HB 597 — An Act providing for the Same-Day Work and Pay Pilot Program; providing for program and for program operation; imposing duties on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and establishing the Same-Day Work and Pay Account.

PRINTER'S NO.   605

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 597
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, BURGOS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CERRATO, DALEY,
        DONAHUE, GIRAL, GREEN, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, MERSKI AND SANCHEZ,
        FEBRUARY 12, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
        PROTECTION, FEBRUARY 12, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for the Same-Day Work and Pay Pilot Program; providing
 2      for program and for program operation; imposing duties on the
 3      Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and
 4      establishing the Same-Day Work and Pay Account.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Same-Day Work
 9   and Pay Pilot Program Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Department."    The Department of Conservation and Natural
15   Resources of the Commonwealth.
16      "Municipality."    A county, city, borough, incorporated town,
17   township or home rule municipality.
18      "Program."    The Same-Day Work and Pay Pilot Program
 1   established under section 3.
 2   Section 3.        Purpose of program establishment.
 3         The department shall establish the Same-Day Work and Pay
 4   Pilot Program to assess the feasibility of implementing a
 5   Statewide same-day work and pay program for municipalities to
 6   assist underemployed and unemployed individuals.
 7   Section 4.        Program.
 8         (a)   Requirement.--A municipality that participates in the
 9   program shall employ underemployed and unemployed individuals to
10   perform daily work on assignments, including, but not limited
11   to:
12               (1)   rehabilitation and repair of community parks and
13         recreation facilities;
14               (2)   community conservation and beautification projects;
15         and
16               (3)   other community improvement projects.
17         (b)   Compensation and payment.--An individual employed under
18   the program shall receive a set compensation amount per day
19   based on a set number of hours worked as determined by the
20   department. An individual shall be paid at the completion of the
21   workday.
22   Section 5.        Program operation.
23         The program shall operate for a period of one year beginning
24   no later than one year after the effective date of this section.
25   Upon expiration of the one-year period, the department shall
26   transmit a notice to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
27   publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania
28   Bulletin. The program shall cease operations upon the
29   publication of the notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
30   Section 6.        Duties of department.

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 1      (a)     Guidelines and procedures.--Before the program begins,
 2   the department shall establish guidelines and procedures for the
 3   program, including the following:
 4            (1)   Eligibility criteria to participate in the program.
 5            (2)   A uniform procedure to report data and information
 6      about the operation of the program to the department.
 7      (b)     Evaluation.--No later than six months after the program
 8   ceases operations, the department shall issue an evaluation of
 9   the program and transmit notice of the evaluation to the
10   Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next
11   available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and post the
12   evaluation on the department's publicly accessible Internet
13   website.
14   Section 7.     Same-Day Work and Pay Account.
15      The General Assembly shall appropriate money to implement
16   this act.
17   Section 8.     Effective date.
18      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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