Argall demands action on vacant White Haven Center

Jun. 25—Sen. Dave Argall on Monday demanded the sale or reuse of the vacant White Haven Center after hearing serious concerns from residents of the surrounding communities about the lack of progress at the site.

The center was shut down in 2023 by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services without community or legislative input. Since then, it has sat unused and empty, leaving taxpayers on the hook to maintain empty buildings.

"Taxpayers are insisting that the state return this site to productive use immediately," said Argall, R-Pottsville. "Spending millions of taxpayer dollars each year maintaining them with their future uncertain is completely irresponsible. If we do not receive a concrete plan soon from the Shapiro administration, we are prepared to take further legislative and legal action to force a resolution."

Argall highlighted the example of the former Allentown State Hospital as the worst-case scenario for a similar site. The building required millions of taxpayer dollars each year for upkeep and security until it was finally razed in 2020 — 10 years after it was closed.

Argall announced legislation with Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-21) and Sen. Chris Gebhard (R-48) to demand a detailed plan from the Pennsylvania Department of General Services on how these properties will be utilized.

The legislation also addresses the Hamburg Center, which was shut down in 2018, and the Polk Center, which was closed in 2023.

The legislation will require the administration to give the legislature exact estimates for the yearly costs of each property since the institutions were closed, expected costs associated with each property if they are not sold, and costs relating to demolition or refurbishment of the buildings at each property.

Major investments proposed in services for intellectual disabilities/autism

Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh last week discussed the need for historic investments in Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2024-25 proposed budget, which would increase the number of Pennsylvanians who can access ID/A services, and support the professionals who care for Pennsylvanians with ID/A.

"DHS works to make sure that our neighbors, friends, and loved ones with ID/A have the services and supports they need to thrive in the community of their choosing," said Secretary Arkoosh. "But we know that, too often, we are falling short in helping them meet this goal. Gov. Shapiro's budget proposal affirms the dignity of all Pennsylvanians with ID/A by eliminating the waiting list for services while investing in the value and importance of ID/A service providers and direct support professionals."

Shapiro's budget proposal, which has received bipartisan support, would invest $483 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers so they have the ability to increase the average starting wage from approximately $15/hour to $17/hour; an increase in wages would both attract and retain the qualified staff who provide these essential services.

Shapiro announced late last year that DHS would re-examine rates earlier than required to better support home and community-based service providers and the direct support professionals who dedicate their careers to helping Pennsylvanians with ID/A. In addition, service providers also received a one-time supplemental payment in June to assist with workforce recruitment and retention.

Earlier this year, Shapiro directed DHS to immediately release additional program capacity to counties, which will allow an additional 1,650 Pennsylvanians to receive services this year. The 2024-25 proposed budget seeks to build on this by investing $78 million in federal and state funds to serve an additional 1,500 Pennsylvanians in the next fiscal year.

If passed, Shapiro's budget would increase the number of Pennsylvanians with ID/A who are able to receive home and community-based services, kicking off a multi-year growth strategy to make Pennsylvania a national leader and end its adult emergency waiting list.

Pa. State Police create informational card for individuals with autism

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) this week encouraged individuals with autism to take advantage of a free safety resource designed to enhance their interactions with law enforcement officers.

The PSP has officially started to distribute an informational card that should be carried by people with autism and presented during any encounter with police.

"Behaviors associated with autism can cause barriers to effective communication. This card can be presented to reduce those barriers," said Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. "When an officer is made aware a person has autism, they can respond accordingly, resulting in a safer interaction for everyone involved."

The PSP encourages individuals with autism to present the informational card during interactions with any police officer. The officer does not need to be a Pennsylvania state trooper.

The informational cards alert law enforcement officers that the individual has autism and therefore may be nonverbal, bothered by loud noises, hyper-sensitive to touch, and unresponsive to commands or questions. The officers are directed to be patient, use a calm and direct voice, and keep their questions and commands simple.

Colonel Paris and Gov. Shapiro met with advocates to talk about how law enforcement can better serve individuals with autism. PSP's Office of Community Engagement developed the informational card, which is available on the Safety Resources page of PSP's website.

Individuals may print the card from the website and carry it in a wallet, or they can choose to save it on their phone. Troopers will distribute the cards at public community events.

The PSP encourages individuals with autism to present the informational card during interactions with any police officer. The officer does not need to be a Pennsylvania state trooper.

Treasurer Garrity announces upgrades to award-winning transparency portal

Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced this week that new features have been added to Treasury's award-winning Transparency Portal, improving access to state budget and spending details.

Users can now, for the first time ever, easily compare current revenue received in the current budget year with that received in previous years. The new features also include the ability to dive deeper into both total and federal funds, and to more easily navigate the portal on both desktop and mobile devices, including quick links to budget details, revenue comparisons, and federal funds.

"Transparency must always be a central goal of government, especially when it comes to how taxpayer dollars are being spent," Treasurer Garrity said. "As a fiscal watchdog, I'm always focused on increasing transparency, and Treasury's Transparency Portal is a vital part of that work. These new updates make it easier than ever for Commonwealth residents to see where their money is going and to hold their government accountable."

The new Transparency Portal updates include:

Revenue Comparison — Users can compare revenue received in the current fiscal year with revenue received in previous years back to FY 2018-19.

Federal Funds — Users can see funds received from the federal government and how they are used by the Commonwealth.

Easy Access to Fund Details — A drop-down menu allows users to easily review the status of a specific fund (such as the General Fund, the Motor License Fund and the Lottery Fund).

More Options — When reviewing fund details, users can choose to display data over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years (in addition to 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, year-to-date, and all available).

The Transparency Portal also includes tools to review state budget details, the Fiscal Health Scorecard, which presents financial data comparing Pennsylvania with similar states, and the Treasury Checkbook that discloses payments made by Treasury to its vendors.

Pennsylvania Insurance Department's user-friendly independent external review process proves successful

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) this week announced that, through the Department's independent external review process for Pennsylvanians who submit an eligible request, more than 100 Pennsylvanians successfully appealed denied claims.

The independent external review process continues to uphold the Shapiro Administration's efforts to provide resources that protect Pennsylvanians and make state government more accessible for all Pennsylvanians via the new state website where the third-party review process can be accessed at no cost.

"In the past, too few people challenged insurer denials through internal or independent external review processes, and we are pleased to see more Pennsylvanians use their right to appeal denials to ensure they are provided benefits to which they are entitled; benefits they paid for," said Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. "A consumer shouldn't have to appeal a denial to access clearly covered benefits.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.