Pennsylvania HB 749: 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 public assistance, further providing for uniformity in administration of assistance and regulations as to assistance and for copayments for subsidized child care, providing for report on transition to chip-enabled access cards, further providing for reports to General Assembly, for persons eligible for medical assistance and for nonemergency medical transportation services and providing for abrogation of regulatory requirements for payment for outpatient behavioral health services within physical confines of behavioral health clinic facilities and for SNAP benefit reporting; and making a repeal.

Bill Text

SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 765, 1332 PRINTER'S NO. 2575
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 749
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MADSEN, GIRAL, SANCHEZ, KHAN, MADDEN, CURRY,
HOWARD, MAYES, CERRATO, FLEMING, BOROWSKI, DAVIDSON, GREEN,
K.HARRIS, T. DAVIS, WEBSTER, PUGH AND SALISBURY,
FEBRUARY 26, 2025
SENATOR VOGEL, APPROPRIATIONS, IN SENATE, RE-REPORTED AS
AMENDED, NOVEMBER 11, 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 public assistance,
providing for distribution of SNAP benefits.
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 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,
FURTHER PROVIDING FOR UNIFORMITY IN ADMINISTRATION OF
ASSISTANCE AND REGULATIONS AS TO ASSISTANCE AND FOR
COPAYMENTS FOR SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE, PROVIDING FOR REPORT ON
TRANSITION TO CHIP-ENABLED ACCESS CARDS, FURTHER PROVIDING
FOR REPORTS TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, FOR PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND FOR NONEMERGENCY MEDICAL
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND PROVIDING FOR ABROGATION OF
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT FOR OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH SERVICES WITHIN PHYSICAL CONFINES OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
CLINIC FACILITIES AND FOR SNAP BENEFIT REPORTING; AND MAKING
A REPEAL.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
as the Human Services Code, is amended by adding a section to
read:
Section 476. Distribution of SNAP Benefits.--(a) Within
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twelve months of the effective date of this section and every
five years thereafter, the department shall analyze SNAP payment
distribution schedules based on caseloads and census data,
including data from other states and models that utilize more
than ten payment issuance days and shall prepare a report on
whether changes are needed to the payment distribution schedule.
(b) Within fifteen days of the completion of the report
under subsection (a), the department shall submit a copy of the
report to:
(1) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Health
and Human Services Committee of the Senate.
(2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Health
Committee of the House of Representatives.
(3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Human
Services Committee of the House of Representatives.
(c) Within thirty days of the completion of the report under
subsection (a), the department shall post the report on the
publicly accessible Internet website of the department.
(d) If changes are needed, the department shall develop and
implement updates to the payment distribution schedule based on
the analysis under this section after consultation with an
advisory committee.
(e) Prior to the updates being submitted to the United
States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for
approval, the department shall transmit the proposed updates as
a notice to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in
the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(f) Upon Federal approval, the department shall ensure that
the updated distribution schedule is posted on the publicly
accessible Internet website of the department.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
SECTION 1. SECTION 403 OF THE ACT OF JUNE 13, 1967 (P.L.31,
NO.21), KNOWN AS THE HUMAN SERVICES CODE, IS AMENDED BY ADDING
SUBSECTIONS TO READ:
SECTION 403. UNIFORMITY IN ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE;
REGULATIONS AS TO ASSISTANCE.--* * *
(H) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHECK, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, INCOME
AND EMPLOYMENT RECORDS HELD BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND
INDUSTRY AGAINST RECIPIENTS OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND FROM THE
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS.
(I) ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHECK DEATH
CERTIFICATES AT THE BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS AGAINST
RECIPIENTS OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND FROM THE SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS.
SECTION 2. SECTION 408.3(C), (E) AND (F) OF THE ACT ARE
AMENDED TO READ:
SECTION 408.3. COPAYMENTS FOR SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE.--* * *
(C) IN ESTABLISHING THE COPAYMENT AMOUNTS PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SHALL APPLY:
(1) COPAYMENTS SHALL BE ON A SLIDING SCALE BASED ON A
PERCENTAGE OF THE FAMILY'S ANNUAL INCOME TAKING INTO ACCOUNT
FEDERAL POVERTY INCOME GUIDELINES AND CONSIDERATIONS TO SUPPORT
ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY. COPAYMENTS SHALL BE UPDATED ANNUALLY.
(2) AT THE DEPARTMENT'S DISCRETION, COPAYMENTS MAY BE
IMPOSED:
(I) FOR EACH CHILD ENROLLED IN SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE;
(II) BASED UPON FAMILY SIZE; OR
(III) IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOTH SUBPARAGRAPHS (I) AND (II).
(3) COPAYMENT AMOUNTS SHALL BE [A MINIMUM OF FIVE DOLLA