PRINTER'S NO. 974
No. 875 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, LAUGHLIN, GEORGE, SHANER,
SOLOBAY, THOMAS, TRELLO, WASHINGTON, WATERS AND YOUNGBLOOD,
MARCH 8, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
MARCH 8, 2001
AN ACT
1 Placing a moratorium on licensure or certification on certain
2 health care facilities by the Department of Health.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Health Care
7 Facility Moratorium Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
13 "Facility." Any of the following:
14 (1) A long-term care facility.
15 (2) A nursing home.
16 (3) A skilled nursing facility.
17 (4) A skilled nursing facility in an acute care
1 hospital.
2 "Unit." A rehabilitation unit in an acute care hospital.
3 Section 3. Moratorium on licensure or certification.
4 (a) Facilities.--For a period of 18 months or until the
5 department promulgates new regulations for the licensure or
6 certification of facilities, whichever is later, the department
7 may not license or certify a facility.
8 (b) Units.--For a period of 18 months or until the
9 department promulgates new regulations for the licensure or
10 certification of units, whichever is later, the department may
11 not survey a unit.
12 Section 4. Expansion of capacity.
13 Nothing in this act shall prohibit a currently licensed or
14 certified facility or unit from increasing its bed capacity by
15 ten beds or 10% of its present capacity.
16 Section 10. Effective date.
17 This act shall take effect immediately.
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