Bill > HB493

This bill establishes a statewide web-based acute care mental health bed registry to help healthcare professionals more efficiently find available inpatient mental health treatment beds. The registry will collect and display real-time information about participating mental health facilities, including the number of available beds, types of services offered, facility contact information, bed security levels, and patient admission criteria. The registry will be updated every eight hours and will be accessible to healthcare professionals like physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The public will have limited access to the registry, seeing general information about facilities, available beds, waiting list lengths, and update times. Mental health facilities must submit their information and agree to have their contact details monitored to participate. The Department of Health will develop and administer the registry, with the option to contract with a third party, and must create regulations to implement the system. The bill requires the Department of Health to publish a notice about the registry's development in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, and the registry provisions will take effect 60 days after this publication, with some immediate effects related to public disclosure.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=493