PRINTER'S NO. 676
No. 622 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, ERICKSON, O'PAKE, ORIE, MUSTO, WAUGH,
STOUT, McILHINNEY, TARTAGLIONE, BOSCOLA, KITCHEN, COSTA,
FONTANA, RAFFERTY, PIPPY, RHOADES, BROWNE, LOGAN, WASHINGTON,
FERLO, FUMO AND STACK, MARCH 21, 2007
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 21, 2007
AN ACT
1 Providing for the prevention, detection, treatment and follow-up
2 of cases of hepatitis B among State and local law enforcement
3 officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical
4 technicians, ambulance attendants, first responders and
5 health professionals.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency and
10 Law Enforcement Officer Hepatitis B Inoculation Act.
11 Section 2. Statewide program.
12 In accordance with adopted standards consistent with accepted
13 public health practice and the recommendations of the Centers
14 for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health
15 shall establish a Statewide program for the prevention,
16 including inoculations, screening, diagnosis, treatment and
17 medical and environmental follow-up of cases, of hepatitis B for
18 State and local law enforcement officers, firefighters,
1 paramedics, emergency medical technicians, ambulance attendants,
2 first responders and health professionals. The Statewide program
3 shall include procedures whereby those receiving inoculations
4 under this act shall apply for Federal funds available to offset
5 all or part of the costs of the inoculations. The Department of
6 Health shall make public a summary of the Statewide program.
7 Section 3. Eligible persons.
8 Every State and local law enforcement officer, firefighter,
9 paramedic, emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant,
10 first responder and health professional within this Commonwealth
11 who is determined to be at risk for hepatitis B according to
12 standards for the Statewide program adopted by the Department of
13 Health shall be eligible for services under this act.
14 Section 4. Powers and duties of Department of Health.
15 The Department of Health shall provide financial support to
16 State, district, county or local governmental or private
17 agencies which agree to provide screening, diagnostic,
18 treatment, educational and follow-up services as required under
19 the standards established for the Statewide program for the
20 establishment of local hepatitis B detection, treatment or
21 prevention projects.
22 Section 5. Annual report.
23 The Department of Health shall publish an annual report which
24 shall include, at a minimum, the number of State and local law
25 enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency
26 medical technicians, ambulance attendants, first responders and
27 health professionals found to have hepatitis B.
28 Section 6. Immunity.
29 No person shall be liable for civil damages as a result of an
30 act, or the omission of an act, committed while rendering
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1 services in good faith and in accordance with the provisions of
2 this act.
3 Section 7. Effective date.
4 This act shall take effect immediately.
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