HB 81 — An Act providing for certification of central service technicians; imposing continuing education requirements on central service technicians; providing for duties of health care facilities and the Department of Health; and regulating the practice of surgical technology and surgical technologists.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

83 PRINTER'STHE NO.GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

35881 THE2019 GENERALINTRODUCED ASSEMBLYBY OFKAUFFMAN, PENNSYLVANIAMURT, HOUSEPYLE, BILLZIMMERMAN, SessionREADSHAW, ofHILL- No.EVANS AND JOZWIAK, JANUARY 28, 2019 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JANUARY 28, 2019 AN ACT Proimposing continuing education requirements on central service technicians;

81 2019 INTRODUCED BY KAUFFMAN, MURT, PYLE, ZIMMERMAN, READSHAW, HILL- EVANS AND JOZWIAK, JANUARY 28, 2019 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 5, 2019 AN ACT Providing for certification of central service technicians;

imposing continuing education requirements on central service technicians;

"Hospital." As defined in section 802.1 of the Health Care 20190HB0081PN0358 - 2 - Facilities Act.

20190HB0081PN0083 - 2 - "Surgical technologist." An individual who is employed or contracted by a health care facility to perform surgical technology tasks and functionsfunctions. AS DIRECTED.

<-- "Surgical technology." Surgical patient care that includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks or functions:

(1) preparing the operating room and the sterile field <-- for surgical procedures by ensuring that surgical equipment is functioning properly and safely and preparing sterile supplies, instruments and equipment using sterile technique;

(1)CHAPTER PREPARING3 THECENTRAL OPERATINGSERVICE ROOMTECHNICIANS AND20190HB0081PN0083 THE STERILE <-- 20190HB0081PN0358 - 3 - OPERATINGSection FIELD301. FOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES BY ENSURING THAT SURGICAL EQUIPMENT IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND SAFELY AND USING STERILE TECHNIQUE TO PREPARE SUPPLIES, INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT;

(2) ASSISTING THE SURGEON WITH PLACING STERILE DRAPES ON THE PATIENT TO ESTABLISH THE STERILE OPERATING FIELD;

(3) PARTICIPATING IN THE TIME-OUT PROCESS OF VERIFYING THE CORRECT PATIENT, PROCEDURE AND SURGICAL SITE;

(4) ANTICIPATING THE NEEDS OF THE SURGEON, BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN ANATOMY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, BY PREPARING AND PASSING INSTRUMENTS AND SUPPLIES DURING A SURGICAL PROCEDURE;

(5) SPONGING AND SUCTIONING THE OPERATIVE SITE;

(6) PREPARING AND CUTTING SUTURE MATERIAL;

(7) PREPARING AND POURING IRRIGATION SOLUTIONS DURING A SURGICAL PROCEDURE;

(8) PREPARING AND PASSING MEDICATIONS AND HEMOSTATIC AGENTS DURING A SURGICAL PROCEDURE;

(9) TRANSFERRING AND ADMINISTERING DRUGS WITHIN THE STERILE FIELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE LAWS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH;

(10) PREPARING AND PASSING OFF SPECIMENS;

(11) HOLDING RETRACTORS OR OTHER INSTRUMENTS;

(12) APPLYING ELECTROCAUTERY TO CLAMPS OR FORCEPS ON BLEEDING VESSELS;

(13) OPERATING THE CAMERA DURING AN ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURE;

(14) PLACING INSTRUMENTS IN ROBOTIC ARMS DURING A SURGICAL PROCEDURE;

(15) CONNECTING DRAINS TO SUCTION APPARATUSES;

20190HB0081PN0358 - 4 - (16) PERFORMING URINARY CATHETERIZATIONS;

(17) PREPARING AND APPLYING STERILE DRESSINGS TO CLOSED WOUNDS;

(18) PERFORMING COUNTS OF SPONGES, NEEDLES, SUPPLIES AND INSTRUMENTS WITH A REGISTERED NURSE CIRCULATOR;

(19) CLEANING AND PREPARING INSTRUMENTS FOR STERILIZATION UPON COMPLETION OF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE;

(20) ASSISTING THE SURGICAL TEAM WITH CLEANING OF THE OPERATING ROOM UPON COMPLETION OF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE;

(21) ASSISTING WITH TRANSFERRING THE PATIENT TO AND POSITIONING THE PATIENT ON THE OPERATING TABLE;

AND (22) MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF STERILE TECHNIQUE, INCLUDING IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING BREAKS IN THE STERILE OPERATING FIELD.

CHAPTER 3 CENTRAL SERVICE TECHNICIANS Section 301.

(b) Exemption.--The certification requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply to an individual who has been 20190HB0081PN0358 - 5 - employed or otherwise contracted for services as a central service technician in a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility on or before December 31, 20192019. THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT.

<-- Section 302.

(c) Facility responsibility.-- (1) A hospital or ambulatory surgical facility shall 20190HB0081PN0083 - 4 - maintain documentation to verify that an individual meets the certification requirements under section 301(a).

20190HB0081PN0358 - 6 - (1) A health care practitioner.

20190HB0081PN0083 - 5 - (1) A health care facility shall not employ or otherwise contract for the services of a surgical technologist in a health care facility unless the individual meets at least one of the following:

(ii) has successfully completed an appropriate training program for surgical technology in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard 20190HB0081PN0358 - 7 - or in the United States Public Health Service;

(iii) provides evidence that the individual was employed to practice surgical technology AS THE <-- INDIVIDUAL'S PRIMARY FUNCTION in a health care facility on the effective date of this act or was employed to practice surgical technology during the two years immediately preceding the effective date of this act;

(2) A HEALTHhealth CAREcare FACILITYfacility THATmay EMPLOYSemploy ORor CONTRACTScontract <--an WITHindividual ANto INDIVIDUALpractice TOsurgical PRACTICEtechnology SURGICALduring TECHNOLOGYthe SHALL12- VERIFYmonth THEperiod DATESimmediately OFfollowing EMPLOYMENTsuccessful OFcompletion THEof INDIVIDUALa ORsurgical CONTRACTtechnology PERIODprogram, WITHbut THEmay INDIVIDUALnot UPONcontinue REQUESTto BYbe ANYemployed OFor THEcontracted FOLLOWING:with beyond that period without documentation that the employee or contractor holds and 20190HB0081PN0083 - 6 - maintains the Certified Surgical Technologist credential required under paragraph (1)(i).