Greenleaf Measure for Mediation Study Achieves Passage

HARRISBURG –With the passage by the House and Senate of a concurrent resolution sponsored by Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf, R-Montgomery/Bucks, the Joint State Government Commission (JSGC) is authorized to begin a study of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services in the commonwealth.

Under Senate Resolution 160, the JSGC is directed to identify the best ADR practices in the state and nationally and to recommend how to improve conflict resolution efforts in Pennsylvania.  The goals of the study include development of a plan to educate citizens about ADR and the development of legislation to encourage use of dispute resolution in the courts as well as in schools, communities, government, business, and other settings.

Greenleaf said that he was encouraged to introduce the legislation because, according to ADR proponents, increased use of ADR may serve to reduce the caseloads of the courts, save money, and prevent violence and the hardened attitudes that can result from conflicts.

ADR involves the use of trained, impartial third parties in such processes as mediation, facilitation, structured dialogue, consensus building, neutral case evaluation, arbitration, and mini-trials.

The JSGC serves as a bipartisan research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.