SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 951
PRINTER'S NO. 1865
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
944
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY E. NELSON, LONGIETTI, HILL-EVANS, MARKOSEK,
R. BROWN, SANCHEZ, PISCIOTTANO, NEILSON, BURGOS, JOZWIAK,
SCHLEGEL CULVER, DUNBAR, GLEIM, ZIMMERMAN, FREEMAN, STRUZZI,
KINKEAD, GUENST, KINSEY, LEWIS DELROSSO, O'NEAL, RADER,
JAMES, DAVANZO, MUSTELLO, TOPPER, CRUZ, GILLEN, POLINCHOCK,
TOMLINSON, C. WILLIAMS, LABS, BONNER, QUINN AND SILVIS,
MARCH 17, 2021
SENATOR BROOKS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, IN SENATE, AS
AMENDED, JUNE 21, 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, further providing for powers and
duties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
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Section 1. Section 2301-A of the act of April 9, 1929
(P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, is
amended by adding a paragraph to read:
Section 2301-A. Powers and duties.
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs shall have the
power and its duty shall be:
* * *
(8.1) To require inpatient treatment facilities to
notify as appropriate , BY A METHOD CONSENTED TO BY THE
PATIENT, an emergency contact designated by a patient if the
patient leaves a treatment facility against medical advice,
provided that the patient has not revoked consent to notify
the emergency contact. Notification must occur immediately
and in no event later than 12 hours of a patient leaving
against medical advice. Treatment facilities shall ATTEMPT TO
NOTIFY THE EMERGENCY CONTACT AT LEAST ONCE AND develop
policies and procedures to implement this paragraph, which
shall include advising patients of notifications required to
be made by treatment facilities. The provisions of this
paragraph shall not apply where the treatment facility has
knowledge of or reason to know of allegations of domestic
abuse perpetrated upon the patient by the emergency contact.
THIS PARAGRAPH MAY NOT BE INTERPRETED TO HOLD THE TREATMENT
FACILITY LIABLE BEYOND ITS DUTIES THEREIN.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20210HB0944PN1865 - 2 -
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