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PRINTER'S NO. 3060
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2544
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY KAUFFMAN, RAPP, FREEMAN, RYAN, BOBACK, RADER,
IRVIN, WHEELAND, LONGIETTI, SAINATO, HERSHEY, DOWLING,
SANKEY, PENNYCUICK, M. MACKENZIE, STURLA, RIGBY, BRIGGS,
STAMBAUGH, STAATS, SCHWEYER, BERNSTINE, McNEILL, SCHLOSSBERG,
MEHAFFIE, THOMAS, DeLUCA, SANCHEZ, STEPHENS, SCHLEGEL CULVER
AND R. BROWN, APRIL 27, 2022
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, APRIL 27, 2022
AN ACT
Establishing the Outpatient Renal Dialysis Facility Qualified
Staff Retention and Recruitment Program within the Department
of Human Services; and making an appropriation.
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 Dialysis
Frontline Worker Relief Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the
Commonwealth's health care infrastructure and the dedicated
citizens who care for the sick, the elderly and the infirm.
(2) Those who provide life-sustaining renal dialysis
services to our friends, neighbors and constituents are a
critical segment of frontline health care professionals.
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(3) These approximately 5,000 individuals are vital
frontline workers who staff outpatient, home and acute renal
dialysis facilities across this Commonwealth and are
deserving of relief and parity along with other health care
workers.
(4) Outpatient renal dialysis staff should receive
support equivalent to that provided to other frontline health
care workers under Article I-J of the act of April 9, 1929
(P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code.
Section 3. 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:
"CMS." The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
"Department." The Department of Human Services of the
Commonwealth.
"Outpatient renal dialysis facility." A health care facility
licensed under the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known
as the Health Care Facilities Act, and in compliance with CMS
regulations that provides renal dialysis services on an
outpatient basis. The term shall include all CMS-certified
outpatient renal dialysis facilities not owned by a hospital or
the Commonwealth.
"Program." The Outpatient Renal Dialysis Facility Qualified
Staff Retention and Recruitment Program established under
section 4.
"Qualified staff." An employee of an outpatient renal
dialysis facility who provides direct patient care activities,
environmental services or clinical care services in a home or
acute setting or who provides acute treatments under contractual
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arrangements within acute care hospitals.
Section 4. Program.
(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish and
administer the Outpatient Renal Dialysis Facility Qualified
Staff Retention and Recruitment Program to provide payments to
qualified staff in accordance with this section.
(b) Payments.--Payments under the program shall be
equivalent to payments received by hospital qualified staff
under section 102-J of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343,
No.176), known as The Fiscal Code.
(c) Limitation.--A full-time qualified staff member shall
receive not more than $3,000 for a payment under this section. A
part-time staff member shall receive a payment allocated by time
worked.
Section 5. Appropriation.
The sum of $15,000,000 from the COVID-19 Response Restricted
Account is appropriated to the department for payments under
this act.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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