PA Senate Health and Human Services — 2026-10-06

Good afternoon, everyone. I call to order this meeting of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. David, will you please call the roll? Capiletti? Here. Collette? Here. Culver? Here. Ferry? Here. Haywood? Here. Hutchison? Here. Laughlin? Proxy? Schwenk? Here. Stefano? Here. Street. Ward Judy. Proxy. Ward Kim. Proxy. Brooks. Here. We have a quorum. The first bill on today's agenda is Senate Bill 865, sponsored by myself, which adds metatomidine to emergency department urine drug screening requirements and provides for awareness education. I will move to consider the bill. Is there a second? Seconded by Senator Hutchinson. This bill is similar to the bill signed into law in 2023 with xylazine as it emerged as a serious threat in the illicit drug supply. Metatomidine is now an ongoing and serious problem and this bill will help us identify its presence through emergency department screening and make sure Pennsylvanians understand the dangers of human use. Are there any questions or comments

Thank you, Senator. Any other comments or questions? Seeing none, hearing none, Dave, will you please call the roll?

Senate Bill 865 passes unanimously and is reported out of committee. The next bill on today's agenda is Senate Bill 1145, sponsored again by myself, which requires the Department of Health to verify whether health care facilities are complying with mandatory reporting requirements for suspected child sexual abuse or exploitation. Takes steps to file the report, if not, and provides for penalties for failure to file. As we all know, that human trafficking is unfortunately increasing. So that is one of the thoughts behind this legislation is to make sure that if minor children are coming in and being treated for things that they did not consent to, that those reports are done and hopefully we can track them. Any questions or comments on the bill?

Yes. And aye.

so again Senate Bill 865 passes unanimously is it budget time it just seems like it but so all right I will move to consider the bill is there a second seconded by Senator Stefano any questions or comments on the bill

So this legislation reinforces our shared responsibility to protect children by ensuring the health care facilities meet mandatory reporting requirements. We understand there are some concerns about Senate Bill 1145 and that the administration is working to resolve some of those concerns but I did want to note that I will certainly be a yes on the legislation.

Capoletti. Colette. Aye. Culver. Aye. Ferry. Aye. Haywood. Aye. Hutchinson. Aye. Laughlin. Proxy, aye. Schwenk. Aye. Stefano. Aye. Street. Aye. Ward Judy. Aye. Ward Kim. Proxy, aye. Brooks. Aye. I'm sorry, 12 to 1. I'm taking your party.

I am a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 1147, and I support ensuring that our EMS agencies are reimbursed for the care they provide, even when a patient ultimately does not need or declines transportation. EMS providers are a lifeline to our communities, and they most certainly are struggling, especially in rural areas. They spend time, resources, and effort going to calls whether or not the patient needs or wants to be transported, and I feel very strongly that they should be compensated for their time, labor, and costs. Are there any questions or comments on the bill?

Thank you again for this legislation. This supports our frontline responders and enhances the sustainability of emergency medical services across our communities, particularly communities that are in such high need. I'll be in favor of this legislation as well. Any other comments or questions?

Aye. Collette. Aye. Culver. Aye. Ferry. Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Proxy, aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Proxy, aye.

Aye.

Thank you very much for being here. Thank you, Chairman Brooks, Chairman Haywood, and members of the Health and Human Services Committee, and thank you for your consideration of Senate Bill 1196. The purpose of this legislation is simple. If you are in pain and require treatment to manage this pain, you should be able to avoid using opioids if you wish. Yes, opioids are an essential and life-saving tool in the toolkit of pain management. There is no disputing that. That's why this legislation does not change or reduce the ability for medical professionals to prescribe opioids for pain treatment. However, it is also no secret that opioids are addictive and their overprescription can lead to accidental cases of opioid use disorder with disastrous and fatal consequences. There should never be a scenario where a doctor is recommending against opioids and the patient doesn't want them either, but for insurance costs purposes the patient has to try and fail an opioid first before accessing a non drug In turn, Senate Bill 1196 would eliminate this scenario and also generally allows for equal access to non-opioid alternatives for both Medicaid and the commercial insurance market. On the Medicaid side, this bill will prohibit DHS from disadvantaging non-opioid medications through the use of preferred or non-preferred drug designations or imposing tighter utilization controls. On the commercial side, the bill does the same while also requiring parity between opioids and non-opioids in coverage criteria and cost-sharing. Signing Senate Bill 1196 into law would also be timely as earlier this year, the USDA issued its first promising non-opioid pain management drug in decades called Duranex. Finally, it is my understanding that the department may be opposed to this legislation at this time. In response, I want to stress my willingness to work with them and other stakeholders through any concerns for the remainder of this session or in the future. It is important to offer non-opioid alternatives for pain management and to ensure Pennsylvania isn't lagging behind in granting access to these drugs, but there are issues with our approach. I am open to discussion. For now, I urge an affirmative vote. Thank you.

Thank you so much for this legislation to remove barriers that prevent patients from accessing non-opioid treatments. This is an important pathway for recovery. As a longtime lawyer for Gardenzia, I'm very familiar with some non-opioid treatments that do work. Making sure that there's parity and coverage and covering these procedures is a significant step forward. Thank you for this legislation.

Thank you. Sorry, I don't know the answer to this, but maybe, I don't know if Senator Tyrone can answer it, or staff, maybe. Would this cover medical marijuana?

All right. Senator Hutchinson, we don't think it will, but we will look into it. And when it comes to the floor, we will ensure that your question is answered.

Senator Street.

Thank you, Senator Street. Does that answer your question, Senator Hutchins?

Absolutely.

Capoletti. Hi. Colette Aye Culver Aye Ferry Proxy Aye Haywood Aye Hutchinson Aye Laughlin Proxy Aye Schwenk Aye Stefano Aye Street Aye Ward Judy Aye Ward Kim Proxy aye

Absolutely.

I will move the bill.

Thank you so much, Chair Brooks and Chair Haywood, and the entire committee for your interest in Senate Bill 1424. As you mentioned, this legislation is essential in ensuring that newborns across the Commonwealth are adequately screened for Gaucher disease. For those who don't know, Gaucher disease is a rare genetic disorder wherein a person is missing a critical enzyme that breaks down fatty substances or lipids in your body. And without that enzyme, the lipids or fatty substances, they'll build up in certain areas of your body, resulting in an enlarged spleen and enlarged liver, anemia, or even bone fractures, among many other debilitating symptoms. Gaucher disease can also increase a person's risk of Parkinson's disease, various forms of cancer, and gynecological or obstetric issues. And while there is no cure for Gaucher disease yet, we know that early detection is vital to an early diagnosis and prompt access to treatment that can improve someone's quality of life as the disease progresses. When I gave birth to my two daughters, my husband and I wanted to ensure that we did everything we could to set our girls up to live a safe, healthy life. I know I'm not the only parent who feels this way. In fact, I believe every parent in this Commonwealth deserves to have the peace of mind when it comes to their child's well-being. And Senate Bill 1424 will help deliver that by adding Gaucher disease to the list of Pennsylvania's new board screening panel. It's a simple common sense measure to alleviate some symptoms of this lifelong disease poses. So I want to thank Chairwoman Brooks and Chairman Haywood for prioritizing this legislation that will support our constituents' health and well-being from birth and onward. I ask for an affirmative vote for my colleagues. Thank you.

Thank you so much. This is a very important step toward expanding newborn screening. We know that this legislation will underscore our fundamental commitment to giving every child the best possible start in life.

Capoletti? Aye. Collette? Aye. Culver? Aye. Ferry? Proxy, aye. Hutchison? Aye. Laughlin? Proxy, aye. Schwenk? Aye. Stefano? Aye. Street? Aye. Ward Judy? Aye. Ward Kim? Proxy, aye. Brooks? Aye.

Senator Haywood.