HB 1528 — An Act establishing the Grand-family Assistance Program; providing for payments to area agencies on aging; imposing duties on the Department of Aging; and establishing the Grand-family Assistance Program Fund.

PRINTER'S NO.     1785

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 1528
                                             Session of
                                               2025

     INTRODUCED BY MADDEN, MENTZER, CERRATO, M. BROWN, HILL-EVANS,
        WAXMAN, PICKETT, T. DAVIS, MAYES, PROBST, MERSKI, SANCHEZ,
        BOROWSKI, KUZMA, WARREN, K.HARRIS, D. WILLIAMS, CEPEDA-
        FREYTIZ, RIVERA, O'MARA, HADDOCK, GIRAL, HANBIDGE, INGLIS,
        RADER, JAMES, PIELLI, SHUSTERMAN, HEFFLEY AND FREEMAN,
        MAY 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
        MAY 30, 2025


                                   AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Grand-family Assistance Program; providing for
 2      grants to area agencies on aging; and imposing powers and
 3      duties on the Department of Aging.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Grand-family
 8   Assistance Program Act.
 9   Section 2.   Legislative intent.
10      The intent of this act is to establish a grant system for an
11   individual who is a qualified grandparent, resides in this
12   Commonwealth and serves as the primary caregiver for the
13   individual's grandchild while the child's parent actively
14   participates in an opioid use disorder treatment program.
15   Section 3.   Definitions.
16      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
 1   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 2   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 3      "Area agency on aging."     An agency designated by the
 4   department to administer and develop an area plan for a
 5   comprehensive and coordinated system of services for older
 6   people within the boundaries of a defined planning and service
 7   area.
 8      "Department."     The Department of Aging of the Commonwealth.
 9      "Grand-family."    A family where an individual is a
10   grandparent acting as the primary caregiver for the individual's
11   grandchild whose parents cannot provide care due to an opioid
12   use disorder.
13      "Opioid use disorder treatment program."     A program licensed
14   and approved by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to
15   address an individual's problematic pattern of opioid use
16   leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.
17      "Program."   The Grand-family Assistance Program established
18   under section 4.
19   Section 4.   Grand-family Assistance Program.
20      The Grand-family Assistance Program is established in the
21   department. The program shall provide one-time grants to area
22   agencies on aging that must use the grant money to provide
23   financial assistance to grand-families for the reimbursement of
24   eligible expenses.
25   Section 5.   Grant applications.
26      Grant application forms shall be developed by the department
27   and distributed to all area agencies on aging. An area agency on
28   aging shall assist persons in the area that intend to apply for
29   a grant under this act in completing the applications and
30   verify, in writing, on the grant application that the

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 1   application complies with all the requirements of section 6. The
 2   area agency on aging shall then forward the application to the
 3   department for review and, if appropriate, approval.
 4   Section 6.     Grant requirements.
 5      (a)   Eligibility.--From money appropriated to the department
 6   for the purpose of the program, the department shall approve
 7   grants to local area agencies on aging for grand-families that
 8   are eligible to receive financial assistance for the
 9   reimbursement of expenses directly related to the care of a
10   grandchild whose parent is actively participating in an opioid
11   use disorder treatment program. The grand-family may not be
12   reimbursed for any expense that is otherwise reimbursed,
13   including payments received from the parent or an agency of the
14   Federal, State or county government.
15      (b)   Funding from Opioid Settlement Restricted Account.--
16            (1)   In addition to any money appropriated from another
17      fund or account to the department for the purpose of the
18      program, money appropriated from the Opioid Settlement
19      Restricted Account for costs associated with opioid
20      remediation may be used to make grants under this act.
21            (2)   The department shall ensure that the amounts
22      allocated for the program comply with the restrictions on the
23      use of the money in the Opioid Settlement Restricted Account.
24   Section 7.     Powers and duties of department.
25      The powers and duties of the department shall be:
26            (1)   To accept grants from the Federal Government and any
27      other individual, agency or government for use in the
28      program.
29            (2)   To promulgate such rules, regulations and directives
30      as it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this

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 1      act.
 2             (3)   To annually provide to the chair and minority chair
 3      of the Aging and Youth Committee of the Senate and the chair
 4      and minority chair of the Aging and Older Adult Services
 5      Committee of the House of Representatives the following
 6      information:
 7                   (i)    a list of area agencies on aging that applied
 8             for a grant;
 9                   (ii)    a list of area agencies on aging that received
10             a grant;
11                   (iii)    the total funds allocated in the program for
12             that year; and
13                   (iv)    the total funds expended by the area agencies
14             on aging for the program for that year.
15   Section 8.      Effective date.
16      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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