PRINTER'S NO. 412
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.449
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, ROTHMAN, PENNYCUICK, VOGEL AND
STEFANO, MARCH 17, 2025
REFERRED TO AGING AND YOUTH, MARCH 17, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services,
providing for study to determine drug abuse by parents within
resource families; and establishing the Selection and
Advisory Council.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 6389. Study to determine drug abuse by parents within
resource families.
(a) Study.--A study shall be conducted by a research entity
regarding the prevalence of drug abuse by each parent within a
resource family or prospective resource family to:
(1) Ensure that a child in need of services under this
chapter is placed in a home environment that is free from the
injurious effects associated with drug abuse by a parent
within the resource family with whom the child is or will be
residing.
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19 (2) Determine whether:
(i) Mandatory drug screening should be required for
all parents within a resource family or prospective
resource family.
(ii) Investment in new technology for caseworkers is
warranted to facilitate the recording, retrieval,
transmission and analysis of observations of caseworkers
regarding drug abuse by a parent within a resource family
or prospective resource family.
(iii) Cost-effective treatment options exist for a
parent within a resource family or prospective resource
family who is abusing drugs.
(b) Selection and Advisory Council.--
(1) The Selection and Advisory Council is established to
administer the provisions of this section.
(2) After sufficient money has been appropriated or
otherwise made available to the council, the council shall:
(i) Publicize the request for proposals for the
study and solicit applicants to conduct the study and
compile the required reports.
(ii) Evaluate organizations applying to conduct the
study and compile the required reports.
(iii) Select an organization to conduct the study
and compile the required reports.
(iv) Develop benchmarks for the study.
(v) Monitor the progress of the study.
(vi) Advise the research entity on matters related
to the study.
(vii) Provide information to the General Assembly on
matters related to the study.
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30 (viii) Develop necessary procedures to implement and
administer the provisions of this section.
(3) The council shall consist of the following members:
(i) Five members with experience in managing or
participating in projects involving managed research
methods and analysis, who shall be appointed as follows:
(A) One member shall be appointed by the
Governor.
(B) One member shall be appointed by the
President pro tempore of the Senate.
(C) One member shall be appointed by the
Minority Leader of the Senate.
(D) One member shall be appointed by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives.
(E) One member shall be appointed by the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(ii) The secretary or a designee.
(iii) The Secretary of Education or a designee.
(4) The members of the council shall select a
chairperson from within the council's membership.
(5) Each member of the council shall serve for the
duration of the study, but a member may be removed for cause
by the member's appointing authority. If a vacancy occurs,
the vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority
subject to the conditions of the original appointment.
(6) Four members of the council shall constitute a
quorum for conducting the business of the council.
(7) The council shall meet in person at least quarterly
and at other times at the call of the chairperson.
(8) A member of the council may not receive compensation
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30 for services as a member of the council but shall be entitled
to reimbursement for all necessary and reasonable expenses
incurred in connection with the performance of the member's
official duties as a member of the council.
(c) Study data and findings.--As part of the study, t he
research entity shall:
(1) Partner with three county agencies representing
urban or rural counties, or both, throughout this
Commonwealth and reflecting the geographic diversity of this
Commonwealth, along with two public or private agencies that
contract with each of those county agencies to provide
resource families for children who need out-of-home
placement. If a county agency under this paragraph does not
contract with at least two public or private agencies to
provide resource families, the research entity shall partner
with the one public or private agency that does contract with
the county agency under this paragraph.
(2) Determine the number of current and prospective
resource families served by the partnering county agencies.
(3) With respect to the public and private agencies
under this subsection, arrange for sufficient numbers of
parents within a resource family or prospective resource
family to be screened under subsection (a)(2)(i).
(4) O btain valid and reliable data on the number of
resource families or prospective resource families with a
parent who is abusing drugs, including the types of drugs
being abused by the parent and the frequency of the drug use.
(5) Identify and determine the effectiveness and
efficiency of handheld mobile devices and software to record,
retrieve, transmit and analyze the observations of
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30 caseworkers regarding drug abuse by a parent within a
resource family or prospective resource family.
(6) Equip agency caseworkers with mobile devices and
train the caseworkers in the use of the devices.
(7) Establish an efficient storage and retrieval system
for the information captured by the mobile devices.
(8) Evaluate and recommend cost-effective treatment
options for a parent within a resource family or prospective
resource family who is abusing drugs.
(9) Analyze the use of State-permitted drug testing
facilities.
(10) Evaluate the costs and benefits of a drug screening
program for a parent within a resource family or prospective
resource family who is abusing drugs.
(11) Determine the possible extent of voluntary
participation in drug treatment programs by a parent within a
resource family or prospective resource family who is abusing
drugs.
(d) Quarterly reports.--The research entity shall provide a
quarterly progress report regarding the study challenges, fiscal
status and milestone accomplishments to:
(1) The Governor.
(2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Committee on Aging and Youth of the Senate.
(3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Committee on Children and Youth of the House of
Representatives.
(4) The members of the council.
(e) Final report.--The research entity shall complete the
study and issue a final report of its findings and
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30 recommendations:
(1) to the individuals listed under subsection (d); and
(2) within 24 months after receipt of funding to conduct
the study.
(f) De finitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Council." The Selection and Advisory Council established
under subsection (b).
"Research entity." The organization selected to conduct the
study under subsection (b)(2)(iii).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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