PENNSYLVANIA

Legislation prioritizing COVID-19 testing for first responders, medical professionals and vulnerable populations passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives May 4 by a vote of 201-1.

House Bill 2455 establishes a comprehensive framework for statewide COVID-19 testing and gives local health departments greater latitude to implement coronavirus testing.

House Bill 2455 was also amended to require the governor to review statewide COVID-19 testing capacity and issue a plan to test Pennsylvania’s first responders, health care workers and other vulnerable populations as well as to use tests to ease current mitigation requirements that have been imposed by the government. Additionally, the governor must provide regular reports on testing efforts including the number of tests needed, costs associated and exactly what testing resources are available.