Read the full stored bill text
PRINTER'S NO. 3525
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2601
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, KINKEAD, McNEILL, WAXMAN, SANCHEZ,
TIBURCIO, MAYES, HILL-EVANS, POWELL, KHAN, PARKER, OTTEN,
HOHENSTEIN, FLEMING, DOUGHERTY, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, STEELE AND
BOYD, JUNE 4, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, JUNE 5, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in juvenile matters,
establishing the RECLAIM Program and the RECLAIM Advisory
Committee; requiring the establishment of county delinquent
youth care and custody funds; and imposing duties on the
Department of Human Services.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 63 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:
SUBCHAPTER H
RECLAIM PROGRAM
Sec.
6391. Definitions.
6392. RECLAIM Program.
6393. Delinquent youth care and custody funds.
6394. Allocations.
6395. RECLAIM Advisory Committee.
6396. Rules and regulations.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
6397. Funding.
§ 6391. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Adult." An individual who is 18 years of age or older.
"Advisory committee." The RECLAIM Advisory Committee
established under section 6395(a) (relating to RECLAIM Advisory
Committee).
"Bed day." The length of time that a delinquent juvenile is
assigned a bed for an overnight stay while held in a detention
facility.
"Delinquent juvenile." A juvenile who has been adjudicated
delinquent or is at risk of an adjudication of delinquency.
"Department." The Department of Human Services of the
Commonwealth.
"Detention facility." As follows:
(1) Premises or a part of premises, which are privately
or publicly owned and operated, designated by the court and
approved by the department to detain a juvenile temporarily.
(2) The term does not include a county jail, State
prison, penal institution or other facility used primarily to
detain adults who have not been released on bail and who are
alleged to have committed a criminal offense.
"Fund." A delinquent youth care and custody fund established
by a county under section 6393 (relating to delinquent youth
care and custody funds).
"Juvenile." An individual who is under 18 years of age.
"Placement facility." As follows:
(1) Premises or a part of premises, which are privately
20260HB2601PN3525 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
or publicly owned and operated, identified by their charter,
articles of incorporation or program description, to receive
delinquent juveniles or otherwise provide treatment to
juveniles as a case disposition.
(2) The term includes a residential facility, group
home, after-school program and day program, whether secure or
nonsecure.
(3) The term does not include a county jail or State
prison.
"Program." The RECLAIM Program established under section
6392(a) (relating to RECLAIM Program).
"Secretary." The Secretary of Human Services of the
Commonwealth.
§ 6392. RECLAIM Program.
(a) Establishment and purpose.--The RECLAIM Program is
established in the department as a funding initiative to assist
juvenile courts in developing new and improved services for the
care and custody of delinquent juveniles.
(b) Application process generally.--The department shall:
(1) Develop an application form for each juvenile court
of a county to use in requesting money through the program.
(2) Prescribe the process to submit a completed
application under this subsection.
(c) Agreement.--Each juvenile court of a county shall
prepare an annual funding initiative agreement, which must:
(1) Accompany a completed application under this
section.
(2) Specify the proposed programs, care and services
that will be funded under the program.
(3) Include a method of ensuring equal access for
20260HB2601PN3525 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
minority youth to the programs, care and services specified
in the annual agreement.
(d) Review and determination.--
(1) The department shall review and determine whether to
approve or disapprove, in whole or in part, each completed
application under this section.
(2) If the department disapproves, in whole or in part,
the completed application, the department shall provide the
reasons for the disapproval in writing to the applicant.
(e) Uses of grant.--A grant under the program may be used
for the operational costs for:
(1) The diagnosis, care or treatment of delinquent
juveniles at institutions that have entered into an agreement
with the department to provide those types of services to
delinquent juveniles.
(2) Placement facilities that are constructed,
reconstructed, improved or financed for the purpose of
providing alternative placement and services for delinquent
juveniles whose care and custody have been diverted from
institutions that have traditionally provided the placement
and services.
(3) County juvenile courts that administer programs and
services for the prevention, early intervention, diversion,
treatment and rehabilitation services and programs for
delinquent juveniles.
(4) Administrative expenses that the department incurs
in connection with the programs and services for delinquent
juveniles.
§ 6393. Delinquent youth care and custody funds.
(a) Establishment.--Each county treasurer shall establish in
20260HB2601PN3525 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
the county treasury a fund that shall be known as the Delinquent
Youth Care and Custody Fund for the county to use to implement
and administer the program at the county level.
(b) Purpose.--A fund of a county shall receive deposits from
the department through the program based on the formulas
specified in this subchapter, to be used by the juvenile court
of the county for the purposes described in this subchapter.
(c) Conditions.--The money disbursed to a county and
deposited into the fund of the county:
(1) May not be commingled with any other county money.
(2) May not be used for a capital construction project.
(3) Shall be disbursed to the juvenile court for use in
accordance with this subchapter.
(4) May not revert to the county general fund at the end
of a fiscal year.
(5) Shall carry over in the fund from the end of a
fiscal year to the next fiscal year.
(d) Maximum balance carryover.--
(1) The maximum balance carryover for a fund in a county
at the end of each fiscal year may not exceed an amount to be
calculated as provided in the formula specified in this
subsection, unless the county applied for and was granted an
exemption by the department.
(2) Beginning June 30, 2027, the maximum balance
carryover at the end of each fiscal year shall be determined
by the following formula:
(i) For fiscal year 2027, the maximum balance
carryover shall be 100% of the allocation for fiscal year
2026, to be applied in determining the fiscal year 2028
allocation.
20260HB2601PN3525 - 5 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(ii) For fiscal year 2028, the maximum balance
carryover shall be 50% of the allocation for fiscal year
2027, to be applied in determining the fiscal year 2029
allocation.
(iii) For fiscal year 2029, the maximum balance
carryover shall be 25% of the allocation for fiscal year
2028, to be applied in determining the fiscal year 2030
allocation.
(iv) For each fiscal year subsequent to fiscal year
2029, the maximum balance carryover shall be 25% of the
allocation for the immediately preceding fiscal year, to
be applied in determining the allocation for the next
immediate fiscal year.
(3) The department shall:
(i) Withhold from future payments to a county an
amount equal to any money in the fund of the county that
exceeds the total maximum balance carryover that applies
for the county for the fiscal year in which the payments
are being made.
(ii) Reallocate the withheld amount described in
subparagraph (i).
(e) Rules by department.--The department shall adopt rules
for:
(1) The withholding and reallocation of money under this
section.
(2) The criteria and process for a county to obtain an
exemption from the withholding requirement under this
section.
(f) Supplemental purposes only.--The money deposited into a
fund shall be in addition to, and shall not be used to reduce,
20260HB2601PN3525 - 6 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
any of the following:
(1) A usual annual increase in county funding that the
juvenile court is eligible to receive.
(2) The current level of county funding of the juvenile
court and of any programs or services for delinquent
juveniles.
(g) Consultation and coordination.--The juvenile court of a
county may consult and coordinate with the Pennsylvania
Commission on Crime and Delinquency in the use of the money.
§ 6394. Allocations.
(a) Authorization.--In consultation with the advisory
committee, the department shall:
(1) Allocate annual operational money in accordance with
section 6392(c) (relating to RECLAIM Program).
(2) Adjust the allocations when modifications are made
to the amount of the money appropriated for the program.
(b) Formula.--
(1) In making allocations to counties under the program,
the department shall base the amounts on the immediately
prior year's funding calculated using the ratio of the
department's commitments of delinquent juveniles to
institutional and placement facilities to each county's
average of delinquent youth adjudications, in order to
provide to each county a proportional allocation of
commitment credits.
(2) In performing the calculation described in paragraph
(1), the department shall first determine for each county and
for the Commonwealth:
(i) A 10-year average of delinquent juvenile
adjudications.
20260HB2601PN3525 - 7 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(ii) The number of charged bed days for delinquent
juveniles from the previous year.
(3) The department shall calculate a county's allocation
of credits by:
(i) dividing the Statewide total number of charged
bed days by the Statewide total number of delinquent
youth adjudications; and
(ii) multiplying the quotient under subparagraph (i)
by the number of adjudications for each court.
(4) The department shall subtract from the allocation
determined under this subsection one credit for every
chargeable bed day that a delinquent juvenile is in the
department's custody and two-thirds of a credit for every
chargeable bed day that a delinquent juvenile stays in a
placement facility. At the end of the year, the department
shall divide the amount of remaining credits of that county's
allocation by the total number of remaining credits to all
counties, to determine the county's percentage, which shall
then be applied to the total county allocation to determine
the county's payment for the fiscal year.
(c) Reduction of allocations.--The department shall
determine the county against which a reduction of allocation
under subsection (b) will be charged for a particular juvenile,
until each juvenile is released, as follows:
(1) In the event of a commitment, the reduction shall be
charged against the committing county.
(2) In the event of a recommitment, the reduction shall
be charged against the original committing county until the
expiration of the minimum period of institutionalization
under the original order of commitment or until the date on
20260HB2601PN3525 - 8 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
which the juvenile is admitted to the county children and
youth social service agency pursuant to the order of
recommitment, whichever is later. Reductions of the
allocation shall be charged against the county that
recommitted the youth after the minimum expiration date of
the original commitment.
(3) In the event of a revocation of a release on parole,
the reduction shall be charged against the county that
revokes the juvenile's parole.
(d) Payments.--
(1) The department shall pay the allocations under this
section to counties three times during each fiscal year as
follows:
(i) 50% no later than July 15.
(ii) 25% no later than January 15.
(iii) 25% no later than June 15.
(2) Allocations for a county shall be deposited into the
fund of the county.
§ 6395. RECLAIM Advisory Committee.
(a) Establishment.--The RECLAIM Advisory Committee is
established to assist the department in implementing and
administering the program.
(b) Members.--The advisory committee shall consist of the
following members:
(1) The secretary or a designee authorized to act on
behalf of the secretary.
(2) The Secretary of the Budget or a designee authorized
to act on behalf of the Secretary of the Budget.
(3) The executive director of the Pennsylvania
Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
20260HB2601PN3525 - 9 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(4) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Judiciary Committee of the Senate or designees.
(5) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives or
designees.
(6) Two judges from the Juvenile Court Judges'
Commission.
(7) Two juvenile court administrators appointed by the
Juvenile Court Judges' Commission.
(8) A member of the County Commissioners Association of
Pennsylvania, appointed by the County Commissioners
Association of Pennsylvania.
(c) Appointment.--No later than 30 days after the effective
date of this subsection, the members of the advisory committee
shall be appointed or designated.
(d) Notice.--The secretary shall be notified of the names of
the members of the advisory committee.
(e) Membership structure.--Membership on the advisory
committee does not, by itself:
(1) Constitute the holding of an incompatible public
office or employment in violation of any statutory or common
law prohibition pertaining to the simultaneous holding of
more than one public office or employment.
(2) Disqualify a member from holding public office or
employment by reason of membership on the advisory committee.
(3) Require a member to forfeit public office or
employment, which qualifies them for membership on the
advisory committee.
(f) Interim chairperson and initial meeting.--
(1) The secretary shall serve as an interim chairperson
20260HB2601PN3525 - 10 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
of the advisory committee until the initial meeting of the
advisory committee.
(2) Upon receipt of the names of the members of the
advisory committee, the secretary shall schedule the initial
meeting of the advisory committee, which shall take place at
an appropriate location in Harrisburg and occur not later
than 60 days after the effective date of this paragraph.
(3) The secretary shall notify the members of the
advisory committee of the time, date and place of the initial
meeting of the advisory committee.
(4) At the initial meeting, the advisory committee shall
organize itself by selecting from among its members a
chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary.
(g) Subsequent meetings.--The committee shall meet at least
once each quarter of the calendar year but may meet more
frequently at the call of the chairperson of the advisory
committee.
(h) Length of terms.--
(1) Each member described in subsection (b)(6), (7) and
(8) shall serve for a term of two years and may be
reappointed.
(2) Each member described in subsection (b)(1), (2),
(3), (4) and (5) shall serve as long as the member holds the
office that resulted in the appointment to the advisory
committee.
(i) Vacancies.--
(1) A vacancy in the membership of the advisory
committee shall be filled in the manner as the original
appointment.
(2) A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior
20260HB2601PN3525 - 11 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
to the expiration date of the term for which the member's
predecessor was appointed shall hold office as a member for
the remainder of that term.
(3) A member shall continue in office subsequent to the
expiration date of the member's term until the member's
successor takes office or until a period of 60 days has
elapsed, whichever occurs first.
(j) Purpose.--In addition to other functions described in
this subchapter, the advisory committee shall, not less than
once each fiscal year, do the following:
(1) Evaluate the operation of the program, the
implementation of the program by the counties and the
efficiency of the formula for the allocations described in
section 6394 (relating to allocations). In conducting an
evaluation, the advisory committee shall consider how money
is to be expended to provide the most appropriate programs
and services for delinquent juveniles and other youthful
offenders.
(2) Recommend to the department, the Office of the
Budget and the General Assembly any of the following:
(i) Changes to the law as it pertains to the
program, including the formula under section 6394.
(ii) Changes in the funding level for the program,
including the amounts distributed under the formula for
county allocations, placement facilities and juvenile
correctional facility budgets.
§ 6396. Rules and regulations.
(a) Authorization.--In accordance with this subchapter, the
department, in consultation with the advisory committee, as
appropriate, shall promulgate regulations as may be necessary
20260HB2601PN3525 - 12 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.
(b) Temporary regulations.--
(1) In order to facilitate the prompt implementation of
this subchapter:
(i) The department may issue temporary regulations.
(ii) The department shall issue the temporary
regulations within six months of the effective date of
this section. Regulations adopted after the six-month
period shall be promulgated as provided by statute.
(iii) Notice of the temporary regulations shall be
transmitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
publication in the next available issue of the
Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(iv) The department shall post the temporary
regulations on its publicly accessible Internet website.
(v) The temporary regulations shall expire no later
than two years following publication of the temporary
regulations in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(2) The temporary regulations under paragraph (1) shall
be exempt from the following:
(i) Section 612 of the act of April 9, 1929
(P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of
1929.
(ii) Sections 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205 of the act
of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the
Commonwealth Documents Law.
(iii) Sections 204(b) and 301(10) of the act of
October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the
Commonwealth Attorneys Act.
(iv) The act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181),
20260HB2601PN3525 - 13 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
known as the Regulatory Review Act.
(c) Contents of regulations.--Within 120 days of the
effective date of this section, the department shall promulgate
temporary regulations to determine the program application and
review process, the rules and procedures needed to perform their
responsibilities under section 6393(e) (relating to delinquent
youth care and custody funds) and any other rules or procedures
as needed, as determined by the department, in consultation with
the advisory committee, as appropriate.
(d) Permanent regulations.--Prior to the expiration of the
temporary regulations, the department, in consultation with the
advisory committee, as appropriate, shall propose for approval
permanent regulations as provided by statute. The proposed
permanent regulations shall be consistent with subsection (c)
and may be the same as the temporary regulations.
§ 6397. Funding.
The General Assembly shall annually appropriate the amounts
that it deems to be necessary to implement and administer the
program.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20260HB2601PN3525 - 14 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20