Public Health & Welfare 2013-2014

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Monday, October 6, 2014 and reported out the following:

As Amended

HB 435, PN 2010  (Moul) – Amends Title 23 (Domestic Relations) in child protective services, further providing for definitions, for information relating to prospective child-care personnel, for information relating to family day-care home residents and for information relating to other persons having contact with children; and providing for grounds for denying employment or participation in program, activity or service and for certification compliance.

HB 1655, PN 2869 (Baker) – An Act establishing the Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council; providing powers and duties of the council, the Department of Public Welfare; and providing for development of a plan to implement a Statewide medical home model.

As Committed

HB 477, PN 1126 (Rapp) – An Act providing for the Early Childhood Vision Care Education Program and for powers and duties of the Department of Health.

HB 1567, PN 3126 (Scavello) – An Act requiring health care facilities to disseminate information relating to pertussis education; and imposing a duty on the Department of Health

HB 1907, PN 3334 (Saylor)An Act requiring a hospital to provide notice to a patient of the patient’s outpatient status, and the impact of the outpatient status on insurance coverage.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on June 25, 2014 and took the following actions:

Defeated

SR 225, PN 1471 (Teplitz) – A Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an evaluation of the Department of Public Welfare’s Human Services Block Grant Pilot Program.

As Committed

HB 278, PN 813 (Baker) – Amends the Fiscal Code, further providing, in general budget implementation, for the Department of Public Welfare.

HB 1654, PN 2274 (Cruz) – An Act amending the act of September 9, 1965 (P.L.497, No.251), known as the Newborn Child Testing Act, further providing for newborn child screening and follow-up program.

As Amended

HB 1298, PN 2775 (Farry) – An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, further providing for powers and duties of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

HB 2111, PN 3361 (Marshall) – An Act requiring certain health care practitioners to disseminate information relating to Down syndrome; and imposing duties on the Department of Health.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 and unanimously reported out the following:

As Amended

HB 1420, PN 2557 (Boback) – An Act providing for newborn child pulse oximetry screening.

SB 1243, PN 1779 (Rafferty) – An Act providing for remediation of real property contaminated by methamphetamine production, for decontamination standards to be developed by Department of Health and for restitution; prohibiting certain activity relating to certain property; providing for enforcement; establishing immunity for real estate professionals under certain circumstances; and authorizing fees.

As Committed

HB 2003, PN 3102 (Baker) – An Act providing for hepatitis C testing and treatment and for duties of the Department of Health.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met met on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 and unanimously reported out the following:

As Amended

SB 1180 (Vance) – An Act providing for prescription drug monitoring; creating the Prescription Drug Monitoring Board; establishing the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program; and providing for unlawful acts and penalties.

SB 1267 (Vance) – Amends the Health Care Cost Containment Act, reenacted and amended June 10, 2009, further providing for expiration of the act.

HB 1259 (Farry) – An Act providing for the regulation of indoor tanning facilities; establishing the Indoor Tanning Regulation Fund; and providing for penalties.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Tuesday, December 10, 2013  and reported out the following:

As Committed

SB 384 (Baker) – Amends the Fiscal Code, in general budget implementation, further providing for the Department of Public Welfare.

HB 993 (Murt) – Amends the Public Welfare Code, changing the name of the Department of Public Welfare to the Department of Human Services; and providing for a transition period.

HB 1656 (Corbin) – Repeals the act entitled “An act requiring physicians to obtain informed consent from patients for treatment of breast disease.”

As Amended

SR 61 (Mensch) – ­A Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study and to issue a report on the status of and any disparities found in dental care for Pennsylvanians with disabilities.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 and unanimously reported out the following:

As Amended

SB 405 (Vance) – This bill amends the Generic Equivalent Drug Law to provide for the substitution of an interchangeable biosimilar product for a brand name biologic.

SB 453 (Costa) – This bill establishes the patient bill of rights with regard to palliative care and creates a Pain Management and Palliative Care Task Force in the Department of Health.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met and unanimously reported out the following:

As Amended

SB 29 (Vance) – Amends Title 23 (Domestic Relations) providing for definitions and for mandatory reporting of newborns.

As Committed

SR 70 (Mensch) – Resolution directing the Legislative Budget & Finance Committee to study the issue of specialty tier prescription drugs and to assess its impact on the care and treatment of patients.

SB 1058 (Rafferty) – Amends the Administrative Code to require Senate confirmation for certain gubernatorial appointments.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Friday, June 28 to consider the following:

As Amended

SB 555 (Scarnati) – This legislation establishing the Health Advisory Panel on Shale Gas Extraction and Natural Gas Use; and providing for its composition, duties and powers. Senator Vance offered Amendment-02681 that was technical in nature to clarify the language of the bill.

HB 1075 (Moul) – This legislation amends the Public Welfare Code to require the Department of Public Welfare to conduct family finding for each child in the child welfare system when the child is accepted for services and annually thereafter. Senator Vance offered Amendment-03068 that would amend the welfare code and allow for the expansion of Medicaid coverage in Pennsylvania, provided the federal government meets certain conditions.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Tuesday, June 25 to consider the following:

As Committed

SB 840 (Mensch) – Amends the Public Welfare Code by changing the name of the Department of Public Welfare to the Department of Human Services; and providing for a transition period.

SB 1042 (Vance) – Amends the Clinical Laboratory Act by providing for definitions, for inspection, for unlawful conduct and for penalty.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Wednesday, June 12 to consider the following:

As Amended

HB 602 (Quinn) – Amends the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, further providing for definitions and for prohibited acts and penalties; and providing for ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and electronic tracking of Meth ingredients.

As Committed

SB 358 (Mensch) – Requires health care providers to notify patients of mammograms when dense breast tissue is detected.


The Public Health and Welfare Committee met on Tuesday, June 4 to consider the following:

As Committed

SB 977 (Vance) – This bill amends the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, in general powers and duties of the department of public welfare, further providing for county human services consolidated planning and reporting; in human services block grant pilot program, further providing for definitions, for establishment of human services block grant pilot program, for powers and duties of the department, for powers and duties of counties, for allocation and for use of block grant funds.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on March 12, 2013 and unanimously reported out the following:

As Committed

SB 177 (Greenleaf) – Establishes the task force on Lyme and Related Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance, Education, Prevention and Treatment Act.

As Amended

SB 5 (Erickson) – Establishes the Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program in the Department of Health to provide grants to community-based health care clinics.


The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met on February 4, 2013 and reported out the following:

As Committed

SB 5 (Erickson) – Establishes the Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program, provides for hospital health clinics and mobile prenatal and natal care demonstration project.