|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. James E. Casorio, Jr. |
   
|
House committee to consider Casorio drug-endangered children legislation
HARRISBURG, July 17 – Pennsylvania would set up a special task force to develop a coordinated system for responding to the medical, social and educational needs of children impacted by the manufacture, trafficking and abuse of illegal drugs under legislation introduced by state Rep. James E. Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland.
The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a public hearing on the legislation for Monday, July 21.
"There are kids in Pennsylvania who spend their entire childhood exposed to the manufacture and abuse of illegal drugs by adults," Casorio said. "These children are at constant risk of physical, emotional, mental and developmental harm, both long-term and short-term. The agencies that come in contact with these children need to know how to address the special needs they have and the particular challenges they face."
Casorio's legislation (H.B. 994) would establish a task force on drug-endangered children in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The task force would include the state secretaries of health, public welfare, education and environmental protection, as well as appointees of the governor representing law enforcement, health-care providers, social service agencies, emergency responders and local governments.
Specific duties of the task force would include establishing medical protocols for treating children exposed to contamination from methamphetamine and other drug production, coordinating procedures among local agencies that respond to children exposed to illegal drugs, developing an information sharing system for local and state agencies that respond to drug-endangered children, and ensuring children impacted by illegal drugs continue to be enrolled in school.
"Every child exposed to illegal drugs is harmed in some way," Casorio said. "Many children are injured and even killed in meth lab fires or explosions in their homes or apartment buildings. Others are poisoned by the chemicals used to produce these drugs, and have to be removed from their homes. And most, if not all, suffer from the abuse and neglect of parents or guardians whose number-one priority is making, abusing or selling illegal drugs, not caring for their child."
Casorio said more than a dozen state and local governments in the United States have developed formal drug-endangered children programs, and legislation is pending in Congress that would make $20 million in grants available to states for establishing drug-endangered children programs.
"We cannot win the war on drugs if the innocent victims continue to suffer," Casorio said. "Preparing our education, health-care, law-enforcement and social service communities to provide comprehensive, coordinated care to these children is crucial in the fight against illegal drugs."
Monday's public hearing on H.B. 994 is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Room 418 of the Main Capitol in Harrisburg.
###mjh/2008/bt l:'print'releases'hb994hearing.056