An Act amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, further providing for advisory councils for veterans' homes, the official text

HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 78
PRINTER'S NO.  1013
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
129
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, BAKER, LAUGHLIN, PENNYCUICK, ROBINSON,
J. WARD AND MILLER, JANUARY 22, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 25, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs, further providing for advisory councils for
veterans' homes.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1.  Section 704(a), (b), (d) and (f) of Title 51 of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended and the
section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 704.  Advisory councils for veterans' homes.
(a)  Establishment of advisory council.--There is hereby
established an advisory council for each veterans' home operated
by the Commonwealth to provide stakeholders with a means to
advise the Adjutant General on the resident care, management,
operations and compliance of facilities and services in
veterans' homes to ensure high-quality health care and well-
being for residents of veterans' homes. Each advisory council
shall consist of 15 members and the Adjutant General or the
Adjutant General's designee, who shall serve ex officio. [Twelve
of the members shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of
nominations submitted to the Adjutant General by the
Pennsylvania War Veterans' Council.] The following shall apply:
(1)  Ten of the members shall be appointed by the
Governor from a list of nominations submitted to the Adjutant
General by the Pennsylvania War Veterans' Council. Appointees
under this paragraph shall be veterans from the local
community of the veterans' home.
(2)  Three of the members shall be appointed by the
Governor from a list of nominations submitted to the Adjutant
General by current residents of the veterans' home and shall
include a family member of a current or former resident of
the veterans' home.
(3)  The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President pro tempore of the Senate shall each appoint one
member from their respective bodies to serve on each council.
[The remaining member on the advisory council shall be
selected by the residents of the veterans' homes.]
(4)  The department shall designate a subject matter
expert to attend each advisory council's meeting to provide
input    on the resident care, management, operations and
compliance of facilities and services in each veterans' home.
(b)  Term of office and officers.--
(1)  Each member of the councils appointed from the
General Assembly shall serve for the duration of that General
Assembly. [The eight] Except as provided under paragraph (2),
the thirteen members appointed by the Governor shall serve a
term of three [years, provided that the initial eight members
selected by the Governor shall serve as follows: three
members for one year, three members for two years and two
members for three years as designated by the Governor.]
years.
(2)  The initial thirteen members selected by the
Governor on or after the effective date of this paragraph
shall serve as follows: four members for one year, four
members for two years and five members for three years as
designated by the Governor.
(3)  Each council shall organize as soon as possible and
shall annually elect a president, vice president and
secretary from the voting members.
* * *
(d)  Quorum and time of meetings.--[Six] Eight members of a
council shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting
the business of the council. Each advisory council shall meet at
least quarterly and at other times at the call of the president.
Each advisory council shall conduct meetings in accordance with
65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings).
* * *
(f)  Power and duty of advisory councils.--Each veterans'
home advisory council shall advise the Adjutant General as to
the resident care, management, operation and the [adequacy]
compliance of facilities and services at their respective homes.
(g)  Annual reports.--Each advisory council shall submit an
annual report to the    department that identifies the work of the
advisory council, includes an overall assessment of the resident
care, manag   ement, operations and compliance of facilities and
services in each veterans' home and provides recommendations.
The department shall submit a consolidated report on the annual
reports submitted by each advisory council under this subsection
t  o the Adjutant General and the    chair and minority chair of the
Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the
Senate and the chair and minority chair of the Veterans Affairs
and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
Representatives    no later than January 30,    2026   , and each year
thereafter.
Section 2.  The amendment or addition of 51 Pa.C.S. § 704(a)
(1) and (2) and (b)(1) and (2) shall apply upon the expiration
of a member's term on the advisory council appointed by the
Governor before the effective date of this section.
Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.