PRINTER'S NO. 987
No. 884 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, WAUGH, WHITE, COSTA, SCHWARTZ, BOSCOLA,
CONTI, DENT, FUMO, KASUNIC, LEMMOND, MUSTO, O'PAKE, RHOADES
AND TOMLINSON, APRIL 28, 1999
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, APRIL 28, 1999
AN ACT
1 Providing for the prevention, detection, treatment and follow-up
2 of cases of hepatitis B among State and local law enforcement
3 officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical
4 technicians, ambulance attendants, first responders and
5 health professionals; and making an appropriation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency and
10 Law Enforcement Officer Hepatitis B Inoculation Act.
11 Section 2. Statewide program.
12 In accordance with adopted standards consistent with accepted
13 public health practice and the recommendations of the Centers
14 for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health
15 shall establish a Statewide program for the prevention,
16 including inoculations, screening, diagnosis, treatment and
17 medical and environmental follow-up of cases, of hepatitis B for
18 State and local law enforcement officers, firefighters,
19 paramedics, emergency medical technicians, ambulance attendants,
1 first responders and health professionals. The Statewide program
2 shall include procedures whereby those receiving inoculations
3 under this act shall apply for Federal funds available to offset
4 all or part of the costs of the inoculations. A summary of the
5 Statewide program shall be made public.
6 Section 3. Eligible persons.
7 Every State and local law enforcement officer, firefighter,
8 paramedic, emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant,
9 first responder and health professional within this Commonwealth
10 who is determined to be at risk for hepatitis B according to
11 standards for the Statewide program adopted by the Department of
12 Health shall be eligible for services under this act.
13 Section 4. Powers and duties of Department of Health.
14 The Department of Health shall provide financial support to
15 State, district, county or local governmental or private
16 agencies which agree to provide screening, diagnostic,
17 treatment, educational and follow-up services as required under
18 the standards established for the Statewide program for the
19 establishment of local hepatitis B detection, treatment or
20 prevention projects.
21 Section 5. Annual report.
22 The Department of Health shall publish an annual report which
23 shall include, at a minimum, the number of State and local law
24 enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency
25 medical technicians, ambulance attendants, first responders and
26 health professionals found to have hepatitis B.
27 Section 6. Immunity.
28 No person shall be liable for civil damages as a result of an
29 act, or the omission of an act, committed while rendering
30 services in good faith and in accordance with the provisions of
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1 this act.
2 Section 7. Appropriation.
3 The sum of $5,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
4 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Health
5 for the fiscal year July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001, to carry out
6 the provisions of this act.
7 Section 8. Effective date.
8 This act shall take effect immediately.
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