HARRISBURG – The Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) that would help individuals in recovery from substance use obtain and maintain meaningful employment.
Senate Bill 69 would create a Recovery to Work pilot program to connect individuals in recovery with high-priority occupations through local workforce development boards.
“Steady, meaningful employment is essential to an individual’s long-term recovery because it provides stability and a renewed sense of purpose. This bill further takes people away from government dependency and allows them to become contributors to our community,” Langerholc said. “We’ve lost too many lives to the heroin and opioid crisis. We must do all we can to offer a path forward.”
The pilot program would be led by the Department of Labor and Industry with the assistance of the departments of Health, Community and Economic Development, and Drug and Alcohol Programs, as well as the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Local workforce development boards would work with the treatment and recovery community as well as local employers and training providers to find job training and employment opportunities.
Langerholc has championed Recovery to Work in several legislative sessions. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando