PRINTER'S NO. 568
No. 505 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY ADOLPH, MANDERINO, MICOZZIE, CIVERA, BEBKO-JONES,
FICHTER, OLASZ, RUBLEY, TIGUE, YOUNGBLOOD, CLARK,
C. WILLIAMS, BUNT, FEESE, WOJNAROSKI, FAIRCHILD, DENT,
THOMAS, ITKIN, DeLUCA, HENNESSEY, SAYLOR, PHILLIPS, STEELMAN,
E. Z. TAYLOR, MELIO, ALLEN, PETTIT, BELARDI, HALUSKA, LUCYK,
McGILL, L. I. COHEN, KENNEY, TRUE, KAISER, KELLER, ROONEY,
McCALL, BROWN, MILLER, TRELLO, SHANER, BROWNE, JOSEPHS,
LAUGHLIN, JAMES, RAMOS, PETRARCA, PETRONE AND BOSCOLA,
FEBRUARY 12, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 12, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 18, 1984 (P.L.1068, No.213),
2 entitled, as amended, "An act requiring physicians to obtain
3 informed consent from patients for treatment of breast
4 disease," expanding the act to cover breast reconstructive
5 surgery; and conferring powers and duties on the Department
6 of Health and the Legislative Reference Bureau.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The title of the act of December 18, 1984
10 (P.L.1068, No.213), entitled, as amended, "An act requiring
11 physicians to obtain informed consent from patients for
12 treatment of breast disease," amended October 9, 1986 (P.L.1417,
13 No.131), is amended to read:
14 AN ACT
15 Requiring physicians to obtain informed consent from patients
16 for treatment of breast disease and for breast reconstructive
1 surgery.
2 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
3 Section 1.1 (a) Before a physician performs breast
4 reconstructive surgery, the physician must obtain a summary and
5 consent form under subsection (b) executed by the patient.
6 (b) The Department of Health shall develop a standardized
7 summary and consent form in plain, nontechnical language
8 explaining breast reconstructive surgery. The explanation shall
9 include the use, characteristics, side effects and risks of
10 breast implants and other pertinent information to aid a patient
11 in deciding on a course of treatment. The Department of Health
12 shall make the form available to physicians in this
13 Commonwealth.
14 Section 3. When the form required by section 1.1(b) of the
15 act is available, the Department of Health shall submit notice
16 of availability to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
17 publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
18 Section 4. This act shall take effect as follows:
19 (1) The addition of section 1.1(a) of the act shall take
20 effect on the date of publication of the notice under section
21 3 of this act.
22 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60
23 days.
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