3 New Laws To Take Effect In PA: See The List Here

HARRISBURG, PA — When the new Pennsylvania legislature took over power earlier this year, leaders on both sides of the aisle expressed aspirations toward a new peace, and more productive and less partisan working relationship.

More than half a year in, the results are mixed, with gridlock still persisting on numerous issues, particularly the budget.

But the legislature has also had success in other ways, passing a slate of new bills that were signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Here's a glance at some of the newest laws on the books in Pennsylvania:

Breast cancer screenings

Seeking to make preventative healthcare more affordable, this new law eliminates out of pocket costs for genetic testing for a variety of inherited cancer syndromes, including breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.

Additionally, the bill provides free supplemental breast cancer screenings for any woman shown to be at high risk for breast cancer.

Officials called the bill "landmark."

"This bill is the first of its kind in our country, requiring insurance companies to cover the costs of preventive cancer screenings for women at high risk of breast cancer," Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement. "This historic legislation is going to help women fight breast cancer and live healthier lives."

There are roughly 14,000 new cases of breast cancer per year in Pennsylvania, according to officials.

Full text of the law.

Cybersecurity

As data breaches and hacks become more and more common, and more and more personal healthcare information is accrued online, Pennsylvania lawmakers are taking steps to protect the privacy and security of patients.

The new Pennsylvania Insurance Data Security Act requires insurance companies to conduct a cybersecurity risk assessment, create specific cybersecurity protocols, and report all breaches to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

"One successful cyberattack on an insurance company can potentially get data on hundreds of thousands of people that can be sold on the black market," State Rep. Kevin Boyle wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "And a cyberattack can potentially freeze an insurer’s accounts and impact whether claims can be paid, which would have downstream effects on many industries."

The new law brings the state in line with a model that is used on the national level for insurer cybersecurity, Boyle added.

Full text of the law.

Maternal morbidity data tracking

Introduced as Senate Bill 262, this new law seeks to empower medical studies in Pennsylvania on the details of cases where mothers suffer from any health complication during pregnancy.

Specifically, the law requires "severe maternal morbidity" to be added to the list of "reportable events" in the state Department of Health.

"Accurate and regular tracking of data is essential for the comprehensive research on maternal mortality in the Commonwealth," State Sen. Judith L. Schwank wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum.

The bill also creates a Maternal Mortality Review Committee that would submit a report on each patient event. Some 50,000 women a year suffer serious health complications with their pregnancies.

Full text of the law.

Blight and revitalization

Pennsylvania law already provides for something called land banks, in which the municipality acquires unused, blighted properties and helps guide their transition into new homes, businesses, community centers, or other forces of revitalization.

Unfortunately, officials say the process can be unduly complex, and too many communities are struggling to obtain properties in the first place.

This new Pennsylvania Land Bank Act empowers certain of these "land bank communities" by extending the powers of the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law. This gives certain municipalities priority standing in the property bid process, and allows abandoned properties to get the sheriff's sale faster.

Full text of the law.