PRINTER'S NO. 733
No. 699 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, LAVALLE, HECKLER, JUBELIRER, STOUT, PUNT,
WILLIAMS, SHUMAKER, BELL, WENGER, RHOADES, GERLACH, MADIGAN,
HELFRICK, STAPLETON, HART, MUSTO, TOMLINSON, ANDREZESKI AND
KASUNIC, MARCH 7, 1995
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 7, 1995
AN ACT
1 Providing for the prevention, detection, treatment and follow-up
2 of cases of hepatitis B among firefighters, paramedics,
3 emergency medical technicians, ambulance attendants, first
4 responders and law enforcement officers; and making an
5 appropriation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Statewide program.
9 In accordance with adopted standards consistent with accepted
10 public health practice and the recommendations of the Centers
11 for Disease Control, the Department of Health shall establish a
12 Statewide program for the prevention, including inoculations,
13 screening, diagnosis, treatment and medical and environmental
14 follow-up of cases, of hepatitis B for firefighters, paramedics,
15 emergency medical technicians, ambulance attendants, first
16 responders and law enforcement officers. A summary of the
17 Statewide program shall be made public.
18 Section 2. Eligible persons.
1 Every firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician,
2 ambulance attendant, first responder and law enforcement officer
3 within this Commonwealth determined to be at risk for hepatitis
4 B according to standards for the Statewide program adopted by
5 the Department of Health shall be eligible for service under
6 this act.
7 Section 3. Powers and duties of Department of Health.
8 The Department of Health shall provide financial support to
9 State, district, county or local governmental or private
10 agencies which agree to provide screening, diagnostic,
11 treatment, educational and follow-up services, as required under
12 the standards established for the Statewide program, for the
13 establishment of local hepatitis B detection, treatment or
14 prevention projects.
15 Section 4. Annual report.
16 The Department of Health shall publish an annual report which
17 shall include, as a minimum, the number of firefighters,
18 paramedics, emergency medical technicians, ambulance attendants
19 and first responders, as defined in the act of July 3, 1985
20 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the Emergency Medical Services Act,
21 and law enforcement officers found to have hepatitis B.
22 Section 5. Immunity.
23 No person shall be liable for civil damages as a result of an
24 act, or the omission of an act, committed while rendering
25 services in good faith and in accordance with the provisions of
26 this act.
27 Section 6. Appropriation.
28 The sum of $3,500,000 is hereby appropriated to the
29 Department of Health for the fiscal year July 1, 1995, to June
30 30, 1996, to carry out the provisions of this act.
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1 Section 7. Effective date.
2 This act shall take effect immediately.
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