PRINTER'S NO. 3099
No. 2259 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY STURLA, RUBLEY, BALDWIN, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BROWNE, COHEN, CRUZ, CURRY, DALLY, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GERGELY, GOODMAN, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEACH, LEVDANSKY, McGEEHAN, SATHER, THOMAS, TIGUE, WANSACZ, WASHINGTON AND YOUNGBLOOD, DECEMBER 15, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DECEMBER 15, 2003
AN ACT 1 Providing for the comprehensive tracking of information 2 concerning asthma. 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 Statewide 7 Asthma Tracking System Act. 8 Section 2. Declaration of policy. 9 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: 10 (1) Rates for asthma have steadily increased over the 11 past 20 years in all age groups. 12 (2) Children have been the hardest hit by this epidemic, 13 experiencing a two and one-half-fold increase. 14 (3) Although asthma affects people at all socioeconomic 15 levels, poor and minority populations tend to experience a
1 greater burden when measured by the chances of dying or being 2 hospitalized for the disease. 3 (4) The underlying factors that have promoted the 4 alarming surge in asthma prevalence are not fully understood. 5 Current evidence points to an interaction between genetic 6 susceptibility and environmental influences. Factors 7 suspected to encourage development of asthma include: indoor 8 allergens, including dust mites and cockroaches; pollutants, 9 including environmental tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust 10 particles; sedentary lifestyle; diet; and housing and 11 community environmental conditions. 12 (5) Given the strong link between asthma and 13 environmental factors, health officials and medical experts 14 agree that monitoring asthma's prevalence, morbidity and 15 mortality is critical to fighting the spread of this disease. 16 Section 3. Definitions. 17 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 18 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 19 context clearly indicates otherwise: 20 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth. 21 "Statewide Asthma Tracking System." The system established 22 under section 4. 23 Section 4. Powers and duties of department. 24 (a) Statewide Asthma Tracking System.--The department shall 25 develop and maintain a comprehensive Statewide Asthma Tracking 26 System to monitor the investigation of factors contributing to 27 the difference in the rates of asthma among different 28 socioeconomic, racial and age groups in this Commonwealth and 29 for targeting resources to those areas that are shown to be the 30 most heavily impacted. The information collected shall be used 20030H2259B3099 - 2 -
1 to: 2 (1) Track rates and patterns of mortality and morbidity. 3 (2) Target areas most appropriate for resource 4 allocation. 5 (3) Monitor access to health care services. 6 (4) Assess the impact of interventions. 7 (b) Consultations.--In order to develop the Statewide Asthma 8 Tracking System, the department shall consult with 9 representatives of the medical, nursing, pharmacy and allied 10 health professional communities, public health agencies and 11 other appropriate entities. 12 (c) Report.--The department shall submit to the Governor and 13 the General Assembly an annual report relating to the Statewide 14 Asthma Tracking System. The report shall include the following: 15 (1) The department's findings and recommendations on the 16 administration and operations of the monitoring system. 17 (2) Data relevant to the prevalence of asthma in 18 different socioeconomic, racial and age groups in this 19 Commonwealth in summary form, reported in accordance with the 20 confidentiality requirements under section 5 and the 21 department's opinion on the likely causes of this data. 22 (3) Recommendations for improving greater access to 23 health care services for groups with higher asthma 24 prevalence, morbidity present in hospitalizations and 25 emergency department visits and mortality. 26 Section 5. Confidentiality of information. 27 All information collected and analyzed under this act shall 28 remain anonymous and confidential insofar as the identity of the 29 patient is concerned and shall be used solely for the purposes 30 provided for in this act. All Federal and State laws relating to 20030H2259B3099 - 3 -
1 the privacy of information shall apply to the data and 2 information that is collected under this system. 3 Section 6. Regulations. 4 The department shall promulgate regulations to carry out the 5 provisions of this act. 6 Section 7. Effective date. 7 This act shall take effect in 60 days. J20L35AJM/20030H2259B3099 - 4 -