An Act amending the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities Act, in licensing of health care facilities, providing for reporting costs associated with health care for illegal migrants.

PRINTER'S NO. 2019
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1661
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY RASEL, M. MACKENZIE, KUZMA, STAATS AND M. JONES,
JUNE 24, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 25, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), entitled "An
act relating to health care; prescribing the powers and
duties of the Department of Health; establishing and
providing the powers and duties of the State Health
Coordinating Council, health systems agencies and Health Care
Policy Board in the Department of Health, and State Health
Facility Hearing Board in the Department of Justice;
providing for certification of need of health care providers
and prescribing penalties," in licensing of health care
facilities, providing for reporting costs associated with
health care for illegal migrants.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known
as the Health Care Facilities Act, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 806.5. Reporting costs associated with health care for
illegal migrants.
(a) Annual hospital report.- - Within 30 days after the end of
each calendar year , a hospital licensed under this act shall
submit a report to the department detailing the number of
hospital admissions and emergency department visits made by
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illegal migrants within the previous calendar year .
(b) Annual department report.--
(1) By March 1 of each year, the department shall post
a report on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website with the total number of hospital admissions and
emergency department visits made by illegal migrants within
the previous calendar year. In the report, the department
shall also include information relating to the costs of
uncompensated care for illegal migrants, the impact of
uncompensated care on the cost or ability of hospitals to
provide services to the public, hospital funding needs and
other related information.
(2) The department shall submit the report under
paragraph (1) to all of the following:
(i) The Governor.
(ii) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
(iii) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(iv) The Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the
Senate.
(v) The Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(vi) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate.
(vii) The chairperson and minority chairperson of
the Health Committee of the House of Representatives.
(c) Regulations.--The department shall promulgate
regulations necessary to implement this section.
(d) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
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"Illegal migrant." An individual who is present in the
United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. Ch. 12 (relating to
immigration and nationality).
"Uncompensated care." The cost of care provided to patients
financially unable or unwilling to pay for services provided by
a hospital.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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