SB 449 — 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.

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
 1   Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services,
 3      providing for study to determine drug abuse by parents within
 4      resource families; and establishing the Selection and
 5      Advisory Council.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.      Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 9   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
10   § 6389.    Study to determine drug abuse by parents within
11                   resource families.
12      (a)    Study.--A study shall be conducted by a research entity
13   regarding the prevalence of drug abuse by each parent within a
14   resource family or prospective resource family to:
15             (1)   Ensure that a child in need of services under this
16      chapter is placed in a home environment that is free from the
17      injurious effects associated with drug abuse by a parent
18      within the resource family with whom the child is or will be
19      residing.
 1          (2)   Determine whether:
 2                (i)    Mandatory drug screening should be required for
 3          all parents within a resource family or prospective
 4          resource family.
 5                (ii)    Investment in new technology for caseworkers is
 6          warranted to facilitate the recording, retrieval,
 7          transmission and analysis of observations of caseworkers
 8          regarding drug abuse by a parent within a resource family
 9          or prospective resource family.
10                (iii)    Cost-effective treatment options exist for a
11          parent within a resource family or prospective resource
12          family who is abusing drugs.
13    (b)   Selection and Advisory Council.--
14          (1)   The Selection and Advisory Council is established to
15    administer the provisions of this section.
16          (2)   After sufficient money has been appropriated or
17    otherwise made available to the council, the council shall:
18                (i)    Publicize the request for proposals for the
19          study and solicit applicants to conduct the study and
20          compile the required reports.
21                (ii)    Evaluate organizations applying to conduct the
22          study and compile the required reports.
23                (iii)    Select an organization to conduct the study
24          and compile the required reports.
25                (iv)    Develop benchmarks for the study.
26                (v)    Monitor the progress of the study.
27                (vi)    Advise the research entity on matters related
28          to the study.
29                (vii)    Provide information to the General Assembly on
30          matters related to the study.

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 1              (viii)       Develop necessary procedures to implement and
 2        administer the provisions of this section.
 3        (3)   The council shall consist of the following members:
 4              (i)    Five members with experience in managing or
 5        participating in projects involving managed research
 6        methods and analysis, who shall be appointed as follows:
 7                     (A)    One member shall be appointed by the
 8              Governor.
 9                     (B)    One member shall be appointed by the
10              President pro tempore of the Senate.
11                     (C)    One member shall be appointed by the
12              Minority Leader of the Senate.
13                     (D)    One member shall be appointed by the Speaker
14              of the House of Representatives.
15                     (E)    One member shall be appointed by the
16              Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
17              (ii)    The secretary or a designee.
18              (iii)    The Secretary of Education or a designee.
19        (4)   The members of the council shall select a
20    chairperson from within the council's membership.
21        (5)   Each member of the council shall serve for the
22    duration of the study, but a member may be removed for cause
23    by the member's appointing authority. If a vacancy occurs,
24    the vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority
25    subject to the conditions of the original appointment.
26        (6)   Four members of the council shall constitute a
27    quorum for conducting the business of the council.
28        (7)   The council shall meet in person at least quarterly
29    and at other times at the call of the chairperson.
30        (8)   A member of the council may not receive compensation

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 1      for services as a member of the council but shall be entitled
 2      to reimbursement for all necessary and reasonable expenses
 3      incurred in connection with the performance of the member's
 4      official duties as a member of the council.
 5      (c)   Study data and findings.--As part of the study, the
 6   research entity shall:
 7            (1)   Partner with three county agencies representing
 8      urban or rural counties, or both, throughout this
 9      Commonwealth and reflecting the geographic diversity of this
10      Commonwealth, along with two public or private agencies that
11      contract with each of those county agencies to provide
12      resource families for children who need out-of-home
13      placement. If a county agency under this paragraph does not
14      contract with at least two public or private agencies to
15      provide resource families, the research entity shall partner
16      with the one public or private agency that does contract with
17      the county agency under this paragraph.
18            (2)   Determine the number of current and prospective
19      resource families served by the partnering county agencies.
20            (3)   With respect to the public and private agencies
21      under this subsection, arrange for sufficient numbers of
22      parents within a resource family or prospective resource
23      family to be screened under subsection (a)(2)(i).
24            (4)   Obtain valid and reliable data on the number of
25      resource families or prospective resource families with a
26      parent who is abusing drugs, including the types of drugs
27      being abused by the parent and the frequency of the drug use.
28            (5)   Identify and determine the effectiveness and
29      efficiency of handheld mobile devices and software to record,
30      retrieve, transmit and analyze the observations of

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 1      caseworkers regarding drug abuse by a parent within a
 2      resource family or prospective resource family.
 3            (6)    Equip agency caseworkers with mobile devices and
 4      train the caseworkers in the use of the devices.
 5            (7)    Establish an efficient storage and retrieval system
 6      for the information captured by the mobile devices.
 7            (8)    Evaluate and recommend cost-effective treatment
 8      options for a parent within a resource family or prospective
 9      resource family who is abusing drugs.
10            (9)    Analyze the use of State-permitted drug testing
11      facilities.
12            (10)    Evaluate the costs and benefits of a drug screening
13      program for a parent within a resource family or prospective
14      resource family who is abusing drugs.
15            (11)    Determine the possible extent of voluntary
16      participation in drug treatment programs by a parent within a
17      resource family or prospective resource family who is abusing
18      drugs.
19      (d)   Quarterly reports.--The research entity shall provide a
20   quarterly progress report regarding the study challenges, fiscal
21   status and milestone accomplishments to:
22            (1)    The Governor.
23            (2)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
24      Committee on Aging and Youth of the Senate.
25            (3)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
26      Committee on Children and Youth of the House of
27      Representatives.
28            (4)    The members of the council.
29      (e)   Final report.--The research entity shall complete the
30   study and issue a final report of its findings and

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 1   recommendations:
 2            (1)   to the individuals listed under subsection (d); and
 3            (2)   within 24 months after receipt of funding to conduct
 4      the study.
 5      (f)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
 6   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 7   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Council."    The Selection and Advisory Council established
 9   under subsection (b).
10      "Research entity."    The organization selected to conduct the
11   study under subsection (b)(2)(iii).
12      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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