinn