PRINTER'S NO. 536
No. 512 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY TRICH, THOMAS, MARKOSEK, TANGRETTI, FAIRCHILD,
PRESTON, SEYFERT, TRELLO, VAN HORNE, YOUNGBLOOD, MAHER,
CURRY, STEELMAN, McCALL, STABACK, ROBINSON, MELIO, BROWNE,
L. I. COHEN AND WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 10, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 10, 1999
AN ACT
1 Requiring certain facilities that provide treatment to mentally
2 ill persons to periodically report to the Department of
3 Public Welfare the residency of such persons.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Mental Health
8 Patient Residence Reporting Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
14 Commonwealth.
15 "Facility." Any mental health establishment, hospital,
16 clinic, institution, center, day-care center, base service unit,
17 community mental health center, or part thereof, that provides,
1 on a contractual basis to the Commonwealth, diagnosis,
2 treatment, care or rehabilitation of mentally ill persons who
3 are committed to a State-operated institution under the act of
4 July 9, 1976 (P.L.817, No.143), known as the Mental Health
5 Procedures Act.
6 Section 3. Duty to report.
7 (a) Periodic reporting.--During the first 12 months that a
8 facility is required to provide treatment to a mentally ill
9 person, the facility shall provide a quarterly report to the
10 department in accordance with section 4. Thereafter, the
11 facility shall provide a report to the department on an annual
12 basis.
13 (b) Change of residence.--At any time when a facility
14 transfers a mentally ill person to another facility for any
15 reason, the facility that receives the person shall provide the
16 quarterly and annual reports required by subsection (a).
17 (c) Other circumstances.--A facility shall immediately file
18 a report with the department if the mentally ill person dies or
19 no longer resides at the facility for any reason.
20 Section 4. Contents of report.
21 A report required by this act shall state:
22 (1) The name and Social Security number of the mentally
23 ill person.
24 (2) The date the facility received the mentally ill
25 person for treatment.
26 (3) Whether the mentally ill person resides at the
27 facility as of the date of the report.
28 (4) Whether the mentally ill person continues to receive
29 treatment at the facility and, if not, an explanation.
30 (5) Any other information deemed necessary by the
19990H0512B0536 - 2 -
1 department.
2 Section 5. Regulations.
3 The department shall have the power to adopt rules and
4 regulations necessary to implement this act.
5 Section 6. Abrogation of existing regulations.
6 Any rules or regulations inconsistent with this act are
7 abrogated.
8 Section 7. Effective date.
9 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
A19L67RZ/19990H0512B0536 - 3 -