An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, in general budget implementation, further providing for Department of Human Services.
Summary
HB700 amends Pennsylvania’s Fiscal Code in the budget implementation provisions governing the Department of Human Services. The bill focuses on the Home and Community-Based Services for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Augmentation Account, a restricted General Fund account used to support services for people with intellectual disabilities. It preserves the account structure and expands the funding mechanism by requiring annual General Fund transfers not only when state-center appropriations decline, but also to capture certified maintenance, upkeep, and operational costs that would have been spent if a state center had remained open and operating after the sale of its real property.
The bill directs money in the account to be appropriated to the Department of Human Services for home and community-based supports, including direct support professional capacity, housing supports, and services for individuals on the emergency waiting list at the start of a fiscal year. It also ties the distribution of funds to input from the Office of Developmental Programs and the Information Sharing and Advisory Committee. The effective date is July 1, 2025, or immediately if later, making it a budget-related implementation measure rather than a standalone policy overhaul.
Impact
HB700 would modify state fiscal law by changing how Pennsylvania funds services for individuals with intellectual disabilities after state center closures or reductions in state-center appropriations. It creates a clearer and broader transfer requirement into the existing augmentation account, ensuring that savings or avoided costs associated with state centers can be redirected to community-based services. The bill affects the Department of Human Services, the Budget Secretary, and the use of General Fund dollars for developmental disability supports, including housing and emergency waiting list services.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the general sentiment appears supportive and administrative rather than controversial. The measure is sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators, which suggests broad interest in maintaining funding for community-based disability services. No recorded opposition, amendments, or roll-call votes are provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied context of significant public or legislative resistance.
Contention
The main policy issue is how much money should be transferred from the General Fund into the augmentation account and how those amounts should be calculated after state-center property sales or reductions in state-center spending. Potential points of contention include whether the bill sufficiently protects funding for institutional versus community-based services, how the Budget Secretary should certify avoided costs, and whether the redirected funds will be adequate to address the emergency waiting list and workforce needs. However, no specific objections, supporters, or negotiated compromises are documented in the provided committee or voting history.
Providing for the use of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identifier in all Commonwealth agency or entity blanks, forms, documents and applications; and imposing penalties.
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A Joint Resolution proposing integrated amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for the election and qualifications of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.