Regular Session 2019-2020 House Bill 2510 P.N. 3735

PRINTER'S NO. 3735

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2510

Session of

2020

INTRODUCED BY TURZAI, READSHAW, KORTZ, KAIL, BARRAR, BOBACK,

CAUSER, SCHLEGEL CULVER, DeLUCA, EMRICK, FEE, FRITZ, GILLEN,

GREGORY, GREINER, HELM, KAUFFMAN, M. K. KELLER, KNOWLES,

MARSHALL, MENTZER, MIHALEK, MILLARD, MIZGORSKI, NELSON,

O'NEAL, OWLETT, PICKETT, POLINCHOCK, RADER, RAPP, REESE,

RYAN, SAYLOR, SCHMITT, STAATS, THOMAS, WARNER, ZIMMERMAN,

SIMMONS AND STRUZZI, MAY 12, 2020

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MAY 12, 2020

AN ACT

Providing for regional response health collaborations to promote

health in facilities by supporting COVID-19 readiness and

response and improving the quality of infection prevention.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Regional

Response Health Collaborative Act.

Section 2. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Assisted living residence." As defined in section 1001 of

the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human

Services Code.

"Authority." The Commonwealth Financing Authority.

"COVID-19." The novel coronavirus as identified in the

Governor's Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 6,

2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020).

"Emergency medical services agency." As defined in 35

Pa.C.S. § 8103 (relating to definitions).

"Facility." Any of the following:

(1) An assisted living residence.

(2) A long-term care nursing facility.

(3) A personal care home.

"Federal funds." Funds received from the Federal Government

to fight COVID-19 under the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and

Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136, 134 Stat. 281).

"Health collaborative." A collaboration of a local health

care system that provides educational support and clinical

coaching in a specific region of this Commonwealth.

"Long-term care nursing facility." As defined in section

802.1 of the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the

Health Care Facilities Act.

"Personal care home." As defined in section 1001 of the

Human Services Code.

"Region." The following areas of this Commonwealth:

(1) Northeast.

(2) Southeast.

(3) North central.

(4) South central.

(5) Northwest.

(6) Southwest.

Section 3. Regional response health collaborative.

(a) Division.--The authority shall divide this Commonwealth

into regions and shall delineate all of the facilities within

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the parameters of a region.

(b) Proposals.--The authority shall solicit proposals from

health collaboratives to provide operations, management and

administration of the purposes provided under subsection (e) in

each region to protect residents in facilities from COVID-19.

one health collaborative in each region for the purposes

provided under subsection (e).

(d) Appropriation.--The amount of $500,000,000 of the

Federal funds is appropriated to the authority for the purposes

of this act. The authority shall distribute the funds to each

health collaborative contracted under subsection (c).

(e) Purpose.--Each health care collaborative shall:

(1) Promote health and stabilize the economy of the

region by directly supporting COVID-19 readiness and response

in facilities.

(2) Improve the quality of care related to infection

prevention and other priority health care conditions common

to facilities.

(3) Expand COVID-19 testing to include asymptomatic

staff and residents in facilities to expand public health

surveillance.

Section 4. Duties.

(a) Review.--Each health collaborative shall perform daily

strategic review of facilities in their region.

(b) Plan.--Through collaborative review of the clinical

situation within facilities identified as having unmet needs, a

health collaborative shall formulate an action plan tailored to

the facility, identifying specific resources or tactical actions

to implement to assist facilities.

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the following as provided under section 5:

(1) Enhanced testing capability.

(2) Infection control consultation and implementation,

including contact tracing.

(3) Advanced clinical care, including remote monitoring

and physician consultation.

(d) Funds.--A health collaborative shall:

(1) budget for and distribute funds provided by the

authority; and

(2) track and record the expense associated with each

type of testing and with implementing infection control

consultation across the region.

Section 5. Components.

(a) Enhanced testing.--

(1) If a facility experiences a positive test of COVID-

19, testing of facility residents and health care workers

shall be conducted. Onsite testing shall be made available

through mobile testing teams developed by the health

collaborative. The health collaborative shall coordinate the

testing response with participation from local emergency

medical services agencies and regional testing laboratories

to prioritize receipt of test results.

(2) A health collaborative shall deploy systematic

surveillance testing on a weekly basis using a random

sampling of not more than five asymptomatic residents in a

facility. Results of the testing shall be shared with all

stakeholders and the Commonwealth.

(b) Infection control and consultation.--A health

collaborative shall deploy clinical staff to perform onsite

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observation and consultation as part of the mobile testing team.

The clinical staff shall:

(1) implement infection control practices, such as

cohorting, personal protective equipment use, case detection

and staffing practices; and

(2) facilitate completion of exposure tracing studies.

shall provide onsite and telemedicine-supported clinical care

for a facility.

Section 6. Effective date.

This act shall take effect immediately.

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