In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to require sunset provisions and legislative approval for certain Department of Health regulations governing disease reporting and control.

The Department of Health (DOH) has recently proposed sweeping amendments to 28 Pa. Code Chapter 27 (relating to communicable and noncommunicable diseases) that would, among other things, significantly broaden the Department’s quarantine, isolation and masking authority, and expand reportable disease and condition requirements, all without any sunset date or requirement for legislative authorization.
 
My bill will amend the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955 to require that certain new DOH health regulations include a mandatory sunset date and be approved by the General Assembly before taking final effect, restoring some legislative oversight of executive rulemaking that has in recent memory infringed on the rights of both citizens and institutions.
 
I invite you to co-sponsor this important legislation.