An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions, further providing for urine drug screening requirement and providing for medetomidine awareness education.

PRINTER'S NO. 966
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 865
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, MASTRIANO AND TARTAGLIONE, JUNE 18, 2025
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 18, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions, further
providing for urine drug screening requirement and providing
for medetomidine awareness education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 5902(a), (b)(1), (2) and (3) and the
definition of "urine drug screening" in subsection (d) of Title
35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to
read:
§ 5902. Urine drug screening requirement.
(a) General rule.--
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if a urine drug
screening is conducted in an emergency department within an
acute care hospital to assist in diagnosing a patient's
condition, the urine drug screening shall include testing for
fentanyl, medetomidine and xylazine.
(2) The medetomidine and xylazine testing under
paragraph (1) shall only be required if testing is available
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as part of the urine drug screening panel.
(b) Reporting.--
(1) If the urine drug screening conducted in accordance
with subsection (a) detects fentanyl, medetomidine or
xylazine, the emergency department shall report the test
results, which shall be deidentified, to the department and
shall provide informational materials under section 5903(a)
(2) (relating to xylazine awareness education) or 5903.1(a)
(2) (relating to medetomidine awareness education).
(2) The department shall determine the manner of
submission of test results.
(3) Reporting for fentanyl, medetomidine and xylazine
shall occur when results meet a screening threshold set by
the department.
* * *
(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:
* * *
"Urine drug screening." A chemical analysis intended to test
a patient for the presence of a controlled substance,
medetomidine or xylazine.
Section 2. Title 35 is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 5903.1. Medetomidine awareness education.
(a) Powers and duties.--The Department of Drug and Alcohol
Programs, in consultation with the Department of Health and the
Department of Agriculture, shall have the power and its duty
shall be to:
(1) Enter into partnerships with health care providers,
including physicians and veterinarians, and community-based
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health centers and hospitals to educate residents of this
Commonwealth on the dangers of human use of medetomidine.
(2) Create informational materials in electronic and
physical form, in coordination with the partners described in
paragraph (1), which may be distributed to or accessed by
residents of this Commonwealth. The informational materials
shall include:
(i) The effects on the human body of the use of
medetomidine.
(ii) How to talk to family and friends about the
dangers of human use of medetomidine.
(iii) The legitimate uses of medetomidine for animal
use.
(iv) Any other information the Department of Drug
and Alcohol Programs deems necessary to prepare and
educate residents of this Commonwealth on the dangers of
human use of medetomidine.
(b) Expiration.--
(1) Upon a determination by the Secretary of Health that
the human use of medetomidine no longer poses a significant
threat to the public health and safety of the Commonwealth,
the Secretary of Health shall transmit notice of the
determination to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania
Bulletin.
(2) This section shall expire upon publication of the
notice under paragraph (1).
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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