Give Me Your Feedback on Proposed Department of Health Regulations

Recently, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) proposed updates to regulations on communicable diseases. These proposals have been submitted to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) for review under Rulemaking #10-242: Communicable and Noncommunicable Disease.

The policies being reviewed for updates are used to establish the formal rules that govern how communicable diseases are reported and managed, and they must undergo IRRC review before becoming final.

This is getting a lot of attention, as the proposed updates are comparable to similar measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic. As written, the DOH proposals would permit state officials to implement school or community mask requirements, conduct certain inspections or interviews as part of disease investigation activities, and request health information for contact-tracing or related public-health purposes. It also includes provisions allowing officials to enter school buildings to interview students privately for disease-control efforts.

I encourage you read the proposed regulations in full. They are available here for review. (Once on the page, click “Download proposed regulation.”)

I understand this can be a divisive issue, with many residents holding strong opinions on the proposals. Maybe you feel that this is government overreach and a violation of privacy, or maybe you feel that the government needs to better monitor infectious disease for the overall protection of citizens. I’ve set up this page so you can give me your feedback, and I thank you for your time.