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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1508

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1223 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY STURLA, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BOYD,
           CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, COHEN, CREIGHTON, CURRY, DALEY,
           DENLINGER, EACHUS, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY,
           GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
           HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HICKERNELL, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KOTIK,
           LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, MELIO,
           MYERS, PALLONE, PAYTON, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER,
           SIPTROTH, TRUE, WALKO, WANSACZ, WHEATLEY AND YOUNGBLOOD,
           MAY 4, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MAY 4, 2007

                                     AN ACT

     1  Providing for the comprehensive tracking of information
     2     concerning asthma.

     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 Statewide
     7  Asthma Tracking System Act.
     8  Section 2.  Declaration of policy.
     9     The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
    10         (1)  Rates for asthma have steadily increased over the
    11     past 20 years in all age groups.
    12         (2)  Children have been the hardest hit by this epidemic,
    13     experiencing a two and one-half-fold increase.
    14         (3)  Although asthma affects people at all socioeconomic


     1     levels, poor and minority populations tend to experience a
     2     greater burden when measured by the chances of dying or being
     3     hospitalized for the disease.
     4         (4)  The underlying factors that have promoted the
     5     alarming surge in asthma prevalence are not fully understood.
     6     Current evidence points to an interaction between genetic
     7     susceptibility and environmental influences. Factors
     8     suspected to encourage development of asthma include: indoor
     9     allergens, including dust mites and cockroaches; pollutants,
    10     including environmental tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust
    11     particles; sedentary lifestyle; diet; and housing and
    12     community environmental conditions.
    13         (5)  Given the strong link between asthma and
    14     environmental factors, health officials and medical experts
    15     agree that monitoring asthma's prevalence, morbidity and
    16     mortality is critical to fighting the spread of this disease.
    17  Section 3.  Definitions.
    18     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
    19  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
    20  context clearly indicates otherwise:
    21     "Department."  The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
    22     "Statewide Asthma Tracking System."  The system established
    23  under section 4.
    24  Section 4.  Powers and duties of department.
    25     (a)  Statewide Asthma Tracking System.--The department shall
    26  develop and maintain a comprehensive Statewide Asthma Tracking
    27  System to monitor the investigation of factors contributing to
    28  the difference in the rates of asthma among different
    29  socioeconomic, racial and age groups in this Commonwealth and
    30  for targeting resources to those areas that are shown to be the
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     1  most heavily impacted. The information collected shall be used
     2  to:
     3         (1)  Track rates and patterns of mortality and morbidity.
     4         (2)  Target areas most appropriate for resource
     5     allocation.
     6         (3)  Monitor access to health care services.
     7         (4)  Assess the impact of interventions.
     8     (b)  Consultations.--In order to develop the Statewide Asthma
     9  Tracking System, the department shall consult with
    10  representatives of the medical, nursing, pharmacy and allied
    11  health professional communities, public health agencies and
    12  other appropriate entities.
    13     (c)  Report.--The department shall submit to the Governor and
    14  the General Assembly an annual report relating to the Statewide
    15  Asthma Tracking System. The report shall include the following:
    16         (1)  The department's findings and recommendations on the
    17     administration and operation of the monitoring system.
    18         (2)  Data relevant to the prevalence of asthma in
    19     different socioeconomic, racial and age groups in this
    20     Commonwealth in summary form, reported in accordance with the
    21     confidentiality requirements under section 5 and the
    22     department's opinion on the likely causes of this data.
    23         (3)  Recommendations for improving greater access to
    24     health care services for groups with higher asthma
    25     prevalence, morbidity present in hospitalizations and
    26     emergency department visits and mortality.
    27  Section 5.  Confidentiality of information.
    28     All information collected and analyzed under this act shall
    29  remain anonymous and confidential insofar as the identity of the
    30  patient is concerned and shall be used solely for the purposes
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     1  provided for in this act. All Federal and State laws relating to
     2  the privacy of information shall apply to the data and
     3  information that is collected under this system.
     4  Section 6.  Regulations.
     5     The department shall promulgate regulations to carry out the
     6  provisions of this act.
     7  Section 7.  Effective date.
     8     This act shall take effect in 60 days.















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