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PA HB226
Bill
Status
1/22/2025
Primary Sponsor
Joseph Ciresi
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AI Summary
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Health care facilities are prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against patients or medical personnel who file grievances, complaints, or reports to the facility, accrediting agencies, or government entities, or who participate in related investigations.
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Discriminatory treatment of a patient within 180 days of filing a grievance creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation; for medical personnel, the timeframe is 120 days.
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The Secretary of Health may issue cease and desist orders, suspend or revoke facility licenses, and impose civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation; willful violations constitute a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $20,000.
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Employees and medical staff who experience retaliation are entitled to reinstatement, reimbursement for lost wages and benefits, and legal costs.
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The act does not apply to inmates in state correctional institutions, juvenile facilities, or local detention facilities, and takes effect 60 days after enactment.
Legislative Description
Providing for the protection of patients and medical personnel from health care facility retaliation, for prohibitions, for rebuttable presumptions, for discriminatory treatment, for evidence, for civil penalties and remedies, for criminal penalty, for restitution and damages, for injunctive relief, for peer review activity and for exemption.
Last Action
Referred to Judiciary
1/22/2025