Frankel: Election results open a path for policies that will improve the health and wellness of our communities
Rep. Dan B. Frankel November 5, 2026 | 12:27 PM
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 5 – Pennsylvania House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said he looks forward to a Democratic majority in the Senate and a stronger majority in the House to open a path for dozens of new and previously introduced bills that would improve the lives of Pennsylvanians.
“I’ve helped move bill after bill through the House to expand access to high-quality healthcare and protect the public health, only to watch them stall at the Senate door,” Frankel said. “Now that door is open. With a true negotiating partner on the other side, we have the chance to make a significant difference in Pennsylvanians’ lives.”
Frankel, along with his Health Committee colleagues and staff, is reviewing previously passed bills and developing new proposals for legislation to introduce in the 2027-2028 session.
He noted that federal cuts to the social safety net, along with burdensome new requirements, have put many families at risk of losing access to food assistance and medical coverage.
"We feel an urgent need to offset the impact of cruel Trump administration policies, both on vulnerable individuals and families, and on an already overstressed health system," Frankel said.
The following Health Committee bills passed the House this session and stalled in the Senate:
- H.B. 0033 (Frankel) would strengthen oversight of Pennsylvania’s medical-marijuana testing labs through audits, quality-assurance testing, inspections and data transparency, and would add a laboratory science expert to the MMJ board.
- H.B. 0060 (Borowski) would let patients transfer electronic prescriptions for certain controlled substances, such as stimulant medications for ADHD, between pharmacies without going back to their prescriber, aligning Pennsylvania law with the federal rule.
- H.B. 0079 (Venkat) would create the Pennsylvania Medical Debt Relief Program to erase medical debt for low-income residents and would require hospitals to be transparent about charity care and help patients apply for it so that new debt doesn’t pile up.
- H.B. 0157 (Rapp) would create a Rural Healthcare Grant Program through the Department of Health, giving rural and underserved-area hospitals grants to help pay off student loans for nurses and physicians who work full-time there for at least three years.
- H.B. 0409 (Kosierowski) would require health providers to tell patients that their results will appear in their electronic health record (or be mailed on request), while allowing some reports to be delayed one full business day after finalization so that the patient’s doctor can review them and provide counsel first, unless the practitioner directs otherwise.
- H.B. 0446 (Sanchez) would allow patients to be discharged with the unused portion of medications used during a procedure at a facility.
- H.B. 0583 (Curry) would restore Medicaid coverage of root canals, periodontal disease treatment and emergency exams.
- H.B. 0836 (O’Mara) would protect the right of Pennsylvanians to access fertility treatments, including medically assisted ways of starting or expanding a family.
- H.B. 0916 (Giral) would require all children to be tested for lead poisoning at 12- and 24-months of age, and more often if they are considered high risk, instead of testing only those the CDC identifies as at risk.
- H.B. 1077 (Cepeda-Freytiz) would create a commission that works with local vision care nonprofits to develop a statewide plan for providing follow-up eye exams and glasses to students who need them.
- H.B. 1200 (Krajewski) would legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania, with a focus on expunging past offenses, reinvesting in communities harmed by prohibition, protecting public health, and creating opportunities for local and diverse cannabis businesses.
- H.B. 1212 (Abney) would create a public awareness campaign on the importance of involving fathers during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, and to encourage health care providers to engage fathers during prenatal care and the birthing process.
- H.B. 1234 (Mayes) would expand Medical Assistance coverage to include home blood pressure monitors as a pregnancy-related service, once per pregnancy, to help catch and manage hypertension early.
- H.B. 1411 (Hanbidge) would have the Department of Health partner with medical providers to educate Pennsylvania women about perimenopause and menopause, including symptoms, the biological changes involved, and how to talk with family and friends about them.
- H.B. 1460 (Borowski) would give the Attorney General’s office stronger tools to review hospital mergers and acquisitions, so that only qualified, good-faith operators committed to keeping care accessible enter Pennsylvania’s healthcare market.
- H.B. 2042 (Briggs) would strengthen Pennsylvania’s youth concussion law by covering recreational and non-school sports and adding guidance on returning to learning after a head injury.
- H.B. 2162 (Borowski) would let pharmaceutical manufacturers apply for a Pennsylvania license while they seek FDA approval, rather than waiting until it’s finished, as long as they’ve applied to the FDA or plan to within a year.
- H.B. 2254 (Frankel) would require care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in non-smokable, non-vapable forms for symptom relief during inpatient or end-of-life care.
- H.B. 2378 (Madden) would require hospitals to offer the flu vaccine to inpatients age 50 and older before discharge during flu season, instead of only those 65 and older, while patients remain free to decline.
- H.B. 2593 (K. Harris) would raise public awareness of prostate cancer, its risk factors, and screening options, and make sure people know when to talk with their doctor about screening.
- H.B. 2621 (Shusterman) would permanently fund the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), the Department of Health’s maternal and infant health survey, so that it no longer depends on grant money.
- H.B. 2657 (Kosierowski) would set up a regulatory framework for kratom in Pennsylvania, allowing registered retailers to sell only natural, properly labeled kratom to people 21 and older, while banning synthetic or adulterated products like 7-OH.
- H.B. 2702 (Frankel) would remove the sunset provision from the law governing the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4), so that the independent healthcare data agency can continue operating without an expiration date.
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