SB 836, PN 1265 (Regan) – This bill would provide for electrocardiogram testing and distribution of related information for student athletic program participants. A vote of 48-0 was recorded.
SB 841, PN 1338 (Martin) – This bill would provide for the establishment of the Health Care Cost Containment Council in Pennsylvania. A vote of 48-0 was recorded.
SB 857, PN 1326 (Vogel) – The bill creates the Telemedicine Act which authorizes the regulation of telemedicine by professional licensing boards and provides for insurance coverage of telemedicine. Senator Vogel offered amendment A03619 which does the following:
- Removes the language prohibiting a separate standard of care for telemedicine and requiring the referral to in-person care where telemedicine services would be inconsistent with that standard.
- Replaces reimbursement language to require reimbursement in accordance with the terms and conditions of the network participation agreement between the insurer and the participating provider.
- Prohibits a network participation agreement from prohibiting reimbursement solely because a health care service is provided by telemedicine.
The amendment was agreed to by a voice vote and the bill went over in its order. SB 857 was brought up again on supplemental calendar. A vote of 47-1 was recorded.
SB 905, PN 1336 (Browne) – Senate Bill 905, Printer’s Number 1256 is the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act of 2019- 2020. This legislation itemizes capital projects in the aggregate amount of $9,261,558,000. The bill also establishes the categories under which capital projects may be funded, in part or in whole, through the issuance of general obligation debt or current revenue. Of the authorizations in this bill, $9,240,558,000 would be funded by the incurring of debt, $21,000,000 would be funded from current revenues and $500,000 would be funded from debt or current revenues. Section 7(a)(4) of Article VIII of the Constitution of Pennsylvania requires the itemization of all capital projects before being paid for by the commonwealth. Senate Bill 905 provides for these itemizations. Funding decisions and related debt issuance are made outside of this legislation. A vote of 48-0 was recorded.
HB 1016, PN 1166 (DeLuca) – Amends the Insurance Company Law of 1921 to provide regulatory oversight of fraternal benefit societies’ solvency. A vote of 48-0 was recorded.