HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation that would update outdated references to state agencies in Pennsylvania law, a measure aimed at aligning statutory language with current government structures and reducing confusion in the administration of human services programs.
House Bill 2464, sponsored by state Rep. Darisha Parker, D-Philadelphia, would replace references to the Department of Public Welfare and the Public Welfare Code with the Department of Human Services and the Human Services Code within the state’s Insurance Company Law of 1921.
The legislation addresses a discrepancy that has remained in state law since the Department of Public Welfare was renamed the Department of Human Services in 2014.
Parker argued that updating the terminology would better reflect both the agency’s current identity and the breadth of services it administers.
“At the very least, the law should be modernized to reflect the agency’s current name to reduce confusion,” Parker said. “The department’s name was changed in 2014, and it is past time that the insurance code’s language was updated to reflect it.”
The Department of Human Services oversees a wide range of programs, including Medicaid, child welfare services, mental health programs, long-term care, child support enforcement, early childhood education, disability services, employment and training initiatives, and assistance programs for low-income households.
Parker said the revised terminology more accurately reflects the agency’s mission and the services it provides to Pennsylvania residents.
House lawmakers amended the bill before passage to update references to other state agencies that have undergone name changes since the Insurance Company Law was enacted. Those revisions include replacing references to the former Department of Community Affairs with the current Department of Community and Economic Development.
The bill now advances to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration.
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