HB 1577 — An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in children and youth, providing for ensuring safe and humane institutional practices.

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1864 PRINTER'STHE NO.GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

2098 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

WILLIAMS, SANCHEZ, WARREN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,CEPEDA-FREYTIZ MAYES, McNEILL, RIVERA AND BOYD,MAYES, JUNE 6, 2025 ASREFERRED AMENDEDTO COMMITTEE ON SECONDCHILDREN CONSIDERATION,AND HOUSEYOUTH, OFJUNE REPRESENTATIVES,9, JULY 8, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public welfare laws of the Commonwealth," in children and youth, practices.forproviding for ensuring safe and humane institutional Thepractices. General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

(3) Expeditiously review all allegations of unsafe or 20250HB1577PN2098 - 2 - inhumane care and maintain a public record of confirmed 20250HB1577PN1864 - 2 - instances that have occurred in a facility.

(i) The child's behavior is creating an imminent risk of physical harm to self or others and is for a maximum of three hours, with release of the child as soon as the child has 20250HB1577PN2098 - 3 - regained self-control.

20250HB1577PN1864 - 3 - (ii) Support staff, including a social worker, is notified and made available to the child to assist the child in calming down.

20250HB1577PN2098 - 4 - (C) The names and positions of the individuals conducting 20250HB1577PN1864 - 4 - the search.

20250HB1577PN2098 - 5 - (4) Ensure and facilitate access to a quality education.

20250HB1577PN1864 - 5 - (f) The department shall ensure that children and their families and guardians understand how to report a grievance or any instances of unsafe or inhumane care, in written or oral form, formally or informally, or anonymously, without fear of retaliation.

(g) Beginning not later than ninety days after the effective date of this subsection, the department shall prepare and publish a monthly QUARTERLY public report detailing enrollment <-- in educational programming, use of seclusion, use of restraints and invasive searches involving children committed by order of court to a facility operated under the direction or supervision of the court or other public authority.

(iii) Number of children secluded for more than three hours (iv) Number of children secluded for more than three hours 20250HB1577PN2098 - 6 - on more than one occasion.

(v) Number of children restrained physically or 20250HB1577PN1864 - 6 - mechanically.

The term does not include a drug ordered by a licensed physician as part of ongoing medical treatment or as 20250HB1577PN2098 - 7 - pretreatment prior to a medical or dental examination or treatment.

20250HB1577PN1864 - 7 - "Exclusion" means the removal of a child from the child's immediate environment and restricting the child alone to a room or area, even if the door is unlocked.

20250HB1577PN2098 - 8 - (ii) For safe transportation to and from a facility or medical treatment such as sandbags to limit movement after 20250HB1577PN1864 - 8 - medical treatment, a wheelchair belt used for body positioning and support or a helmet used for prevention of injury during seizure activity.

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