Act 12 of 2019 Elimination of Cash Assistance Program; Preliminary Injunction Denial
Weeks v. Department of Human Services, 480 M.D. 2019, direct appeal, appeal docket no. 22 EAP 2019
Community Legal Services (CLS) and Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) filed a class action lawsuit with Commonwealth Court seeking injunctive and declaratory relief and challenging the constitutionality of Act 12 of 2019, which eliminates Pennsylvania’s General Assistance cash assistance program. Petitioners filed an Application for Special Relief in the Nature of a Preliminary Injunction asking Commonwealth Court to preliminarily enjoin Act 12’s General Assistance cash provisions based on Petitioners’ argument that elimination of the cash assistance program would cause irreparable harm to over 12,000 Pennsylvania low-income residents.
On August 1, 2019, the effective date of Act 12, the Commonwealth Court issued an order denying Petitioners’ request for preliminary injunction. Petitioners filed a direct appeal of the Commonwealth Court’s preliminary injunction denial to the Supreme Court pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. § 723.
For more information, contact Kevin McKeon or Dennis Whitaker.