HARRISBURG, January 31, 2017 – Senator Art Haywood today released a statement on the recent proposal to consolidate agencies into one unified agency called the Department of Health and Human Services:

Consolidation of the Departments of Health, Human Services, Aging and Drug and Alcohol programs into a single new agency may be a reorganization that we need. Careful review and planning to ensure the continued missions of each individual agency within a new agency is required. Protection of lottery funds for older Pennsylvanians from the demands of the additional agencies must be part of the plan. 

Making government more efficient and less costly is exactly what we should do, provided we can deliver necessary resources and programs to the people. I am happy to see that the Governor has directly addressed many issues that the consolidation will endeavor to solve. I look forward to a deliberate and thorough review of the proposal.

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