H1264B1342A00875 AJB:EJH 05/03/21 #90 A00875
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL NO. 1264 (As amended by A00861)
Sponsor: REPRESENTATIVE LAWRENCE
Printer's No. 1342
Amend Bill, page 2, by inserting between lines 42 and 43
(A00861)
Section 3.1. COVID-19 emergency testing capacity enhancement.
(a) Legislative findings.--The General Assembly finds and
declares as follows:
(1) The ability of the Commonwealth to administer and
process COVID-19 tests is crucial to the Commonwealth's
response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2) The Commonwealth operates a State laboratory in
Exton as authorized under section 8(d) of the act of April
27, 1905 (P.L.312, No.218), entitled "An act creating a
Department of Health, and defining its powers and duties."
(3) Department of Health personnel have stated that the
State laboratory is a limiting factor in the Commonwealth's
response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(4) The Department of Health is purchasing additional
high throughput instruments to increase COVID-19 testing
capacity, but due to the limited available space at the State
laboratory in Exton, the Commonwealth needs additional space
or facilities to increase COVID-19 testing capacity.
(5) The Commonwealth must immediately address
limitations present in the Commonwealth's ability to process
COVID-19 test results.
(b) Emergency processing capacity.--Within 30 days of the
effective date of this section, the Secretary of Health shall
issue an invitation for bids or a request for proposals or may
use the emergency procurement process under 62 Pa.C.S. ยง 516
(relating to emergency procurement) to increase the processing
capacity for COVID-19 tests in this Commonwealth.
(c) Nonemergency processing capacity.--Within one year of
the effective date of this section, the Secretary of Health
shall issue a report on the anticipated future needs of this
Commonwealth for testing facilities, laboratories and any other
facilities necessary to respond to a future infectious disease
pandemic to all of the following:
(1) The Governor.
(2) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
(3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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(d) Reporting.--The Secretary of Health shall include
regular updates regarding the implementation and reporting under
this section in the report required under section 2102-D(b) of
the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The
Administrative Code of 1929.
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