PRINTER'S NO. 1029
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
756
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY FARRY, LABS, POLINCHOCK, SCHROEDER, STAATS,
THOMAS, TOMLINSON, ZABEL, SHUSTERMAN, C. WILLIAMS, T. DAVIS,
O'MARA, SAPPEY, CIRESI, PENNYCUICK, QUINN AND GLEIM,
MARCH 23, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MARCH 23, 2021
AN ACT
Providing for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine and for delivery
of COVID-19 vaccine.
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 COVID-19
Vaccine Distribution Act.
Section 2. 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:
"County." A county of any class in this Commonwealth.
"COVID-19." The novel coronavirus identified in the
Governor's proclamation of disaster emergency issued on March 6,
2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020).
"COVID-19 vaccine." A vaccine for COVID-19 that has received
an emergency use authorization from the United States Food and
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Drug Administration.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Local department or board of health." As defined in section
2(f) of the act of April 23, 1956 (1955 P.L.1510, No.500), known
as the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955.
Section 3. Distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.
(a) Distribution.--On and after the effective date of this
section, the department shall distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in
a manner consistent with the population of a county receiving
the COVID-19 vaccine. The department may not consider factors
other than a county's population in the department's COVID-19
vaccine distribution plan.
(b) Administration.--On and after the effective date of this
section, the department shall distribute the first dose of the
COVID-19 vaccine in a manner to ensure that each county receives
an equal amount of the COVID-19 vaccine based on the percentage
of each county's population. In determining how to distribute
the COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with this subsection, the
department shall rank each county based on the number of COVID-
19 vaccine doses administered per 1000 individuals within each
county. The department shall prioritize the distribution of the
COVID-19 vaccine to the counties that rank in lowest 25th
percentile. This subsection shall not apply to the second dose
of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Section 4. Delivery of COVID-19 vaccine.
For a county with a local department or board of health, the
department shall deliver the vaccine to the local department or
board of health, except if the delivery is expressly declined by
the county. The local department or board of health shall
distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with the county's
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COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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