A00624
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
741
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY HEFFLEY, HILL-EVANS, T. DAVIS, JAMES, POLINCHOCK,
SCHLEGEL CULVER AND ZIMMERMAN, MARCH 3, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MARCH 3, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
"An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
Executive Department thereof and the administrative
departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
officers, and of the several administrative departments,
boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
and commissions; providing for judicial administration; and
prescribing the manner in which the number and compensation
of the deputies and all other assistants and employes of
certain departments, boards and commissions shall be
determined," in powers and duties of the Department of Drug
and Alcohol Programs, providing for notification of emergency
contact.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a
section to read:
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Section 2319-A. Notification of emergency contact.
(a) General rule.--A d rug and alcohol recovery house shall
notify, as appropriate, an emergency contact designated by a
patient if the patient leaves the resident if the resident self-
discharges from or leaves and fails to return as expected to the
d rug and alcohol recovery house against medical advice , provided
that the patient resident has not revoked consent to notify the
emergency contact. Notification shall occur immediately and in
no event later than 12 hours of a patient leaving against
medical advice. self-discharge or after a resident fails to
return to the drug and alcohol recovery house at the resident's
expected time.
(b) Policies and procedures.--A drug and alcohol recovery
house shall develop policies and procedures to implement this
section, which shall include advising patients residents of
notifications required to be made by the d rug and alcohol
recovery house .
(c) Applicability.--The provisions of this section shall not
apply where the d rug and alcohol recovery house has knowledge of
or reason to know of allegations of domestic abuse perpetrated
upon the patient resident by the emergency contact.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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