PRINTER'S NO. 179
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
213
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, MERSKI, McNEILL, FREEMAN, HOWARD, MADDEN
AND O'MARA, JANUARY 22, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JANUARY 22, 2021
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, further providing for right to enter and inspect
and providing for nursing services.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 813 of the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130,
No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities Act, is amended by
adding a subsection to read:
Section 813. Right to enter and inspect.
* * *
(c) Long-term care nursing facilities.--
(1) In addition to an inspection under subsection (a),
the department shall conduct, on an annual basis, at least
one unannounced inspection of each long-term care nursing
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facility. The inspection shall be in addition to and at a
different time than an inspection required for licensure or a
renewal of a license.
(2) An inspection of a long-term care nursing facility
under this section shall be conducted in a manner that
respects the privacy of each patient of the facility.
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 822. Nursing services.
Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, during each 24-
hour period, a long-term care nursing facility shall, when
totaled for the entire long-term care nursing facility, provide
a minimum of 4.1 hours of direct general nursing care for each
resident of the long-term care nursing facility.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20210HB0213PN0179 - 2 -
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