Introduced Version
House Bill 2177 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 2177
(By Delegates Poore, Campbell, Morgan, D. Poling
and Hartman)
[Introduced February 13, 2013; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new article, designated, §16-45-1, relating
to authorizing the Department of Health and Human Resources in
conjunction with the Division of Corrections to create a
twelve-month pilot project to establish a responsible parent
program
; setting forth eligibility requirements; identifying
instructional courses; and providing reporting and comparison
requirements.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new article, designated §16-45-1, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 45. RESPONSIBLE PARENT PROGRAM PILOT-PROJECT.
§16-45-1. Authorization to create a responsible parent program;
pilot-project; qualifications; instructional
courses.
_____(a) The Department of Health and Human Resources in
conjunction with the Division of Corrections in an effort to
improve child and family well-being and to empower men and women
with the skills and resources needed to succeed as parents and as
family providers, may implement a twelve-month pilot project to
establish a responsible parent program that:
_____(1) Identifies for enrollment in the program persons who:
_____(A) Are parents of one or more children;
_____(B) Are present or former recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy
Families or have one or more children who are receiving Temporary
Aid to Needy Families;
_____(C) Have an income that is at two hundred percent or below the
federal poverty level;
_____(D) Are within six months of their release from prison or have
been previously incarcerated; and
_____(E) Currently reside or will reside in Kanawha, Cabell,
Raleigh, Mercer, McDowell, Wood or Randolph Counties.
_____(2) Includes a course of instruction, which may include, but
not be limited to:
_____(A) Healthy marriage/relationship skills;
_____(B) Parenting skills;
_____(C) Job seeking training that includes:
_____(i) Knowledge of personal aptitudes, skills and preferences;
_____(ii) Knowledge of different types of employment opportunities;
_____(iii) Resume drafting, completion of a job application,
drafting a cover letter and follow-up letter; and
_____(iv) Interview skills.
_____(D) Vocational training;
_____(E) Basics of domestic violence; and
_____(F) Drug and/or alcohol addiction;
_____(3) Requires the successful completion of a transitional job
assignment.
_____(b) If a pilot project is implemented by the Division of
Corrections, that agency, in conjunction with the Department of
Health and Human Resources, shall submit an annual report on the
results of the pilot project to the Interim Joint Committee on
Judiciary one year after implementation of the pilot project. The
results shall include at a minimum:
_____(1) Key process measures, including:
_____(A) The number of participants served;
_____(B) The demographics of participants;
_____(C) Attendance/participation in training elements;
_____(D) The knowledge acquired by participants;
_____(E) Participant behavior changes as a result of program
participation;
_____(F) The number of participants gaining employment and their
wages earned;
_____(G) The number of participants completing vocational training;
_____(H) The number of participants successfully completing
transitional job assignments;
_____(I) The number of participants demonstrating workforce
readiness; and
_____(J) The recidivism rate of participants.
_____(2) An unbiased comparison of the outcomes between program
participants and similarly situated persons not in the program.
NOTE: The purpose of the bill is to
authorize the Department
of Health and Human Resources in conjunction with the Division of
Corrections to create a twelve-month pilot project to establish a
responsible parent program
.
The bill sets forth eligibility
requirements. The bill identifies instructional courses. The bill
provides reporting and comparison requirements.
This article is new; therefore, it has been completely
underscored.