title
Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, urging the Chair and Members of the Senate's State Government Committee to consider and report from committee House Bill 1859, Printer's Number 4104; and, further, urging the State Senate to consider and approve said bill to establish an Office for People with Disabilities within the Governor's Office to advise and assist the Office of the Governor and the General Assembly in developing policies addressing the concerns of adults and children with disabilities and their families and guardians.
body
WHEREAS, on April 6, 2004, Allegheny County Council unanimously passed Motion No. 1503-04, supporting the passage of House Bill 1859 by a 14-0 vote, and urging the General Assembly to move forward on creation of an office to enable access to services, coordination of services, and improvement and development of programs for adults and children with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1859 was amended on third consideration in the House on June 16, 2004, but those amendments have not altered County Council's support of the creation of an Office for People with Disabilities; further, House Bill 1859 passed the House as amended by a vote of 199-0 before being sent to the Senate where it was referred to the State Government Committee on June 23, 2004; and
WHEREAS, the Coalition to Establish an Office for People with Disabilities remains a staunch advocate of the legislation and has made a significant impact through education of agencies, organizations, boards, consumers, elected officials, and other interested parties about the importance of such an office in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, a state-level office would ensure that persons with disabilities and their families have access to adequate and coordinated, quality, consumer-controlled disability services by utilizing interagency agreements and public-private partnerships and can identify gaps in disability services and funding shortages, advocate for changes to existing programs, plan for improvements in services, and coordinate such services and programs for greater efficiencies; and
WHEREAS, prompt action by the Senate Committee on State Government and the full Senate would further this effort and ensure that those persons and their families could more fully exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens, an important right of this County's and this Commonwealth's citizens.
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Chair and Members of the Senate's State Government Committee are urged to consider and report from committee House Bill 1859, Printer's Number 4104; and, further, the State Senate is urged to consider and approve said bill to establish an Office for People with Disabilities within the Governor's Office to advise and assist the Office of the Governor and the General Assembly in developing policies addressing the concerns of adults and children with disabilities and their families and guardians.
SECTION 2.
Copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the Senate's State Government Committee, the Members of the General Assembly from Allegheny County, and the Governor of the Commonwealth, that they may know of our support for this endeavor.
SECTION 3. If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution which shall be in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Resolution is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.