HARRISBURG – The PA Senate Judiciary Committee has approved four bills impacting newborns, juveniles, and the indigent. Senate Bill 169 provides for out-of-home placement disposition review hearings at three-month intervals, rather than nine-month. The review hearings are to ensure that a juvenile is receiving the necessary services and treatments for their rehabilitation. Senate Bill 170 updates and standardizes the expungement of juvenile records as recommended by the Juvenile Justice Task Force. Senate Bill 267 adds urgent care centers as a safe haven in PA’s Newborn Protection Act. Senate Bill 371 establishes the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee; establishes the Indigent Defense Grant Program, and outlines the program’s operation. The bills now head to the full Senate.
