PRINTER'S NO. 481
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
514
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, HAYWOOD, J. WARD, HUGHES, DILLON, KANE,
ROBINSON, FLYNN, COMITTA, SANTARSIERO, TARTAGLIONE,
CAPPELLETTI AND STEFANO, MARCH 15, 2023
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 15, 2023
AN ACT
Amending the act of November 3, 2022 (P.L.2135, No.150),
entitled "An act providing for blood lead assessment and
testing of certain children and pregnant women by health care
providers; imposing duties on the Department of Health; and
requiring certain health insurance policies to cover blood
lead tests," further providing for legislative purpose and
for lead poisoning prevention, assessment and testing.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3(3) of the act of November 3, 2022
(P.L.2135, No.150), known as the Childhood Blood Lead Test Act,
is amended to read:
Section 3. Legislative purpose.
The purposes of this act are:
* * *
(3) To [encourage] require the testing of all children
in this Commonwealth by two years of age so that prompt
diagnosis and treatment, as well as the prevention of harm,
are possible.
Section 2. Section 5 heading and (a) of the act are amended
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and the section is amended by adding subsections to read:
Section 5. Lead poisoning prevention, assessment and testing
requirements.
[(a) Lead testing for children.--
(1) The following apply:
(i) A health care provider shall consider possible
lead exposure in an individual patient by evaluating risk
factors for lead exposure and perform blood lead testing
in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy
of Pediatrics by 24 months of age.
(ii) If a patient has never been tested in
accordance with recommendations from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy
of Pediatrics by 24 months of age, a health care provider
shall consider possible lead exposure and perform blood
lead testing in an individual patient between 24 months
and 72 months of age.
(iii) A health care provider shall make reasonable
efforts to ensure that a patient's parent or legal
guardian understands the risks and benefits of blood lead
testing prior to obtaining consent.
(2) If a patient's parent or legal guardian consents to
blood lead testing for the patient under paragraph (1) and
the results of a capillary blood lead test indicate an
elevated blood lead level, the health care provider shall
perform a confirmatory blood lead test by venipuncture within
12 weeks of the first blood lead test after obtaining the
consent of the patient's parent or legal guardian.]
(a.1) Lead testing requirements for children.--
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(1) A health care provider shall make reasonable efforts
to ensure that a patient under the health care provider's
care receives at least one blood lead test by 24 months of
age or the age of 24 through 72 months if the patient has
never been tested in accordance with recommendations from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
(2) If the results of a capillary blood lead test
indicate an elevated blood lead level, the health care
provider shall perform a confirmatory blood lead test by
venipuncture within 12 weeks of the first blood lead test.
* * *
(d) Nonapplicability.--The requirements under this section
shall not apply if a child's parent or legal guardian or a
patient under prenatal care objects in writing to the blood lead
test on religious grounds or on the basis of a strong moral or
ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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