Download Zipped Enrolled WordPerfect SB0053.ZIP
[Introduced][Status][Bill Documents][Fiscal Note][Bills Directory]

S.B. 53 Enrolled

             1     

INTERGENERATIONAL WELFARE REFORM

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Stuart C. Reid

             5     
House Sponsor: Jeremy A. Peterson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Intergenerational Poverty Mitigation Act by creating the Utah
             10      Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission and the Intergenerational Poverty
             11      Advisory Committee.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    creates and provides for the membership of the Utah Intergenerational Welfare
             15      Reform Commission and the Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Committee;
             16          .    describes the commission's and the advisory committee's purposes, duties, and
             17      meeting requirements;
             18          .    describes the commission's reporting requirements; and
             19          .    provides for expenses of commission and advisory committee members.
             20      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      ENACTS:
             26          35A-9-301, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             27          35A-9-302, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             28          35A-9-303, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             29          35A-9-304, Utah Code Annotated 1953


             30          35A-9-305, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             31          35A-9-306, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 35A-9-301 is enacted to read:
             35     
Part 3. Utah Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission

             36          35A-9-301. Creation of the Utah Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission.
             37          There is created the Utah Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission composed of:
             38          (1) the following five voting members:
             39          (a) the executive director of the Department of Workforce Services or the deputy
             40      director if designated by the executive director;
             41          (b) the executive director of the Department of Health or the deputy director if
             42      designated by the executive director;
             43          (c) the executive director of the Department of Human Services or the deputy director
             44      if designated by the executive director;
             45          (d) the state superintendent of public education or the deputy state superintendent if
             46      designated by the superintendent; and
             47          (e) the state juvenile court administrator; and
             48          (2) the chair of the Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Committee created by Section
             49      35A-9-304 , as a nonvoting member.
             50          Section 2. Section 35A-9-302 is enacted to read:
             51          35A-9-302. Chair of commission -- Meetings -- Quorum -- Staff support.
             52          (1) The executive director of the Department of Workforce Services, or the deputy
             53      director of the Department of Workforce Services if designated by the executive director, shall
             54      serve as chair of the commission.
             55          (2) The chair:
             56          (a) is responsible for the call and conduct of meetings;
             57          (b) shall call and hold meetings of the commission at least quarterly; and


             58          (c) shall call additional meetings upon request by a majority of the commission's voting
             59      members.
             60          (3) A majority of the voting members of the commission constitutes a quorum of the
             61      commission at any meeting and the action of the majority of voting members present is the
             62      action of the commission.
             63          (4) The Department of Workforce Services shall provide staff support to the
             64      commission.
             65          Section 3. Section 35A-9-303 is enacted to read:
             66          35A-9-303. Purpose and duties of commission.
             67          (1) The commission's purpose is to:
             68          (a) collaborate in sharing and analyzing data and information regarding
             69      intergenerational poverty in the state with a primary focus on data and information regarding
             70      children who are at risk of continuing the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency unless
             71      outside intervention is made;
             72          (b) examine and analyze shared data and information regarding intergenerational
             73      poverty, including the data provided by the intergenerational poverty report described in
             74      Section 35A-9-201 , to identify and develop effective and efficient plans, programs, and
             75      recommendations to help at-risk children in the state escape the cycle of poverty and welfare
             76      dependency;
             77          (c) implement data-driven policies and programs addressing poverty, public assistance,
             78      education, and other areas as needed to measurably reduce the incidence of children in the state
             79      who remain in the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency as they become adults;
             80          (d) establish and facilitate improved cooperation between state agencies down to the
             81      case worker level in rescuing children from intergenerational poverty and welfare dependency;
             82      and
             83          (e) encourage participation and input from the Intergenerational Poverty Advisory
             84      Committee established in Subsection 35A-9-304 and other community resources, including
             85      academic experts, advocacy groups, nonprofit corporations, local governments, and religious


             86      institutions in exploring strategies and solutions to help children in the state who are victims of
             87      intergenerational poverty escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency.
             88          (2) The commission shall:
             89          (a) fulfill the commission's purposes as listed in Subsection (1);
             90          (b) study, evaluate, and report on the status and effectiveness of policies, procedures,
             91      and programs that provide services to children in the state affected by intergenerational poverty
             92      and welfare dependency;
             93          (c) study and evaluate the policies, procedures, and programs implemented by other
             94      states and nongovernmental entities that address the needs of children affected by
             95      intergenerational poverty and welfare dependency;
             96          (d) (i) identify policies, procedures, and programs, including any lack of interagency
             97      data sharing, lack of policy coordination, or current federal requirements, that are impeding
             98      efforts to help children in the state affected by intergenerational poverty escape the poverty
             99      cycle and welfare dependency; and
             100          (ii) implement and recommend changes to those policies and procedures;
             101          (e) create an ongoing five and ten-year plan, which is updated annually, containing:
             102          (i) measurable goals and benchmarks, including future action needed to attain those
             103      goals and benchmarks, for decreasing the incidence of intergenerational poverty among the
             104      state's children and increasing the number of the state's children who escape the poverty cycle
             105      and welfare dependency;
             106          (ii) implement policy, procedure, and program changes to address the needs of children
             107      affected by intergenerational poverty and help those children escape the poverty cycle and
             108      welfare dependency, including, as available over time, data to track the effectiveness of each
             109      change; and
             110          (iii) recommend policy, procedure, and program changes to address the needs of
             111      children affected by intergeneration poverty and to help those children escape the poverty cycle
             112      and welfare dependency, including the steps that will be required to make the recommended
             113      changes and whether further action is required by the Legislature or the federal government;


             114          (f) ensure that each change and recommended change to a policy, procedure, or
             115      program, which is made by the commission, is supported by verifiable data;
             116          (g) protect the privacy of individuals living in poverty by using and distributing the
             117      data it collects or examines in compliance with:
             118          (i) federal requirements; and
             119          (ii) the provisions of Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and
             120      Management Act; and
             121          (h) provide a forum for public comment and participation in efforts to help children in
             122      the state escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency.
             123          (3) To accomplish its duties, the commission may:
             124          (a) request and receive from any state or local governmental agency or institution,
             125      information relating to poverty in the state, including:
             126          (i) reports;
             127          (ii) audits;
             128          (iii) data;
             129          (iv) projections; and
             130          (v) statistics; and
             131          (b) appoint special committees, in addition to the advisory committee described in
             132      Section 35A-9-304 , to advise and assist the commission.
             133          (4) (a) Members of a special committee described in Subsection (3)(b):
             134          (i) shall be appointed by the commission;
             135          (ii) may be:
             136          (A) members of the commission; or
             137          (B) individuals from the private or public sector; and
             138          (iii) notwithstanding Section 35A-9-305 , may not receive reimbursement or pay for
             139      work done in relation to the special committee.
             140          (b) A special committee described in Subsection (3)(b) shall report to the commission
             141      on the progress of the special committee.


             142          Section 4. Section 35A-9-304 is enacted to read:
             143          35A-9-304. Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Committee -- Creation -- Duties.
             144          (1) To assist the commission, there is created the Intergenerational Poverty Advisory
             145      Committee.
             146          (2) The advisory committee shall be composed of no more than 11 members.
             147          (3) Members of the advisory committee shall be appointed by the chair of the
             148      commission, with the approval of the commission, and shall include at least one member from
             149      each of the following groups:
             150          (a) advocacy groups that focus on childhood poverty issues;
             151          (b) advocacy groups that focus on education issues;
             152          (c) academic experts in childhood poverty or education issues;
             153          (d) faith-based organizations that address childhood poverty or education issues; and
             154          (e) local government representatives that address childhood poverty or education
             155      issues.
             156          (4) Subject to Subsection (5), each member of the advisory committee shall be
             157      appointed for a four-year term unless a member is appointed to complete an unexpired term.
             158          (5) The commission chair may adjust the length of term at the time of appointment or
             159      reappointment so that approximately half of the advisory committee is appointed every two
             160      years.
             161          (6) The commission chair may remove an advisory committee member:
             162          (a) if the member is unable or unwilling to carry out the member's assigned
             163      responsibilities; or
             164          (b) for good cause.
             165          (7) If a vacancy occurs in the advisory committee membership for any reason, a
             166      replacement may be appointed for the unexpired term.
             167          (8) The commission chair shall select a chair of the advisory committee on an annual
             168      basis.
             169          (9) A majority of the advisory committee constitutes a quorum of the advisory


             170      committee at any meeting and the action of the majority of members present are the action of
             171      the advisory committee.
             172          (10) The advisory committee shall:
             173          (a) meet at least twice a year at the request of the commission chair or the chair of the
             174      advisory committee;
             175          (b) make recommendations to the commission on how the commission and the state
             176      can effectively address the needs of children affected by intergenerational poverty and achieve
             177      the purposes and duties of the commission as described in Section 35A-9-303 ; and
             178          (c) ensure that the advisory committee's recommendations to the commission are
             179      supported by verifiable data.
             180          (11) The Department of Workforce Services shall provide staff support to the advisory
             181      committee.
             182          Section 5. Section 35A-9-305 is enacted to read:
             183          35A-9-305. Annual report by the commission.
             184          (1) The commission shall submit, before November 1, an annual written report to:
             185          (a) the governor;
             186          (b) the Legislative Management Committee;
             187          (c) the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee;
             188          (d) the Education Interim Committee;
             189          (e) the Health and Human Services Interim Committee;
             190          (f) the Judiciary Interim Committee; and
             191          (g) the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee.
             192          (2) The report described in Subsection (1) shall:
             193          (a) include the five and 10-year plans described in Subsection 35A-9-303 (2)(e);
             194          (b) describe how the commission fulfilled its statutory purposes and duties during the
             195      year;
             196          (c) describe policies, procedures, and programs that have been implemented or
             197      modified to help break the cycle of poverty and end welfare dependency for children in the


             198      state affected by intergenerational poverty; and
             199          (d) contain recommendations on how the state should act to address issues relating to
             200      breaking the cycle of poverty and ending welfare dependency for children in the state affected
             201      by intergenerational poverty.
             202          Section 6. Section 35A-9-306 is enacted to read:
             203          35A-9-306. Members serve without pay -- Reimbursement for expenses.
             204          A member of the commission or the advisory committee may not receive compensation
             205      or benefits for the member's service, but may receive per diem and travel expenses in
             206      accordance with:
             207          (1) Section 63A-3-106 ;
             208          (2) Section 63A-3-107 ; and
             209          (3) rules by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .


[Bill Documents][Bills Directory]