Bill > SB957

This bill, known as the Blood Transparency and Patient Rights Act, provides patients with more control and information regarding blood transfusions by establishing several key provisions. Patients will now have the right to donate and use their own blood (autologous blood) or request directed donations from specific individuals, subject to medical compatibility and screening. The bill requires medical facilities and blood providers to disclose the vaccination status of blood available for transfusion upon patient request, and this information must be included in the informed consent documentation. Patients must be given the option to decline a transfusion based on the donor's vaccination status, though an exception exists for life-threatening emergencies where the patient cannot provide consent. The bill defines key terms like "informed consent," "vaccination status," and establishes protections for healthcare providers acting in good faith. The Department of Health is tasked with creating regulations to implement these provisions, including standardizing informed consent forms, managing directed and autologous donations, and developing public education about blood transfusion options. The act will take effect 180 days after its passage, and fundamentally aims to enhance patient autonomy and transparency in medical procedures involving blood transfusions.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=957