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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Eugene DePasquale |
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DePasquale: 'Next of Kin' bill would help save lives
HARRISBURG, Feb. 14 – State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, was joined by Rep. Frank Farry, R-Bucks, at a Capitol news conference today to unveil legislation that would help emergency personnel and law enforcement to access one's emergency contact information.
House Bill 2098 would create an online "Next of Kin" database, wherein individuals would be able to voluntarily submit up to three emergency contacts and/or critical medical information that can be changed or removed at any time.
In emergency situations, only emergency responders and law enforcement personnel would be able to access this database by swiping their driver's license or identification card.
"It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to be prepared when tragedy strikes," DePasquale said. "These records would only be accessed by appropriate personnel in the event of an accident where an individual is unconscious or unable to communicate."
DePasquale said the information in the database would not be public record.
Several states have successfully established similar programs, including Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio and South Carolina.