An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for public health notification programs; and establishing a bone marrow donor recruitment program.

PRINTER'S NO. 1391
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1242
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, KHAN, MALAGARI, KOSIEROWSKI, McANDREW,
HILL-EVANS, CURRY, MADDEN, GIRAL, VENKAT, CERRATO, SANCHEZ,
KENYATTA, HOHENSTEIN, BRENNAN, SCHLOSSBERG, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ
AND CIRESI, APRIL 17, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, APRIL 17, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, providing for public health
notification programs; and establishing a bone marrow donor
recruitment program.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 56A
PUBLIC HEALTH NOTIFICATION PROGRAMS
Subchapter
A. (Reserved)
B. (Reserved)
C. Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment Program
SUBCHAPTER A
(Reserved)
SUBCHAPTER B
(Reserved)
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SUBCHAPTER C
BONE MARROW DONOR RECRUITMENT PROGRAM
Sec.
56A21. Definitions.
56A22. Bone marrow donor recruitment program.
56A23. Regulations.
§ 56A21. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Biomarker." A blood protein, such as a human erythrocyte
glycoprotein, a human blood rhesus factor antigen, a human
leukocyte antigen or other organic compound found in blood as
determined by the department which may be used diagnostically to
determine the compatibility or viability of donor tissue for the
donation recipient.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
§ 56A22. Bone marrow donor recruitment program.
(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish a bone
marrow donor recruitment program to educate residents of this
Commonwealth on the following:
(1) The need for bone marrow donors who meet the
eligibility criteria established by the National Marrow Donor
Program from every ethnic background and necessary blood
compatibility biomarker grouping.
(2) The requirements for registering as a potential bone
marrow donor with the federally authorized bone marrow donor
registry established and maintained by the National Marrow
Donor Program, including procedures for determining an
individual's tissue type.
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(3) The collection procedures an individual must undergo
to donate bone marrow or other sources of blood stem cells.
(4) The availability of information about bone marrow
donation in health care facilities, blood banks and driver's
license offices.
(b) Electronic informational materials.--The department, in
consultation with the National Marrow Donor Program, shall
develop electronic informational materials, including content
for publicly accessible Internet websites of State agencies and
machine-readable codes, including:
(1) Bone marrow donation.
(2) The process of registering with the National Marrow
Donor Program's bone marrow donor registry.
(c) Dissemination of informational materials.--
(1) The department shall post the information under
subsection (b) on the department's publicly accessible
Internet website and shall, in collaboration with the
Department of Transportation, display the information
electronically.
(2) A health care facility, blood bank or publicly
accessible office of the Department of Transportation may
print, post or electronically display the materials under
subsection (b) in its facilities.
§ 56A23. Regulations.
The department shall promulgate regulations necessary to
implement this subchapter.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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