Pa. General Assembly passes House Bill 1861

Today, both chambers of the Pa. General Assembly passed House Bill 1861 unanimously. It will now go to Gov. Tom Wolf for his signature or veto.

Commonwealth Foundation Vice President Nathan Benefield has the following statement:

This is a win for Pennsylvanians that Commonwealth Foundation has supported, as it extends the temporary suspension of harmful regulations for another six months. We hope that lawmakers will work to ensure these regulatory suspensions are made permanent when this temporary measure ends. Regulations that can restrict access to health care during an emergency are always harmful regulations. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Wolf took swift actions to waive almost 500 regulations, with most related to increasing the health care sector’s ability to respond. As Pennsylvania returns to normal, it is crucial that lawmakers learn from the benefits of these temporary waivers and make them permanent.

For more information on needed legislation to ensure Pennsylvania’s economy and health care industry are always ready, please see the below articles by Commonwealth Foundation analysts:

How Pennsylvania Is Progressing in the Race to Rebuild

Pennsylvania's Healthcare Should Always be Crisis Ready

Commonwealth Foundation experts are available for comment. Please contact Michael Torres at 850-619-2737 or [email protected] to schedule an interview.

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