There are many factors that PACA works on to support your role in the Pennsylvania economy and community as a full time and seasonal employer of both American and International staff. The employment opportunities provided by camps in our state are among one of the most valuable ways in which camps contribute so significantly to the success of the state of Pennsylvania as a whole. The revenue provided both directly to the state through income taxation and to our local communities by our employees, when looked at from an industry-wide perspective, is truly remarkable.
PACA and Triad Strategies continue to work to support camps in Pennsylvania on many issues they face as employers. Two areas that camps have repeatedly experienced many challenges with are in relation to hiring seasonal nurses and maintaining state standards in the new background check systems that are required for their seasonal camp employees.
During the 2019-2020 PA legislative session, PACA advanced legislation to return provisional
hiring eligibility to organized camps (HB 2503), add PA to the National Nurse Licensure
Compact, and finally, rollback Gov. Wolf’s restrictions on recreational groups and event venues.
Provisional Hire Changes
June 2019
Act 47 of 2019 was a late-night maneuver, amending Title 32 (Domestic Relations
Code), Child Protective Services Act of 2014. This act rescoped provisional hire waiver
program eligibility, both in time and eligible applicants. It narrowed the program
timeframe from 90 days to 45 days, then eliminated all recreation or “activity-based”
groups from eligibility. Only day care, family care, and group care facilities are
eligible to apply for provisional hire waivers under this act. Finally, the act does not
permit provisional hires to work alone with children, they must work in immediate
vicinity a cleared employee § 6344 (c). Abridged DHS CPSL Guidance.
May 2020
Act 18 of 2020 amended 23 PaCS Sec. 6387(b) to provide immediate hire eligibility for child
supervisors eligibility for child supervisors if they met predefined CPSL requirements and
mailed in proof of clearances by December 31, 2020. The measure passed in effort to provide
flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. PACA and its partners at Triad Strategies advocated
for the successful passage of this act because it temporarily returned rights to hire staff
without clearance receipts at time of service. This act expires December 31, 2020. Currently,
there are no proposals to extend the act into 2021.
November 2020
HB 2503 Provisional Hire Parity legislation was proposed by State Rep. Brett Miller (RLancaster) to return provisional hire eligibility to recreational groups. It also maintained the
45-day window of eligibility reflected in Act 47 of 2019. The bill passed the House nearly
unanimously but was met with significant challenges in the Senate. Ultimately the bill stalled
one day shy of final passage in the Senate and may be reintroduced in the 2021-22 session.
PACA thanks its members for helping garner support for HB 2503 by sending dozens of
advocacy letters to lawmakers this fall. In addition, PACA’s partners at Triad Strategies
provided educational resources to the General Assembly and DHS to familiarize them with
summer camps’ unique hiring processes. PACA and Triad consistently met with legislative
leadership to discuss the necessity of provisional hiring throughout the camp season. While
Republicans supported the bill, Democratic leaders remained opposed in solidarity with DHS.
They cited concerns of child abuse short-period sport or recreational programs. These
allegations turned out to be credible, albeit few, and ultimately sank the bill.
This November, Triad secured a meeting for PACA with DHS’ top-level Deputy Secretaries and
staff to discuss PACA’s clean record of compliance and hiring challenges without provisional
hire eligibility. We continue to communicate directly with DHS’ top officials to demonstrate
high standards of child safety and compliance, necessity for provisional hires in 2021, and
offer alternative frameworks to reinstitute organized camps into the Provisional Hire Waiver
Program.
Current Law
Under current law for the 2021 season, camps may not hire provisionally. All staff must have
completed background checks before working with children. Staff awaiting clearance receipts
may not work with a colleague who is cleared to assist with children.
National Nurse Compact
SB 655 (Sen. Lisa Boscola-Northampton) proposed bringing PA into the National Nurse
Licensure Compact. The bill passed the Senate unanimously, but stalled in the House
Professional Licensure Committee. PACA and Triad met with House Professional Licensure
Committee Executive Director and several members of the committee. Additionally, PACA
member advocacy letters made a crucial, lasting impact on returning legislators. There was
Bipartisan support for joining the compact from Republicans and many moderate democrats.
Unfortunately, the bill fell victim to political pressure from nursing unions who ardently
opposed the bill without receiving several labor-related concessions.
Senator Boscola and Republican Leaders believe there is a path towards passage in Spring of
- The severe impact of COVID-19 on local health resources demonstrates PACA’s
longstanding argument against barriers to entry into PA. Gov. Wolf noted nursing workforce
shortages throughout 2020. We believe he would sign a compact bill should it reach his desk
next session. PACA is joined by the Nurses Association (non-collective bargaining nurse
advocacy) and several major healthcare and hospital systems in support of the bill.