PRINTER'S NO. 2174
No. 1435 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY ERICKSON, ORIE, FONTANA, RAFFERTY, LAVALLE,
REGOLA, C. WILLIAMS, WONDERLING, M. WHITE, GORDNER,
TOMLINSON, KITCHEN, WASHINGTON AND DINNIMAN, JUNE 11, 2008
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, JUNE 11, 2008
AN ACT
1 Providing for identification badge for licensed health care
2 practitioner and for penalties.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Health Care
7 Practitioner Identification Badge Act.
8 Section 2. Purpose.
9 It is the purpose of this act to provide a uniform standard
10 in health care settings by which patients can be apprised of the
11 identity and licensure credentials of individuals who provide
12 health care services to them.
13 Section 3. Definitions.
14 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
15 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
16 context clearly indicates otherwise:
17 "Board." The State Board of Medicine, the State Board of
1 Osteopathic Medicine, the State Board of Dentistry, the State
2 Board of Podiatry, the State Board of Nursing, the State Board
3 of Optometry, the State Board of Chiropractic, the State Board
4 of Physical Therapy, the State Board of Pharmacy, the State
5 Board of Psychology, the State Board of Examiners in Speech-
6 Language and Hearing, the State Board of Occupational Therapy
7 Education and Licensure and the State Board of Social Workers,
8 Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.
9 "Bureau." The Bureau of Professional and Occupational
10 Affairs within the Department of State.
11 "Health care practitioner." An individual who is authorized
12 to practice a component of the healing arts by a license,
13 permit, certificate or registration issued by a licensing board
14 within the Department of State.
15 Section 4. Identification badge required.
16 (a) Requirement.--When treating a patient, working in a
17 health care facility or when engaged in face-to-face contact
18 with the public in a professional capacity, a health care
19 practitioner shall wear an identification badge displaying the
20 practitioner's name and photograph and the license,
21 certification or registration held by the practitioner.
22 (b) Type of badge.--The identification badge shall be
23 designed in accordance with the standards set forth under
24 section 5.
25 Section 5. Standards.
26 Badges must comply with the following standards:
27 (1) The overall size of the badge shall be at least
28 three and one-fourth inches by two inches.
29 (2) A photograph of the practitioner shall be on the
30 badge and shall be at least one and one-fourth inches by one
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1 and one-fourth inches in size.
2 (3) The name and degree of the practitioner shall be in
3 12-point bold-face type.
4 (4) The professional license, certification or
5 registration designation of the practitioner shall be in 18-
6 point type and shall occupy a one-half inch wide strip along
7 the bottom edge of the badge.
8 Section 6. Issuance.
9 The board shall issue two identification badges required
10 under this act to a practitioner upon the issuance of an
11 original or renewed professional license, certificate or
12 registration to a practitioner.
13 Section 7. Exceptions.
14 (a) General exceptions.--A health care practitioner shall
15 not be required to wear an identification badge while engaged in
16 procedures requiring full sterile dress or procedures requiring
17 other protective clothing or covering. Identification of the
18 practitioner may be limited to first name only and professional
19 designation when full name identification may place the personal
20 safety of the practitioner in jeopardy or interfere with the
21 therapeutic relationship between the practitioner and a patient.
22 (b) Other exceptions.--The bureau may designate additional
23 exceptions consistent with paragraph (a).
24 Section 8. Alternative identification badges.
25 A hospital, nursing home, pharmacy, physician practice or
26 other health care facility may issue an identification badge to
27 a practitioner practicing in that facility, which may be worn in
28 lieu of the identification badge required under this act if:
29 (1) the badge comports with the standards set forth
30 under section 5; and
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1 (2) approval is granted by the bureau.
2 Section 9. Violation.
3 A violation of this act is a ground for disciplinary action
4 against the health care practitioner by the practitioner's
5 licensing board or other regulatory authority.
6 Section 10. Effective date.
7 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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