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Corman's Efforts Halt State Attempt to Ignore Law He Wrote
Grants Will
Finally Be Awarded from Fund Corman Created
HARRISBURG -- In
2002, a law written by state Sen. Jake Corman (R-34) that created a new fund to
fight substance abuse was enacted, however the state's bureaucracy failed to
deliver forcing Corman to clarify it in a new law that was signed by the
Governor this week.
Corman wrote
Act 198 of 2002, creating the Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction
Fund, which assesses new fines on those who drive under the influence or commit
drug offenses. The fund dedicates the money for grants to substance abuse
prevention, intervention, training, treatment, education services and statewide
programs highlighting the dangers of workplace substance abuse.
However,
according to Corman, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD),
which administers the fund, was slow to act and deliberately ignored the
legislative intent of Act 198 of 2002 causing some statewide organizations to
not receive grants.
This month
Corman amended House Bill 15, which was signed into law yesterday by the
Governor, to clarify language in the Substance Abuse Education and Demand
Reduction Fund law to force the PCCD to live within the legislative intent of
the original law.
"With the
action I took, statewide organizations will finally receive grants to help with
their mission of substance abuse prevention and education," Corman said. "It's
been four years since I wrote the law and this administration has grossly
mismanaged this program. We had to be clear with our original intent so
government bureaucrats could no longer prevent our great non-profit
organizations from doing their good work."
Under the law
that Corman wrote, anyone convicted of a drug-related or DUI offense is assessed
a mandatory $100 fee to support the fund. Exceptions could be made for
financial hardship. An additional $200 fine is imposed if a DUI offender is
found to have a blood alcohol content of.15 percent or higher within two hours
of arrest.
Of the money collected by the
courts, half was to remain in the county for substance abuse treatment and half
was to be deposited in the new fund for later distribution, which the PCCD
botched, according to Corman.
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