Bill > HR78

This resolution directs the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to conduct a comprehensive study on how Pennsylvania handles infants affected by substance exposure or withdrawal symptoms, with a focus on understanding the effectiveness of current multidisciplinary approaches. The study will involve creating a diverse advisory committee composed of representatives from various state agencies, healthcare organizations, and stakeholders, including a parent who has received substance use disorder treatment. The committee's responsibilities include reviewing challenges families face with plans of safe care, evaluating professional feedback, developing strategies to streamline notifications, assessing current tracking and intervention outcomes, projecting related costs, identifying policy alignments and conflicts across agencies, documenting collaborative strategies, and evaluating approaches to prevent infant and child mortality. The committee will be required to submit a detailed report to the House of Representatives within 18 months, highlighting the context of significant substance exposure challenges, such as over 1,200 infants meeting the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome definition in 2022 and approximately 60% of infant protective service referrals being related to parental substance use.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=R&bn=78