PRINTER'S NO. 3976
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2613
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY SACCONE AND J. McNEILL, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in emergency medical services system,
providing for identifying information and electronic devices.
This act may be referred to as Gregory's Law.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 8143. Identifying information and electronic devices.
(a) General duties.--In accordance with the performance of a
law enforcement officer's official duties, the law enforcement
officer s hall ensure that identifying information and electronic
devices which appear to have been on or about an injured person
accompanies the person through the transport and arrival of the
injured person at the hospital providing treatment. Upon arrival
of the person at the hospital, the law enforcement officer shall
transfer the identifying information and electronic devices to
the appropriate hospital staff for safekeeping.
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(b) Personal delivery.--If the law enforcement officer
determines that the injured person under subsection (a) needs
immediate transport to a hospital and there is not sufficient
time for the collection of the injured person's identifying
information and electronic devices, the law enforcement officer
shall personally deliver the identifying information and
electronic devices to the hospital treating the injured person
within two hours of collection.
(c) Conveyance of information.--If there is not sufficient
time to personally deliver the identifying information and
electronic devices to the hospital treating the injured person
within two hours of collection under subsection (b), the law
enforcement officer shall contact the hospital immediately and
convey the identifying information to the appropriate hospital
staff and personally deliver the identifying information and
electronic devices to the hospital no later than four hours
after the injured person was transported to the hospital.
(d) Deceased information.--If the law enforcement officer
determines that the injured person under subsection (a) will be
imminently deceased or is deceased and the identifying
information which appears to have been on or about the injured
person has been retained as evidence, the law enforcement
officer shall convey any other relevant identifying information
to the hospital treating the person within two hours. The
deceased person's body may not be transported from the hospital
to another location until the body is identified or 72 hours
have passed, whichever is earlier. The law enforcement officer
shall attempt to identify the person at the hospital bedside,
including, but not limited to, through the use of fingerprints
and the central repository under 18 Pa.C.S. Ch. 91 (relating to
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criminal history record information).
(e) Notice to family.--Upon determining that the contact
information of a member of the injured person's family under
subsection (a) is available, the law enforcement officer shall
notify the member of the injured person's family of the injured
person's hospitalization and request that the member of the
injured person's family report to the hospital immediately to
confirm the injured person's identity if the injured person is
unable to identify himself or herself. A member of the injured
person's family may not be prohibited from seeing the injured
person upon arrival at the hospital to confirm the injured
person's identity under this subsection.
(f) 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:
"Electronic device." The term includes, but is not limited
to, a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, pager,
computer or any other device used to input, write, send, receive
or read text.
"Law enforcement officer." A member of the Pennsylvania
State Police, an individual employed as a police officer who
holds a current certificate under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 Subch. D
(relating to municipal police education and training), a sheriff
or a deputy sheriff.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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