HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal civil rights lawsuit will be filed at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg on January 14 regarding the potential closing of the Polk State Center in Venango County.
According to Erie News Now, a group of staff and the families of residents have traveled to Harrisburg and will announce the federal suit on Tuesday, January 14.
The lawsuit, to be filed against Governor Tom Wolf, alleges the closing the Polk State Center is a violation of the Civil Rights Act and the United States constitution.
The Wolf Administration announced plans on August 14, 2019, to close both Polk State Center in Venango County and White Haven State Center in Luzerne County by 2022.
The Pennsylvania Senate on November 18, 2019, passed a bill that would put a moratorium the closures.
The bill, which amends the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Act of 1966, passed by a vote of 40-9.
The bill, which still needs to pass the House and be signed by Governor Tom Wolf, states that no state center shall close until all Medicaid waiver-eligible individuals in Pennsylvania are authorized to begin receiving home and community-based services furnished under a waiver granted pursuant to section 1915(c)(1) of the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 1396n(c)(1)).
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