PRINTER'S NO. 3891
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2574
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY ZIMMERMAN, HILL-EVANS, MILLARD, NEILSON, GLEIM,
BENNINGHOFF, RADER, GILLEN AND COOK, JUNE 8, 2020
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 8, 2020
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), entitled "An
act relating to health care; prescribing the powers and
duties of the Department of Health; establishing and
providing the powers and duties of the State Health
Coordinating Council, health systems agencies and Health Care
Policy Board in the Department of Health, and State Health
Facility Hearing Board in the Department of Justice;
providing for certification of need of health care providers
and prescribing penalties," in licensing of health care
facilities, providing for duties of long-term care nursing
facilities and personal care homes during public health
emergency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known
as the Health Care Facilities Act, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 822. Duties of long-term care nursing facilities and
personal care homes during public health emergency.
(a) Quarantine.--
(1) During a public health emergency declared as a
result of a communicable disease, a long-term care nursing
facility or personal care home shall quarantine the employees
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and residents of the long-term care nursing facility or
personal care home who have been exposed to the communicable
disease.
(2) The long-term care nursing facility or personal care
home shall quarantine the employees and residents of the
long-term care nursing facility or personal care home under
paragraph (1) at no cost to the employees and residents.
(b) Monitor.--During a public health emergency declared as a
result of a communicable disease, a long-term care nursing
facility or personal care home shall monitor the employees and
residents of the long-term care nursing facility or personal
care home for the duration of the known incubation period of the
communicable disease.
(c) Duties of department.--During a public health emergency
declared as a result of a communicable disease, the department
shall have the following duties:
(1) Conduct a review of a health care facility that has
an increased rate of infection of the communicable disease
from the community.
(2) Implement guidelines to protect the employees and
residents of a health care facility specified under paragraph
(1) to prevent an increase in community spread of the
communicable disease.
(d) Employment services.--An employee subject to quarantine
under subsection (a) may continue to provide employment services
for the long-term care nursing facility or personal care home if
the employee has no symptoms of the communicable disease. A
long-term care nursing facility or personal care home may not
require an employee subject to quarantine under subsection (a)
to provide employment services for the long-term care nursing
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facility or personal care home as a condition of receiving food,
water, shelter or other necessities of living.
(e) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection:
"Communicable disease." As defined in section 2(c) of the
act of April 23, 1956 (1955 P.L.1510, No.500), known as the
Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955.
"Personal care home." As defined in section 1001 of the act
of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services
Code.
"Public health emergency." A declaration by the Governor of
disaster emergency under 35 Pa.C.S. ยง 7301(c) (relating to
general authority of Governor).
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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