June 17, 2026 · HEALTH · 3,855 words · 5 speakers · 103 segments
. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, everybody. I'd like to call this meeting of the House Health Committee to order. Patrick, would you please take the roll? Chair Frankel. Here.
Rep. Benham. Here. Rep. Browski. Here. Rep. Boyd. Designation. Rep. Hanbage. Designation. Rep. Howard. Designation. Rep. Kahn. Here. Rep. Kozorowski. Here. Rep. Krajewski. Here. Rep. Mays. Designation. Rep. Freelotten. Here. Rep. Sanchez. Designation. Rep. Schusterman. Here. Rep. Venkit. Designation. Chair Rep. Here. Rep. Bonner. Designation. Rep. Borowitz. Designation. Rep. Brown. Designation. Rep. Day. designation rep Krupa designation rep Roy here rep Rossi here rep Stair designation rep Tordzik present rep Walsh designation rep Zimmerman here
we have a quorum
did you share it?
no
thank you
chair calls up House Bill 2378, printers number 3181, sponsored by Representative Madden. Erica, would you please explain the bill?
House Bill 2378 lowers the age at which a person in a health care facility or under a provider's ongoing care would be offered the flu vaccine. The age has changed from age 65 to age 50.
Thank you. On that question, I am offering Amendment A-03661. This amendment updates the individuals who are eligible to be offered vaccines to combat two other dangerous respiratory illnesses in health care settings to correspond with CDC recommendations. Under the amendment, anyone age 50 and over would be offered the pneumococcal vaccine, and anyone age 75 and over would be offered the RSV vaccine. Will the committee agree to the amendment? Are there comments, questions on the amendment? I see none.
Chair Rapp. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll provide comments on the bill after it is amended, but I am supporting the amendment, sir.
Thank you. Okay. Thank you. If we are hoping to reduce morbidity and mortality from respiratory illnesses by updating the eligibility age for flu vaccine, it just makes sense to update the vaccine for pneumonia at the same time. We also know that RSV is similarly a respiratory illness with potentially grave outcomes for older adults. I'd ask for a yes vote on this amendment. Those in favor of adopting the amendment will vote aye. Those opposed, no. Patrick, will you please take the roll?
Chair Frankel.
Yes.
Rep. Benham.
Yes.
Rep. Borowski.
Yes.
Rep. Boyd.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Handidge.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Howard.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Kahn.
Yes.
Rep. Kosarowski.
Yes.
Rep. Kraduski.
Yes.
Rep. Mays.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Friolotin.
Yes.
Rep. Sanchez.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Schusterman.
Yes.
Rep. Venkut.
Designation, yes.
Chair Rep.
Yes.
Rep. Bonner.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Borowitz.
Designation, no.
Rep. Brown.
Designation, yes.
Rep. Day.
Designation, yes.
Rep Krupa. Designation, yes.
Rep Roy. Yes. Rep Rossi. Yes.
Rep Stare. Yes. Rep Tordzik. Yes. Rep Walsh. Yes. Rep Zimmerman. Yes. 25-1. Thank you. The amendment passes.
The question recurs. Will the committee report House Bill 2378 as amended? Is there any discussion on the bill? Any members before I turn it over to?
Representative Kahn.
Thank you, Chair. I just want to thank the gentlelady from Monroe County for her work on this bill. As a health care provider, I think it's important that we have access to vaccinations for all people who want them, and offering it to them is certainly part of that. So I'm grateful to the gentlelady for her work on this bill. It'll be a yes. Thank you.
Others before I turn to Chair Rapp?
Chair Rapp.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be supporting the bill today. The bill does not require a patient to get a vaccine, but rather it requires the practitioner to offer specific vaccines when a patient reaches a certain age. I do not believe that individuals should be forced to get a vaccine, so I am glad to see that this bill does not do that. It's important for the decision to remain with the patient in consultation with their health care practitioner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Chair Rapp. In the 2025-2026 flu season, we saw between 400,000 and 800,000 hospitalizations from the flu and a minimum of 24,000 deaths. That's the conservative estimate. RSV saw at least 10,000 deaths and almost 200,000 hospitalizations. For people contracting invasive pneumococcal disease, the fatality rate is 14%. Vaccines work, maybe not perfectly, maybe not in every single case, but for RSV, they reduced emergency room visits by 70 to 80% for vulnerable adults. As noted by my counterpart, this bill does not force anyone to get a vaccination. It just helps people know it's available if they want it, and I'd ask for a yes vote. Those in favor of reporting House Bill 2378 as amended will vote aye. Those opposed nay. No. Patrick, would you please call the roll?
Chair Frankel.
Yes.
Rep Benham. Designation, yes. Rep Borowski. Rep Boyd. Designation, yes. Rep Hanbage. Designation, yes. Rep Howard. Designation, yes. Rep Khan. Yes. Rep Kozarski. Yes. Rep Kajewski. Yes. Rep Mays. Designation, yes. Rep Friolotin. Yes. Rep Sanchez. Designation, yes. Rep Schusterman. Yes Rep Enkit Designation yes Chair Rapp Yes Rep Bonner Designation yes Rep Borowitz Designation no Rep. Brown. Yes. Rep. Day. Designation, yes. Rep. Krupa. Designation, yes. Rep. Roy. Yes. Rep. Rossi. Yes. Rep. Stare. Yes. Rep. Tordzik. Yes. Rep. Walsh. Rep. Zimmerman. Yes. 25 to 1 passes.
Thank you. House Bill 2378 will be reported as amendment. The chair calls up House Resolution 528, printer's number 3413, sponsored by Representative Cooper. Mr. Siget, will you please explain the bill?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. House Resolution 528 will direct the Joint State Government Commission to research and report various issues related to PANS and PANDAS, including insurance coverage, number of practitioners who treat it, and what other states have done regarding PANS and PANDAS. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And report within 18 months. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. On that question, Representative Brown is offering Amendment A-03651. Mike, will you please explain the amendment?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Amendment A-03651 offered by Representative Marla Brown will remove the Pennsylvania Rare Disease Advisory Council from the resolution, and it will clarify some of the Joint State Government Commission's roles, including the study of insurance coverage for PANS and PANDAS, an estimate on the number of practitioners who treat PANS and PANDAS in the Commonwealth, a study of what other states have done, and they will provide recommendations for legislation to the General Assembly. and it will require the commission to consult with statewide medical organizations, national experts, health insurers, rare disease advisory groups, and health care access groups to develop evidence-based recommendations for inclusion in the report. And we understand that this is an agreed-to amendment with the prime sponsor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is. Will the committee agree to the amendment? Are there any comments on the amendment?
Chair Rapp.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I understand this is an agreed to an amendment with the prime sponsor, and I'll provide comments on the bill after its amendment, and I will be supporting this amendment. So thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. And I'd ask for a yes vote on the amendment. Those in favor of adopting the amendment will vote aye. Those opposed, no.
Patrick, please take the roll.
Let me ask this. Are there any no votes on the amendment? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. The question recurs, will the committee report House Resolution 528 as amended? Is there any discussion on the bill? The chair recognizes Representative Cooper, who is with us here today.
Good morning, Chairman Frankel and Chairman Rapp and colleagues. Thank you for allowing me to speak this morning. Imagine waking up one morning to find that your child is suddenly different. You can't explain why or how, but almost overnight they begin to show signs of severe anxiety or obsessive behaviors. Perhaps they develop an involuntary tick, lose the ability to perform simple motor tasks like writing their names, or refuse to eat for days or even weeks. This isn't a hypothetical situation. It is a reality for as many as one in 200 families. families. In Pennsylvania, that could amount to more than 13,000 families. The conditions are called pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychic disorder associated with strep infections or PANS and PANDAS. For one family in my district, this became their lived experience, and today I'm here on behalf of them and other families across this commonwealth. PANS and PANDAS are often misdiagnosed as psychiatric or developmental disorders. In reality, they are triggered by underlying infections such as strep throat, influenza, that cause immune systems to malfunction and attack the brain. There is hope these conditions are treatable and fully recoverable if possible with prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory therapies. And this is why I'm here today. If a child infection goes long enough without treatment, the symptoms can become permanent. From a legislative perspective, all we really know is that we don't know enough. Providers with expertise are limited, misdiagnosis are common, and insurance coverage is inconsistent, causing families to go bankrupt to try to help their children. Even the Pennsylvania Rare Disease Advisory Council has yet to issue guidance. House Resolutions 528 is a critical step forward. It sets Pennsylvania on a new path by directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a comprehensive study to address gaps in awareness, insurance practices, state resources, provider capacity, misdiagnosis impacts, other state policies, and recommendations to improve access, education, and support. I want to thank Representative Briggs, who is a prime co-sponsor with me, and Chairman Frankel for meeting with my constituent and I to discuss this rare disease. And I also appreciated your guidance from taking it from a bill to a resolution as a study. So, again, I want to thank this committee for considering this resolution, and I'll be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, Representative Cooper. Are there any other comments before I turn it over to Chair Rapp?
Representative Rossi.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to comment. I want to thank the maker of the bill. this happened to myself my daughter was fine one night and the next morning she woke up and could not walk and I kept saying did you fall out of bed what happened couldn't understand it I had to put her in a stroller even though she was like 10 years old because I couldn't carry her she was too big and when we got to the hospital they had no idea what was going on with her and it didn't make sense because she had strep a month before was treated we went through all the antibiotic series we got through that and then following that um she was fine running around that night playing with her siblings and there was no issue so it made no sense to me why she could not walk um and the strep had settled in her hip and you know it caused this neurological thing where she couldn't walk. And it wasn't because of an injury. It was because of this. So they treated her with intense antibiotics at Children's Hospital. She was in quite a while, and she had a full recovery. So I think this is important legislation, and I'd ask my colleagues to support it. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that, Rep. Rossi. My daughter had a similar situation with an autoimmune disease when she was five, again, resulting from strep, which, you know, they didn't know much about. Like, when you have a rare disease, people really, you know, have nowhere to turn, and you search the internet, you try to figure out what you can, and in this particular case, when it affects the brain is what you're seeing in pans and pandas, and so I appreciate you sharing your personal story. Thank you. Chair Rett.
I want to commend you, Representative Cooper, for introducing this resolution and also thank Chairman Frankel for listing it for today meeting We do not know a lot about PANS and PANDAS and researchers are unsure of the exact causes of PANS and they are studying the specific antibodies that can cause PANDAS Diagnosing PANS and PANDAS can be challenging since the exact causes are unclear because infections, anxiety, and tick disorders are common in children, and no lab tests can definitely confirm PANS or PANDAS, a clear diagnosis can be difficult to obtain, as we've just heard. But the more we can learn about PANS and PANSes, the better we can be prepared to discuss how to address it going forward. The inclusion of both state and national experts can provide a thorough overview of what states have done, what has worked, what has not, as well as gaps in care within the Commonwealth. I will be supporting this resolution in committee. And thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Representative Cooper.
Thank you. As we just heard from our two colleagues, we've heard about the pain and frustration of parents who've seen children suddenly manifest OCD, severe eating restrictions, other behavioral changes with no clear and simple explanation. Pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome is the given diagnosis for these children. This study will help us understand more about how this diagnosis is understood and treated in the Commonwealth. And with that, those, let me ask, are there any negative votes on House Resolution 528? Seeing none, House Resolution 528 will be reported as amended. Thank you. members. Thank you, committee. Thank you, Representative Cooper. The chair calls up House Bill 2614, printer's number 3566, sponsored by Representative Kosarowski. Erica, will you please
explain the bill? House Bill 2614 deals with dye to ethyl hexyl phthalate, which I am going to call DEHP to save myself fumbling going forward. House Bill 2614 prohibits the use of DEHP in IV bags and IV tubes. While DEHP increases flexibility, it's a known carcinogen, and there are concerns about leaching into the fluids being administered. Companies would be DEHP-free in IV container bags by 2030 and tubes by 2035. Companies can seek a two-year extension to 2032 for the IV container bags.
The question is, will the committee report House Bill 2614 on that question? Representative Kozorowski is offering Amendment A-03676.
Erica, will you please explain the amendment? This amendment changes the deadline for companies to advise their customers that they'll be seeking an extension until 2032 before becoming completely DEHP-free for the bags. The current deadline is July 1st, 2026, in about two weeks. The new deadline would be December 31st, 2026. Thank you.
Will the committee agree to the amendment? Are there any comments on the amendment? Chair Rapp?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll be supporting the amendment. Thank you.
And I as well would ask for a yes vote on the amendment. Are there any negative votes on amendment A0376? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. and the question recurs. Will the committee report House Bill 2614 as amended? Is there any discussion on the bill? The chair recognizes Representative Kozorowski, the prime sponsor.
Good morning, and thank you, Chair Rapp and Frankel, for considering this legislation, and thank you, Erica, for explaining the bill. and I also will be referring to the diethylhexyl phthalate as DEHP, bringing me back to my chemistry days. But what we're talking about today is the orthophthalates, which are synthetic chemicals. And anyone who has received IV medicine or given, like Representative Tarek and I, have started IVs on patients and certainly used IV tubing, it can be very stiff. and this synthetic chemical softens the IV tubing, which I understand the usage of. However, we've done research and we have found that DEHP links to the plastic. It doesn't link to the plastic well enough and it leaches out. And, you know, the irony of this situation is when we are giving patients chemotherapy, We are also administering it in tubing that is toxic, is now considered toxic buildup over years in your body. Now, we all know DHP is these plasticizers that are in PVCs. It's everywhere. I mean, it's in all of our daily usage of all kinds of equipment that we use in our day. But the main goal here is to not use it while we're giving medicine to patients, these medical devices, the IV tubing, and certainly while delivering such medicines as chemotherapy. So hopefully the committee here will understand the necessity of this bill. It's enacted in other states. We've given a timeline, I think, generous enough to make sure that the companies have ample time to be able to use an alternative for these medicines and these medical devices. So I'm grateful for being able to bring this to your attention, and I'm asking for a yes vote. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I met recently with stakeholders to discuss the transition to DEHP-free IV bags and tubing. I understand that this transition is already taking place and that it will not cost more money for manufacturers to do so. And as this legislation will set the parameters for this transition and it has been worked on with stakeholder groups, I will be supporting this bill here in committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
House Bill 2621 directs the Department of Health to continue conducting the pregnancy risk monitoring survey. A03-660 changes the name to the Survey to Assess Maternal and Infant Outcome Measures, and it provides for data collection during pregnancy as well as prenatal and postnatal, and explicitly allows the use of data for reports and research purposes. No Mr Chairman I will be supporting the amendment but I do believe we have one no vote
Chair Frankel. Yes.
Rep. Benham. Yes. Rep. Borowski. Rep. Boyd. Rep. Handage. Rep. Howard. Rep. Khan. Yes. Rep Kozorowski. Rep Kudrowski. Rep Mays. Rep Freelotten. Rep Sanchez. Rep Schusterman. Rep Venkit. Chair Rep. Yes. Rep Bonner. Designation, yes. Rep Borowitz. Designation, no. Rep Brown. Yes. Rep Day. Designation, yes. Rep Krupa. Designation, yes. Rep Roy. Yes. Rep. Rossi. Yes. Rep. Stair. Yes. Rep. Tordzik. Yes. Rep. Walsh. Yes. Rep. Zimmerman. Yes. 25 to 1.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, Chair Frankel and Chair Rapp, for bringing up this bill. and for Erica's hard work on this bill. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, also known as PARAMS, and I'll refer to it as PARAMS, is a nationwide survey of new parents used to assess the connection between maternal behavior and health outcomes in PA. The PARAMS survey includes participants of all ages, races, and ethnicities from both rural and urban communities, making it a source of data that truly represents the Commonwealth. For nearly 20 years, Pennsylvania has relied on PRAMS data to recommend best policies and practices to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. Among other successes, PRAMS has led to increased access to prenatal care and improved infant safe sleep. We must continue to collect and analyze this data to better inform our public health policies. So my bill will establish a similar program within the Department of Health to be called the Survey to Assess Maternal and Infant Outcome Measures. It is imperative that as a legislative body, we reaffirm our commitment to maternal and infant health. And it is for these reasons that I ask my colleagues for a yes vote. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's a good idea. I support it. I'm glad they do it. But I'm curious, what's the reason this has been going on for 19 years? What necessitates, like, making it officially legal now?
So the PRAM survey was conducted nationally in coordination with the CDC. So it was a cooperative agreement between most, I think, almost all of the states and the CDC. At the start of 2025, I believe, the CDC decided they didn't want to continue sort of doing the main operations of it. And so it's gone to the states to decide whether they want to continue collecting that data.
All right. Thank you.
Thank you. Chair Rett.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System does help to identify women at higher risk for health problems, track trends over time, and measure progress forward, improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Data collection, analysis, and reporting provides timely, high-quality data to guide policies and programs focused on maternal and infant death. This data is often the only source for timely and detailed information on maternal experiences that guide intervention to save lives and improve outcomes for families. While this information is submitted voluntarily, it is important to continue collecting the data to understand how mothers and babies are doing to design programs that meet their needs and to respond to issues that are uncovered. I will be supporting this bill in committee. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Chair Rapp. I want to thank Representative Schusterman for sponsoring this legislation. We know this data is useful. It's led to breastfeeding initiatives in Tennessee and Michigan and a campaign to educate about the importance of folic acid in Vermont. As we look to public policy to support mothers and babies, this pregnancy-related research is an important foundation of the work, and I'd ask for an affirmative vote. Do we need a roll call? Yes.
Patrick, would you please take the roll? Chair Frankel. Yes. Rep Benham. Yes. Rep Borowski. Designation, yes. Rep Boyd. Designation yes. Rep Hanbage. Designation yes. Rep Howard. Designation yes. Rep Kahn. Yes. Rep Kosarowski. Rep Kajewski. Yes. Rep Mays. Designation yes. Rep Friel-Otton. Yes. Rep Sanchez. Designation yes. Rep Schusterman. Yes. Rep Venkat. Designation yes. Chair Rapp. Yes. Rep Bonner. Designation yes. Rep Borowitz. Designation no. Rep Brown. Yes. Rep Day. Designation yes. Rep. Krupa. Designation yes. Rep. Roy. Yes. Rep. Rossi. Yes. Rep. Stare. Rep. Tordzik. Yes. Rep. Walsh. Yes. Rep. Zimmerman. Yes. 25 to 1.
Thank you, members. House Bill 2621 will be reported as amended. So, finally, the chair is calling up non-controversial resolutions. This package of resolutions has been deemed non-controversial by both chairs. As such, we will take one vote on this package without comments. For any member that wishes to vote no on this package, please raise your hand and I will call for a vote. If you do not raise your hand, your vote will be recorded in the affirmative for all resolutions. The committee will vote on the following resolutions. House Resolution 532 from Representative Gallagher, recognizing October 24, 2026 as Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Day. House Resolution 546 from Representative Mal recognizes the week of September 28 through October 4, 2026 as Frontal Temporal Degeneration Awareness Week. Finally, House Resolution 568 from Representative McAndrew designates June 23, 2026 as Gravit Syndrome Awareness Day. Is there any opposition to the package of non-controversial resolutions? Raise your hands, please. Seeing none, this package of non-controversial resolutions is reported out of the House Health Committee unanimously, and that concludes the business of the House Health Committee. I appreciate the participation of all of our members. That concludes. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you.
.